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Royce Rolls
Z humorem o świecie współczesnych reality shows.
Amerykańska story w stylu glamour, zaprawiona błyskotliwym humorem. A gdyby tak ktoś napisał książkę o reality show rodziny inteligentniejszej od Kardashainów?
Rodzina Royce Rolls ma wszystko – luksusowe wille, ogromną fortunę, świetne nazwisko. Ma także, jak każda rodzina - problemy, z których największym, acz nie jedynym, wydaje się spadek popularności ich dotąd oglądanego przez miliony reality-show: „Rolling with the Royces.” Szesnastoletnia Bentley i jej rodzeństwo: Porshe i Maybach cieszą się, że wreszcie odzyskają swobodę, uwolnią się od wszechobecnych kamer. Ale matka – Mercedes, która jest uzależniona od show zaczyna się załamywać... załamują się też więzi rodzinne, co i jak je uratuje?
Amerykańska story w stylu glamour, zaprawiona błyskotliwym humorem. A gdyby tak ktoś napisał książkę o reality show rodziny inteligentniejszej od Kardashainów?
Rodzina Royce Rolls ma wszystko – luksusowe wille, ogromną fortunę, świetne nazwisko. Ma także, jak każda rodzina - problemy, z których największym, acz nie jedynym, wydaje się spadek popularności ich dotąd oglądanego przez miliony reality-show: „Rolling with the Royces.” Szesnastoletnia Bentley i jej rodzeństwo: Porshe i Maybach cieszą się, że wreszcie odzyskają swobodę, uwolnią się od wszechobecnych kamer. Ale matka – Mercedes, która jest uzależniona od show zaczyna się załamywać... załamują się też więzi rodzinne, co i jak je uratuje?
460 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2017
69 people are currently reading
3605 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Stohl
117 books6,031 followersMargaret Stohl is the #1 New York Times, PW, USA Today, LA Times and Internationally bestselling co-author or author of twelve books, including the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES NOVELS, the DANGEROUS CREATURES NOVELS, the ICONS NOVELS, MARVEL'S BLACK WIDOW NOVELS, ROYCE ROLLS & CATS VS ROBOTS THIS IS WAR (forthcoming!) She writes the MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL comic for Marvel Comics (ongoing) and has contributed to countless videogames; currently, she is a Narrative Director at Bungie.
From the author:
Goodreads Peeps! Please note I no longer review the books on my shelf, "stars"-wise. I do list books I read, and they're all automatically marked as 5 stars. That's because a) I don't list books that I didn't like enough to finish and b) I didn't want to delete the ratings I had already given. If I particularly love a book and feel inclined to comment, you'll still see the comments here. Sadly, I have to ask: please don't reproduce these comments on book jackets, websites, or in any other medium for the marketing of books. They're only meant for fellow goodreaders. Thanks so much!
ABOUT ME:
Writing has gotten me in and out of trouble since I was 15 (back then, mostly just in trouble.) For 10 years, I designed &/or wrote for lots of video games, one of which was nominated for “Most Innovative Game Design,” but I lost to a rapping onion. If you know games you get why my two bad beagles are named Zelda and Kirby.
From the author:
Goodreads Peeps! Please note I no longer review the books on my shelf, "stars"-wise. I do list books I read, and they're all automatically marked as 5 stars. That's because a) I don't list books that I didn't like enough to finish and b) I didn't want to delete the ratings I had already given. If I particularly love a book and feel inclined to comment, you'll still see the comments here. Sadly, I have to ask: please don't reproduce these comments on book jackets, websites, or in any other medium for the marketing of books. They're only meant for fellow goodreaders. Thanks so much!
ABOUT ME:
Writing has gotten me in and out of trouble since I was 15 (back then, mostly just in trouble.) For 10 years, I designed &/or wrote for lots of video games, one of which was nominated for “Most Innovative Game Design,” but I lost to a rapping onion. If you know games you get why my two bad beagles are named Zelda and Kirby.
School: I spent more years in it than a person ever should, because let’s face it, reading books is so much better than having a job. I fell in love with American literature at Amherst and Yale, earned an MA in English from Stanford, and studied creative writing under the late great poet George MacBeth at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. I taught Intro to Film as a TA at Yale and Romantic Poetry as a TA at Stanford. Don’t tell the people at Yale but sometimes I taught the section before I’d seen the movie it was about...
I live in Santa Monica, CA, with my family, most of whom were enslaved into working with me in one form or another on my first YA book for Little, Brown. I’m not kidding; when my daughters wanted to go to school I said “Why are you so selfish? Get back in there and edit,” and by said I mean yelled and maybe threw things, it’s all a haze. Now the Beautiful series has wrapped, but you can see the movie on February 13, 2013 or read my new book ICONS on May 7th. Nothing gold can stay, Ponyboy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 385 reviews
June 9, 2023
This book was hilarious - might be important to note that I love reality TV.
Read
April 30, 2017So much fun!
May 7, 2017
DNF
Mini review:
I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and Disney Book Group in exchange for an honest review. A few years ago I had read the authors Beautiful Creatures series. When I heard that she would be writing a contemporary I immediately Wished for it on Netgalley.
Now I was a little nervous going into this book. I'm not a huge fan of reality tv but I was still holding out hope. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this at all. I felt that this book was a mess. The characters were ridiculous (except for the siblings) especially the mother.
I recommend it for fans of reality tv and for those who enjoy slightly ridiculous.
