The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m...
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Reel Life Starring Us - Lisa Greenwald

Reel Life Starring Us by Lisa Greenwald
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): Life in Rockwood Hills is not quite picture-perfect.
MEET THE NEW GIRL: Dina may have been popular at her old school, but at Rockwood Hills she's just the weird girl with the video camera.
MEET THE QUEEN BEE: Chelsea's ruled the school forever — but now she's got a secret that might ruin everything.
When Dina is assigned to do a video project with Chelsea, she thinks this is her ticket to a great new social life. Dina figures if she can track down the uber-famous, ultra-chic Rockwood Hills alumna Sasha Preston for the video, she'll be tight with the cool crowd in no time. But Chelsea's troubled home life means she's seeking answers from Sasha, too — and she's not about to share her social status with an outsider.
Funny, fresh, and empowering, this is the story of the start of a friendship and all its ups and downs. Dina and Chelsea's video project inspires them to question what it means to be popular when no one knows who you really are.

 MY OPINION: *****

I really loved reading this book. After I read My Life in Pink and Green, I checked Goodreads to see what else Lisa Greenwald has to offer. It turns out that she has a ton of good books, so I started reading Reel Life Starring Us. It is a really predictable story told from both the new girl and the popular girl's view. But even though the ending is obvious, it's just amazing at how this story unravels.

This book tests friendship, and middle-school drama. It also shows that people may not be what they seem to be, and that everyone has a true identity to hide.

I really liked reading from Dina's point of view since I have been a new girl before. I also liked the way she though of things, and the things that she does. Chelsea is also an interesting character since she has so many problems in her life between friends, crushes (and not-crushes), and home life. I also like how Chelsea deals with her problems.

SPOILER ALERT

 This story also focuses on a girl who used to go to their school: Sasha Preston. Apparently, she is super popular now, and everyone likes her. So when they try to go visit her, it is really amazing how easy they got in. I also didn't get how the movie people did not realize that Chelsea and Dina were not extras.

 Overall, I would recommend this book to middle-schoolers. This book is really empowering and shows the limits of friendship in a way that is so easy to understand. This book is very real-to-life.

Main Character(s): Dina Gross, Chelsea Stern
Sidekick(s): Ross, Molly, Kendall, The Acceptables
Villain(s): Popularity (in a way), change
Realistic Fiction Elements: This as all very real-to-life, thoug it will most likely not occur.

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