Mini review:
I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and Disney Book Group in exchange for an honest review. A few years ago I had read the authors Beautiful Creatures series. When I heard that she would be writing a contemporary I immediately Wished for it on Netgalley.
Now I was a little nervous going into this book. I'm not a huge fan of reality tv but I was still holding out hope. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this at all. I felt that this book was a mess. The characters were ridiculous (except for the siblings) especially the mother.
I recommend it for fans of reality tv and for those who enjoy slightly ridiculous.
April 3, 2017
Even though I don't care for reality tv, I was intrigued by this premise, especially with Margie's background. For me, this was a mess.
All of the characters are horrible. I get that they're "characters", but I couldn't find anything redeemable in any of them. Bentley had promise, yet I still struggled to root for her.
The format was odd. There are loads of footnotes {that I'm still not entirely sure wtf they were for}, press releases, Twitter updates, and storylines inside storylines. There were a few sparks that engaged me and got me to continue, but I was mostly trying to keep from DNFing. I'm only rating it 2 stars because I finished it for some reason.
Overall, I can see that this will appeal to some readers, but it wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Freeform for providing the book free of charge**
All of the characters are horrible. I get that they're "characters", but I couldn't find anything redeemable in any of them. Bentley had promise, yet I still struggled to root for her.
The format was odd. There are loads of footnotes {that I'm still not entirely sure wtf they were for}, press releases, Twitter updates, and storylines inside storylines. There were a few sparks that engaged me and got me to continue, but I was mostly trying to keep from DNFing. I'm only rating it 2 stars because I finished it for some reason.
Overall, I can see that this will appeal to some readers, but it wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Freeform for providing the book free of charge**
April 5, 2017
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**
I absolutely adored the satire of this novel. It was exactly what I wanted it to be when I read the synopsis.
Stohl has written a novel packed with wit, hilarity and above all, intelligence. It's beautifully crafted and so on point with modern popular culture it is nothing but impressive.
This book was simply entertaining. If it wasn't a character's antics or commentary making me laugh, it was the production footnotes or gossip rag's article. This novel is just pure fun!
But it also has its heartwarming moments as well. Bentley's love for her family is endearing and she is such a likeable heroine that you can't help but root for her to succeed in whatever she has put her mind to. This story is about family and self-identity when all is said and done and it shows.
While I enjoyed reading this novel from start to finish, I did feel like the first half of the book was rather slow when it came to the plot. The first half does a create job of establishing the characters and the setting, getting the reader acquainted with the circumstances. But it kind of moseyed along; especially when you compare it to the latter half of the novel which was non-stop action and suspense.
Regardless, this novel was awesome and everything I wanted it to be!
Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!
Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-21G
Actual Rating: 4/5
March 4, 2018
„Royce Rolls” to lektura dwuwymiarowa, po którą mogą sięgnąć zarówno młodsi, nastoletni czytelnicy, szukający jedynie książkowej rozrywki w zabawnym tonie z kardashianowym nalotem, ale również starsi czytelnicy, którzy odnajdą tu ostrą, ciętą satyrę na celebrycki pseudo-światek. Margaret Stohl zastosowała w tej powieści pewną konwencję, ukrytą pośród pseudo-korporacyjnych maili, w skomplikowanych tworach nowowmowy marketingowej i wyolbrzymionych dialogach o zintensyfikowanych cechach telewizyjnych. To miejscami zaburza lekturę, dominując ponad samą fabułą i przeszkadzając w przyjemnym jej przyswajaniu. Pokazuje jednak świadomą i dopracowaną intencję samej autorki, dla której nie młodzieżowa opowieść miała największe znaczenie, ale przesłanie, jakie za sobą niesie.
„Royce Rolls” zaskakuje i wykracza ponad literaturę young adult, jednak między satyrą, między krzywym zwierciadłem hollywoodzkiego blichtru znajdziemy tu również opowieść o rodzinie uwikłanej w struktury, z których musi się wyplątać na własnych warunkach, by wreszcie odnaleźć i zbudować się od nowa.
„Royce Rolls” zaskakuje i wykracza ponad literaturę young adult, jednak między satyrą, między krzywym zwierciadłem hollywoodzkiego blichtru znajdziemy tu również opowieść o rodzinie uwikłanej w struktury, z których musi się wyplątać na własnych warunkach, by wreszcie odnaleźć i zbudować się od nowa.
June 17, 2017
Full Review Here
So before starting the book, I’d sat down and admired the cover art and read a little bit about the book on the blurb. I’d read Margaret’s co-authored book, Beautiful Creatures, but didn’t really finish the series. I remember enjoying the writing style of Beautiful Creatures, even if the story itself didn’t really capture my interest. But, I was really intrigued by the book’s blurb, I hadn’t really read anything quite like it before, and I was willing to give it a go. The whole book screamed Kardashian, and it also showed the ins and outs of reality TV and the lengths that people go through just to stay relevant. To be honest, the book felt more like a mockery of reality TV, instead of a deep story, I guess? 😂
The author’s voice was fun to read, there was a definite dry wit to her writing, and it was easy to read. I wasn’t rushing to finish this book, and it didn’t really make me want to sit down for an extended period of time and devour it, but when I opened it, I enjoyed reading. I was very confused about the romance parts of the story, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, everything just came as a surprise.
Overall, I think it was a bit odd, but in a good way I suppose. I remember thinking what just happened?? after reading the first article. The format of the book itself was intriguing, there were footnotes, articles, and Tweets, and it was written in a way that showed both sides of ‘reality’ TV celebrity which was interesting!
If we’re comparing this book to anything, I wouldn’t compare it to any other book I’ve read (because I haven’t really read anything like this!), but I would definitely compare it to what little bits I know about Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Each character in the book seemed to be a mixture of a Kardashian member, with the exception of Bach Royce (or maybe he is? I don’t know enough about the Kardashians to call this one 😂). The ‘momager’ in the book, Mercedes Royce, was definitely a Kris Jenner. The main fame-chaser, Porsche Royce, was 100% a Kim Kardashian clone, but also had the ‘Lippie’ line of Kylie Jenner, and our protagonist, Bentley Royce seems to be a Kylie Jenner on the outside, but her own character on the inside. Bentley Royce (what a name!) was an interesting character, I loved how she had different aspirations to what you would normally think a celebrity would have. Her character development was pretty good, and I liked how family-oriented she was, and the sacrifices she was willing to make for her family were admirable. But, I didn’t like how easily the producers pushed her down in the beginning, and I remember thinking that I wanted her to be stronger and just make her own character instead of just playing by a script.
But yeah, definitely an interesting read, but I think the enjoyment would depend on whether the reader likes watching reality TV or not. If you get bored or don’t like reality TV, then I probably wouldn’t recommend this book, just because it’s so central on that.
I received a review copy from the publisher
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So before starting the book, I’d sat down and admired the cover art and read a little bit about the book on the blurb. I’d read Margaret’s co-authored book, Beautiful Creatures, but didn’t really finish the series. I remember enjoying the writing style of Beautiful Creatures, even if the story itself didn’t really capture my interest. But, I was really intrigued by the book’s blurb, I hadn’t really read anything quite like it before, and I was willing to give it a go. The whole book screamed Kardashian, and it also showed the ins and outs of reality TV and the lengths that people go through just to stay relevant. To be honest, the book felt more like a mockery of reality TV, instead of a deep story, I guess? 😂
The author’s voice was fun to read, there was a definite dry wit to her writing, and it was easy to read. I wasn’t rushing to finish this book, and it didn’t really make me want to sit down for an extended period of time and devour it, but when I opened it, I enjoyed reading. I was very confused about the romance parts of the story, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, everything just came as a surprise.
Overall, I think it was a bit odd, but in a good way I suppose. I remember thinking what just happened?? after reading the first article. The format of the book itself was intriguing, there were footnotes, articles, and Tweets, and it was written in a way that showed both sides of ‘reality’ TV celebrity which was interesting!
If we’re comparing this book to anything, I wouldn’t compare it to any other book I’ve read (because I haven’t really read anything like this!), but I would definitely compare it to what little bits I know about Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Each character in the book seemed to be a mixture of a Kardashian member, with the exception of Bach Royce (or maybe he is? I don’t know enough about the Kardashians to call this one 😂). The ‘momager’ in the book, Mercedes Royce, was definitely a Kris Jenner. The main fame-chaser, Porsche Royce, was 100% a Kim Kardashian clone, but also had the ‘Lippie’ line of Kylie Jenner, and our protagonist, Bentley Royce seems to be a Kylie Jenner on the outside, but her own character on the inside. Bentley Royce (what a name!) was an interesting character, I loved how she had different aspirations to what you would normally think a celebrity would have. Her character development was pretty good, and I liked how family-oriented she was, and the sacrifices she was willing to make for her family were admirable. But, I didn’t like how easily the producers pushed her down in the beginning, and I remember thinking that I wanted her to be stronger and just make her own character instead of just playing by a script.
But yeah, definitely an interesting read, but I think the enjoyment would depend on whether the reader likes watching reality TV or not. If you get bored or don’t like reality TV, then I probably wouldn’t recommend this book, just because it’s so central on that.
I received a review copy from the publisher
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September 5, 2017
Royce Rolls or how i kept calling it Rolls Royce can be summed up In one word, meh. Personally i was hoping they would play up the college plot line more but i felt as if they just avoided it all together. I would give this book a 2.5 as it was boring and dragged on half the time. In addition what the hell was that ending the conclusion happened in less then a page . like what?
When reading a book i want to be invested in the characters but this book made the reader and the characters distant from each others. What im trying to say is that the characters were distance. in addition i never felt bad for them, its as if through the novel i never got to understand their motives or even emotions. The characters in general were just meh. The love intrest's plot twist was so obvious honestly. In my personal opinion the most interesting character was Bach and i felt like his story should have been more developed.
In conclusion this book was just meh. It had an interesting concept but was just not excuted well.
When reading a book i want to be invested in the characters but this book made the reader and the characters distant from each others. What im trying to say is that the characters were distance. in addition i never felt bad for them, its as if through the novel i never got to understand their motives or even emotions. The characters in general were just meh. The love intrest's plot twist was so obvious honestly. In my personal opinion the most interesting character was Bach and i felt like his story should have been more developed.
In conclusion this book was just meh. It had an interesting concept but was just not excuted well.
May 2, 2021
2.25/5 🌟
Jedna z najbardziej nudnych książek, jakie czytałam. Akcji nie ma prawie w ogóle. Bohaterowie niczym się nie wyróżniają i nie przepadam za nimi. Pojawił się mroczny, fajny wątek i myślałam, że będzie on bardziej prawdziwy, a zakończył się zbyt cukierkowo. Jednak nie jest to szkodliwa pozycja i dobrze pokazuje, żeby nie wierzyć w to, co pokazują media.
Jedna z najbardziej nudnych książek, jakie czytałam. Akcji nie ma prawie w ogóle. Bohaterowie niczym się nie wyróżniają i nie przepadam za nimi. Pojawił się mroczny, fajny wątek i myślałam, że będzie on bardziej prawdziwy, a zakończył się zbyt cukierkowo. Jednak nie jest to szkodliwa pozycja i dobrze pokazuje, żeby nie wierzyć w to, co pokazują media.
August 14, 2019
Skusiłam się na tę książkę ze względu na ciekawą fabułę. Reality show znanej rodziny od środka, a wszystko w iście młodzieżowym stylu- tego jeszcze nie czytałam. Dlatego trochę od tej książki oczekiwałam i pewnie dlatego się rozczarowałam.
Początek był słaby. Nie mogłam polubić stylu pisania, a zwłaszcza dość specyficznych rozdziałów. Nie rozumiałam sensu przypisów, które wyglądały jak notatki od reżysera- nie przekonywało mnie to.
Bohaterzy są wkurzający, a całość jest dość nudna. Wszystko zmienia się jakoś w połowie, kiedy to otrzymujemy spisek oraz tajemnicę. Wtedy w końcu się zaciekawiłam.
Momentami schemat goni schemat, jednak coś w sobie ma ta pozycja, co sprawiło, że miło mi się ją czytało. Nic wybitnego- do przeczytania na jeden raz. Szczególnie polecam młodszym czytelnikom.
Początek był słaby. Nie mogłam polubić stylu pisania, a zwłaszcza dość specyficznych rozdziałów. Nie rozumiałam sensu przypisów, które wyglądały jak notatki od reżysera- nie przekonywało mnie to.
Bohaterzy są wkurzający, a całość jest dość nudna. Wszystko zmienia się jakoś w połowie, kiedy to otrzymujemy spisek oraz tajemnicę. Wtedy w końcu się zaciekawiłam.
Momentami schemat goni schemat, jednak coś w sobie ma ta pozycja, co sprawiło, że miło mi się ją czytało. Nic wybitnego- do przeczytania na jeden raz. Szczególnie polecam młodszym czytelnikom.
April 22, 2017
Before I start let me tell you I don't watch any reality TV, I have never seen an episode of Kardashians (even though obvi I've heard of them, how could I not), and I loved it!
This is about a Kardashian-like reality show family, through the eyes of their teen daughter who wants to be real for once and go to college.
The book read extremely quickly, and the plot was great, but best of all? It was really hilarious, making toungue-and-cheek fun of Hollywood, celebs, their diets, workouts, scripted reality, and everything over the top.
This was a perfect guilty pleasure read, and my guess is we will hear about it more in the months to come. Also it would make for an awesome awesome movie. Can we get it please?
This is about a Kardashian-like reality show family, through the eyes of their teen daughter who wants to be real for once and go to college.
The book read extremely quickly, and the plot was great, but best of all? It was really hilarious, making toungue-and-cheek fun of Hollywood, celebs, their diets, workouts, scripted reality, and everything over the top.
This was a perfect guilty pleasure read, and my guess is we will hear about it more in the months to come. Also it would make for an awesome awesome movie. Can we get it please?
June 6, 2017
This won't be a very long review, I just want to express my thoughts and feelings on this book.
I just adore books about fame, about reality shows, so I was very eager to read this one. Plus it seemed like it had a ton of drama!
The book starts off in the future, then rewinds back to the past. I definitely loved that it started with a bang, something that makes you want to know what happened to get to this event. It made the book even more interesting, as quite a few times you will be wondering when the event happens, and if you will be seeing how it all ends. It is fun to see the story build-up to that moment. I know that at times I went OHHHHH when something happened that may contribute to that event. :P
Our MC is Bentley (though in later parts we also see POV from her mom, her brother, and her sister). She is a pretty great gal, I liked her from the start, and I know that throughout the story I just wanted to hug her. She did some stupid things, some desperate things, some not all too good decisions, but (unlike her family and friends, oh and the world) I could see that she was doing that for her family. To make sure they stick together. To make sure they have a future.
She was so smart, I loved the essay she had to write (though I still think it is a weird thing that one has to write an essay to get a chance at acceptance at an university/college), her essay really portrayed her life, but also showed her character.
Plus I could definitely understand that she wanted out, my word, her family is craycray. Her mom is obsessive about the show, about beauty, about looking the part. Her sister is practically a mini-mom (though she did have her good parts). Her brother is a loose cannon (with his gambling).
I loved the idea of the new season, plus the addition of Whitey. He turned out to be a really interesting character, I was really shipping him with Porsche. You could just see it was love at first sight and that it wasn't an act for either of them.
The book also adds tweets/articles and more about the life of the Royces and I really liked that it was added. It was fun to see the opinion of the world on certain events.
Then we get to the future event (and bits of it before that), and I was just OOOOOHHHHing and OMGing. While I did have my suspicions about several things (like Whitey), the twists and revelations still took me by surprise.
I have to say that after a few pages I skipped the footnotes. They were confusing, annoying, and very distracting. It is a nice idea, but yeah, it didn't work for me in this book.
Also, dear author, I am not sure why you think ducks can't fly, but ducks can most certainly fly. Maybe you were thinking about penguins? Or ostriches? Or chickens? But ducks? Ducks fly.
All in all, this was one book that was AWESOME, though it did take me some time to get through. Sometimes I have that with books, some books you can just fly through, and others take a bit longer.
I would highly recommend this book. Drama, reality shows, love, and much more!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I just adore books about fame, about reality shows, so I was very eager to read this one. Plus it seemed like it had a ton of drama!
The book starts off in the future, then rewinds back to the past. I definitely loved that it started with a bang, something that makes you want to know what happened to get to this event. It made the book even more interesting, as quite a few times you will be wondering when the event happens, and if you will be seeing how it all ends. It is fun to see the story build-up to that moment. I know that at times I went OHHHHH when something happened that may contribute to that event. :P
Our MC is Bentley (though in later parts we also see POV from her mom, her brother, and her sister). She is a pretty great gal, I liked her from the start, and I know that throughout the story I just wanted to hug her. She did some stupid things, some desperate things, some not all too good decisions, but (unlike her family and friends, oh and the world) I could see that she was doing that for her family. To make sure they stick together. To make sure they have a future.
She was so smart, I loved the essay she had to write (though I still think it is a weird thing that one has to write an essay to get a chance at acceptance at an university/college), her essay really portrayed her life, but also showed her character.
Plus I could definitely understand that she wanted out, my word, her family is craycray. Her mom is obsessive about the show, about beauty, about looking the part. Her sister is practically a mini-mom (though she did have her good parts). Her brother is a loose cannon (with his gambling).
I loved the idea of the new season, plus the addition of Whitey. He turned out to be a really interesting character, I was really shipping him with Porsche. You could just see it was love at first sight and that it wasn't an act for either of them.
The book also adds tweets/articles and more about the life of the Royces and I really liked that it was added. It was fun to see the opinion of the world on certain events.
Then we get to the future event (and bits of it before that), and I was just OOOOOHHHHing and OMGing. While I did have my suspicions about several things (like Whitey), the twists and revelations still took me by surprise.
I have to say that after a few pages I skipped the footnotes. They were confusing, annoying, and very distracting. It is a nice idea, but yeah, it didn't work for me in this book.
Also, dear author, I am not sure why you think ducks can't fly, but ducks can most certainly fly. Maybe you were thinking about penguins? Or ostriches? Or chickens? But ducks? Ducks fly.
All in all, this was one book that was AWESOME, though it did take me some time to get through. Sometimes I have that with books, some books you can just fly through, and others take a bit longer.
I would highly recommend this book. Drama, reality shows, love, and much more!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 25, 2023
This was excruciatingly boring. The footnotes were ridiculous and unnecessary. The characters were self absorbed and uninteresting. The ending was sooooo weird and made the whole beginning of the book feel like even more of a waste of my time.
June 2, 2017
4.5
I'm gonna be honest. The only reason I picked up this book was because the author - Margaret Stohl - is coming to the Boston Teen Author Festival. The premise itself didn't seem like my cup of tea and a lot of the reviews are negative so that didn't inspire.
Which is why I was mostly pleasantly surprised by how much I began to enjoy this book. It reminded me of Beauty Queens by Libba a lot in it's satirical, tongue-in-cheek, but also very honest and deconstructive gaze at something we as society deem ridiculous: the reality TV shows and their "stars". It's also a bit of a plot twist mystery.
I'm not a fan of reality TV shows, I don't watch them and have no interest in them. But of course, you can't escape the "K" family and other less famous personalities. But the book isn't what it's about - not really, it doesn't so much focus so much on the fake glamour - but the toll and price that the fakeness can take on the stars.
Bent's dry humor is definitely the pinnacle of this book; she is the "bad girl" of the family on TV, while in reality being a compassionate, kind, and smart individual who loves her family but wishes she could be who she was without spitting in the face of everything her family has sacrificed. She doesn't whine, and she doesn't cry about it, this girl takes the problem and she figures shit out.
Bentley' family are definitely a piece of cake. They are frustrating and horrible and impossible, but they are family, and they do love each other even if they forgot what that really means. It was wonderful to see them grow and remember what it was like to be real.
I see a lot of reviewers calling this book a mess or just weird and saying that the characters are all horrible. I'm going to go ahead and be a snob and say that those reviews didn't get that this was supposed to be satire and that the characters are supposed to be unlikable and ridiculous. It's satire people! Satire!! The formatting is a bit confusing because you have tabloid articles, twitter update articles, and random footnotes - but I guess this is supposed to be formatted like a TV show script, so you're actually getting the story and how it's being sold to the book world "public". This may not be for everyone - I admit - but once I got over it it definitely added flavor to the book.
So overall, I was very pleasantly surprised. I ended up really loving this novel and I think people who liked Beauty Queens will enjoy this one, oh and if you like satire and mysteries. Don't take it too seriously though and you won't be dissapointed.
I'm gonna be honest. The only reason I picked up this book was because the author - Margaret Stohl - is coming to the Boston Teen Author Festival. The premise itself didn't seem like my cup of tea and a lot of the reviews are negative so that didn't inspire.
Which is why I was mostly pleasantly surprised by how much I began to enjoy this book. It reminded me of Beauty Queens by Libba a lot in it's satirical, tongue-in-cheek, but also very honest and deconstructive gaze at something we as society deem ridiculous: the reality TV shows and their "stars". It's also a bit of a plot twist mystery.
I'm not a fan of reality TV shows, I don't watch them and have no interest in them. But of course, you can't escape the "K" family and other less famous personalities. But the book isn't what it's about - not really, it doesn't so much focus so much on the fake glamour - but the toll and price that the fakeness can take on the stars.
Bent's dry humor is definitely the pinnacle of this book; she is the "bad girl" of the family on TV, while in reality being a compassionate, kind, and smart individual who loves her family but wishes she could be who she was without spitting in the face of everything her family has sacrificed. She doesn't whine, and she doesn't cry about it, this girl takes the problem and she figures shit out.
Bentley' family are definitely a piece of cake. They are frustrating and horrible and impossible, but they are family, and they do love each other even if they forgot what that really means. It was wonderful to see them grow and remember what it was like to be real.
I see a lot of reviewers calling this book a mess or just weird and saying that the characters are all horrible. I'm going to go ahead and be a snob and say that those reviews didn't get that this was supposed to be satire and that the characters are supposed to be unlikable and ridiculous. It's satire people! Satire!! The formatting is a bit confusing because you have tabloid articles, twitter update articles, and random footnotes - but I guess this is supposed to be formatted like a TV show script, so you're actually getting the story and how it's being sold to the book world "public". This may not be for everyone - I admit - but once I got over it it definitely added flavor to the book.
So overall, I was very pleasantly surprised. I ended up really loving this novel and I think people who liked Beauty Queens will enjoy this one, oh and if you like satire and mysteries. Don't take it too seriously though and you won't be dissapointed.
July 22, 2017
ROYCE ROLLS is a novel that stands out against other books in the YA genre. It is definitely unique, and fans of reality television are going to want to check it out. As someone who has a love-hate relationship with dramatic television, I had mixed feelings about this book.
The novel starts out in the future and then flashes back, leaving you sort of in the dark about why things turned out the way they did. The entire book builds back up towards the event from the beginning, but in a way that keeps you curious and works with the narrative.
ROYCE ROLLS makes fun of reality TV today in a satirical way, so if you able to look at the writing knowing this I think your experience will be better. It can be cheesy, overly dramatic, and cliche at times, but it feels purposeful. Still, it focuses on a celebrity family, so having a few annoyances seemed unavoidable.
In addition to the actual plot, there are fun footnotes, new articles, and other pieces of content that make this book a little more entertaining and give you a different perspective. I liked the articles but the footnotes could get a little distracting as you kept having to leave your place to read the footnotes.
Not including Bentley, I thought the characters were written to be sort of annoying on purpose. I wish we had a gotten more of a glimpse into who the characters were beneath the surface and why they acted the way they acted. For example, the main character’s mom is kind of portrayed a somewhat of a villain in the beginning and going deeper into her character and humanizing her would have made for a more heartfelt story, in my opinion.
Overall, I think this book is one a lot of people can enjoy as long as they go in knowing some aspects are not to be taken completely seriously.
The novel starts out in the future and then flashes back, leaving you sort of in the dark about why things turned out the way they did. The entire book builds back up towards the event from the beginning, but in a way that keeps you curious and works with the narrative.
ROYCE ROLLS makes fun of reality TV today in a satirical way, so if you able to look at the writing knowing this I think your experience will be better. It can be cheesy, overly dramatic, and cliche at times, but it feels purposeful. Still, it focuses on a celebrity family, so having a few annoyances seemed unavoidable.
In addition to the actual plot, there are fun footnotes, new articles, and other pieces of content that make this book a little more entertaining and give you a different perspective. I liked the articles but the footnotes could get a little distracting as you kept having to leave your place to read the footnotes.
Not including Bentley, I thought the characters were written to be sort of annoying on purpose. I wish we had a gotten more of a glimpse into who the characters were beneath the surface and why they acted the way they acted. For example, the main character’s mom is kind of portrayed a somewhat of a villain in the beginning and going deeper into her character and humanizing her would have made for a more heartfelt story, in my opinion.
Overall, I think this book is one a lot of people can enjoy as long as they go in knowing some aspects are not to be taken completely seriously.
September 17, 2017
If you like the Kardashians then this is the book for you. This family is self-absorbed and will do ANYTHING to be on tv. I was rooting for the MC but after her little stunt I realized she is as crazy as the rest of her family. I'm sorry to have wasted my time on this book.
January 24, 2023
Can ducks fly?
April 7, 2017
3.75 Stars.
I really enjoyed this book! I didn't love it but it was definitely a fun read. I honestly don't have a ton to say about it, the setting was fun, not something I read about a lot (though it was sort of reminiscent of Something Real by Heather Demetrios, both featuring teenage girls who have grown up on reality shows about their family, but that reality show was more TLC while this one is more Kardashian). The characters where sort of back and forth, some of them I loved (Bach, Venice, Bentley, Lula) while some felt pretty one dimensional (Jeff). Some elements of the plot felt like a really good twist while some I called a mile away. I mean pretty much everything about this book I really had a few issues with but generally liked. The behind the scenes look at Hollywood reality shows was fun, though I can't say for sure how accurate everything is. It was definitely an entertaining read though.
I really enjoyed this book! I didn't love it but it was definitely a fun read. I honestly don't have a ton to say about it, the setting was fun, not something I read about a lot (though it was sort of reminiscent of Something Real by Heather Demetrios, both featuring teenage girls who have grown up on reality shows about their family, but that reality show was more TLC while this one is more Kardashian). The characters where sort of back and forth, some of them I loved (Bach, Venice, Bentley, Lula) while some felt pretty one dimensional (Jeff). Some elements of the plot felt like a really good twist while some I called a mile away. I mean pretty much everything about this book I really had a few issues with but generally liked. The behind the scenes look at Hollywood reality shows was fun, though I can't say for sure how accurate everything is. It was definitely an entertaining read though.
March 28, 2020
3.5 - this book was quite a surprise! there may be a few holes and weakly-explained points here, but it was still very fun! the style is quite interesting, the back and forth didn’t feel too much, and the twists were gripping like a gossip magazine.
May 25, 2021
Dnf at 67%. This book had a lot of potential, but the writing was very bland and the format didn´t make sense (was it supposed to be a script?). I was not immersed in the story at all, it felt like reading words on a page and that was it. It was supposed to be funny but fell short. The romance was super cringy as well, I could barely get through those parts. I did really like the main character, however. Overall, I think I would be wasting my time if I continue to read this, but I can see how other people liked it.
July 10, 2017
I enjoyed this book because it made me laugh which is sometimes rare to find in a book, I also was on the edge of my seat and jumping up and down like an idiot for some parts (that's when you know its good).
At times it was confusing, particularly when trying to piece everything together at the end and I would have loved some more of Bent and Asa. But overall I enjoyed the unique plot, characters and writing style.
R.I.P Hope the duck
At times it was confusing, particularly when trying to piece everything together at the end and I would have loved some more of Bent and Asa. But overall I enjoyed the unique plot, characters and writing style.
R.I.P Hope the duck
May 10, 2017
Was this book written by AI? Did we just get Punk'd? Is the target audience of this book too young to remember Punk'd?
Seduced by the pretty cover and the people over on Booktube raving about how funny this book is, I picked it up from the library when they had the audacity to let someone else check out the book I originally had gone there for. "I'll just read this one instead," I announced to no one in particular. Because no one cares what you check out of the library, or that you are a late twenty-something hanging about the section blatantly labeled TEEN READS.
I expected this to be an update of those "peek into Hollywood" books I read on the beach during high school. Turns out, this book is just a damn mess. I almost gave up on it, but decided to hate-read just to see what bonkers crap decided to masquerade as plot.
I knew this was going to be garbage as soon as I read about the duck. (Some spoilers from here on). Early in the book, to which the author states plainly "too bad ducks can't fly," and Ahem. DUCKS CAN FLY. I just saw some soaring over my car as I drove to the library to return this big papery hunk of crap. Was this a particularly fat duck? Were it's wings clipped? Is it a weird breed that doesn't fly? WE DON'T KNOW. Because the author chooses to leave out all explanation/motivation for anything that happens in favor of writing pointless argument after argument followed up by shouting match. Little irritations like the duck were present on almost every page. They built and built until I was inspired to complain about it on the internet. And what was with those damn footnotes? They weren't funny, and just made things confusing.
There is a limp "mystery" element that instead of adding dimension to the plot, introduces itself and then GOES AWAY for the majority of the book. I did not for one second believe that Bently Characters also followed the pattern of being introduced and then forgotten until the plot needed them again. If you are going to write a mystery, then WRITE A MYSTERY. Don't introduce it and then have your readers slog through an entire book of characters yelling and fake wedding planning.
Who is the main character of this book? I don't know. An educated guess would be Bently, but you never get to know her. Her motivations were obscured for the sake of the "mystery" and her character development was reduced to "is on reality TV show with dysfunctional family and privately reads zombie fiction." Most of the book was her inner monologue of "I need freedom from the show! No wait, I have to single highhandedly save the show! God, I hate the show, I need freedom! Paparazzi follows me everywhere! Oh, I'll just take an Uber and hang out where I think no one will recognize me even though I have famous RAINBOW-COLORED HAIR."
But now I'm descending into petty, so I'll wrap this up. Two stars instead of one, because it was a kind of love-to-hate-on situation. But ultimately, this book made me nervous, as Stohl is currently a writer on The Mighty Captain Marvel series. Two of the most recent issues are on my desk next to me RIGHT NOW. I hope she doesn't apply "ducks don't fly" to one of my most beloved characters. Again, reason to believe I just got Punk'd.
June 14, 2017
QUICK UPDATE: A Spoiler-Free Review has just been uploaded to my booktube channel! Here is the link if you want to hear me talk about it:
https://youtu.be/eqGwicGlaJw
NOTE: I was sent an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Bloomsbury Australia. All thoughts and opinions I have for this book are 100% honest and entirely my own.
This book was freaking hilarious!
The concept alone was awesome!
The characters were flawed, but those flaws were what really drove the plot!
The family presence and their dynamic with one another was hilarious!
The way this was written was so genius, footnotes, blogs and everything!
And of course, I loved following the protagonist and seeing how she balances both sides of her life!
This whole book gives you an insight into the reality TV world, I was so fascinated!
Royce Rolls is a different book from what I usually read, but I very much enjoyed it and I'm excited to read more books from Margaret Stohl in the future :)
https://youtu.be/eqGwicGlaJw
NOTE: I was sent an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Bloomsbury Australia. All thoughts and opinions I have for this book are 100% honest and entirely my own.
This book was freaking hilarious!
The concept alone was awesome!
The characters were flawed, but those flaws were what really drove the plot!
The family presence and their dynamic with one another was hilarious!
The way this was written was so genius, footnotes, blogs and everything!
And of course, I loved following the protagonist and seeing how she balances both sides of her life!
This whole book gives you an insight into the reality TV world, I was so fascinated!
Royce Rolls is a different book from what I usually read, but I very much enjoyed it and I'm excited to read more books from Margaret Stohl in the future :)
May 14, 2017
I did enjoy Royce Rolls through and through. It was a fun and insightful read yet I personally found it slow at some parts and overall confusing. I didn't really know what was going on half the time and found the ending extremely confusing since it happened too fast and all at once. Bently was kind of distant. I didn't know her much and the rest of the family were scattered as well. Though, they were fun and I did enjoy reading about the family.
August 8, 2017
Trash. Waste of time. Didn't finish.
March 25, 2019
Bentley Royce is the middle sibling in the Celebrity Royce family, and her on-screen persona has always made her appear to be the rebellious one. In the eyes of some, she has it all. She has a reality TV show based on her life, she lives in a mansion, and everyone knows her name. But secretly, she's done with this life and its fakeness, and dreams of going to college. To her advantage, the show isn't pulling in the views like it used to, and with the addition of Duke of Ducks raking in the ratings, the future of Rolling with the Royces doesn't look good. Only, without the show, Bentley realises that her family is practically non-existent. Is this fake reality show all that's holding them together? She's going to have to do something drastic if she wants to save the show, and her family in the process!
The first couple of chapters, I wasn't entirely enthralled. The beginning, told in the way of news articles and edited emails, really didn't sit well with me, and I was questioning who people were and what was going on almost constantly. When the plot started picking up, and there were only edited footnotes, I definitely began to get more interested. I really like Bentley as a character, and really like Bach too! Once the story was in full flow, I was hooked. The little footnotes didn't even bother me, as I was getting more used to understanding what they actually meant. The ending was definitely not what I expected, AT ALL. There are several little twists in the storyline that make sense, but definitely still shock you, as well as the odd few that are a bit like 'duh, I knew that was coming'. I would definitely recommend picking this up and sticking with it for a while, despite your initial thoughts!
The first couple of chapters, I wasn't entirely enthralled. The beginning, told in the way of news articles and edited emails, really didn't sit well with me, and I was questioning who people were and what was going on almost constantly. When the plot started picking up, and there were only edited footnotes, I definitely began to get more interested. I really like Bentley as a character, and really like Bach too! Once the story was in full flow, I was hooked. The little footnotes didn't even bother me, as I was getting more used to understanding what they actually meant. The ending was definitely not what I expected, AT ALL. There are several little twists in the storyline that make sense, but definitely still shock you, as well as the odd few that are a bit like 'duh, I knew that was coming'. I would definitely recommend picking this up and sticking with it for a while, despite your initial thoughts!
April 5, 2017
This was a fun and entertaining book. The characters were well written - each had their own personality, their own motivations in this strange world of reality television. The way that Stohl dealt with family dynamics was incredibly accurate, and how families can lose what it means to be a family when other factors - like jobs and money - come into play. Royce Rolls is a good criticism on reality tv and Hollywood in general and does so in a unique way.
However, it was quite difficult to follow at times. The opening threw me at first but by the time the story had actually begun, the opening pages made far more sense. But having that same change of POV and layout happen again as we're leading up to the conclusion drew me from the events of the book. This section also has time jumps and skips, back and forth, which makes everything all the more puzzling.
I also have issues with how underutilized Asa was. His story isn't really explained or built up. It just kind of happens and we have to accept it. It would have been far better to show Bentley's realisation of who this person is and perhaps even show that first family reunion in detail.
Full review can be found here: https://atlaspeaks.blog/2017/04/05/ga...
However, it was quite difficult to follow at times. The opening threw me at first but by the time the story had actually begun, the opening pages made far more sense. But having that same change of POV and layout happen again as we're leading up to the conclusion drew me from the events of the book. This section also has time jumps and skips, back and forth, which makes everything all the more puzzling.
I also have issues with how underutilized Asa was. His story isn't really explained or built up. It just kind of happens and we have to accept it. It would have been far better to show Bentley's realisation of who this person is and perhaps even show that first family reunion in detail.
Full review can be found here: https://atlaspeaks.blog/2017/04/05/ga...
August 20, 2017
I really enjoyed this story, despite or (because of) my innate cynicism about modern reality TV. A Kardashian-esque family is the center of this story, and they manage to be absolutely fake and absolutely real at the same time. The main character's irritation with the whole fame-for-the-sake-of-fame scheme plays well to readers like me. She is dark and witty, and quickly became the trusted voice of reason in her mother and sister's insane last grab for fifteen more minutes of fame. There are plenty of twists and unexpected turns, and the opening lines set up a nice mystery that is engaging to unravel. There is also plenty of glam for those who want it, but beneath the clothes and makeup, there is some depth. I will say that things felt a little overproduced in the end, with a rather far fetched resolution, but it is an acceptable ending in a TV world where anything goes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I think my high school students will as well, so I'm adding it to my classroom library wishlist. Language and situations are appropriate for grades 9+. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2018
This book was fun, entertaining and even borderline ridiculous. The Royces are intending to do whatever they can to make sure that they remain as famous, popular and always on the spotlight that it makes it harder for them to even think about what their life and fate would be if the sixth season of Rolling With The Royces were to be discontinued.
Not only do I like this book because it highlights about family no matter how messed up it can be but it also makes them realise that even throughout it all, family is everything. That one would even go to such great lengths to do something for their sake.
The last fifty pages, I was completely blown away by that sudded plot twist. I really thought the book would end in a tragedy but turns out it was all just a part of a bigger plan. It was indeed a very smart plan.
I would definitely recommend you this book if you're looking for something that can brighten up your dull lives and hop into Hollywood's favourite reality show that showcases the Royces.
Not only do I like this book because it highlights about family no matter how messed up it can be but it also makes them realise that even throughout it all, family is everything. That one would even go to such great lengths to do something for their sake.
The last fifty pages, I was completely blown away by that sudded plot twist. I really thought the book would end in a tragedy but turns out it was all just a part of a bigger plan. It was indeed a very smart plan.
I would definitely recommend you this book if you're looking for something that can brighten up your dull lives and hop into Hollywood's favourite reality show that showcases the Royces.
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