Real Happy Family by Caeli Wolfson Widger: Book Review

A big thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with an electronic copy of this book and for inviting me to be a host on this tour.

Real Happy Family, Caeil Wolfson Widger, Hollywood, reality TV, satirical novelFiction
Released March, 2014
375 Pages
Bottom Line: Read it…if you’re curious about how reality TV actually works.
Link to this book on Amazon

Plot Summary of Real Happy Family:

When Lorelei, an aspiring teen actress, flees LA and her overbearing stage mother (Colleen), a spiral of drugs, thirst for fame, and slimy reality TV threaten to destroy their family.

My Thoughts on Real Happy Family:

I will say up front that this book isn’t for everyone, but I agreed to review it because I’m fascinated by reality TV…or perhaps the unreality of reality TV. I follow the website RealitySteve.com and his commentary made me watch this stuff with a totally new perspective. In addition to spoiling the outcome of The Bachelor franchise before it airs, Steve makes a point to unmask the manipulation and deceitful editing that producers use to tell the “story” that will grab the highest ratings…regardless of whether that “story” is reality or not. And, it’s eye opening to say the least.

Real Happy Family takes a satirical look at this crazy world and the vulnerable people who will do almost anything for fame. Lorelei is a low/middle class girl from Fresno with stars in her eyes and a smothering “momager”, who named her after a favorite soap opera character. Both mother and daughter’s priorities are completely out of whack, causing a schism in Lorelei’s parents’ marriage. This comes to a head when Colleen has a meltdown on live TV, ruining Lorelei’s chance to become the newest cast member of a popular reality show and causing Lorelei to disappear in anger.

Lorelei’s former agent, Robin, is married to Lorelei’s half brother, Darren and their marriage plays a central role in the story as well. I was drawn more to this thread than Lorelei and Colleen’s throughout the book, I think because they experience very relatable marital issues (breadwinner dynamics, fertility problems). Robin and Darren are supposed to be the voices of reason that counterbalance Colleen and Lorelei’s craziness, but they are fighting their own issues that stem from the same exploitative atmosphere that is destroying Lorelei and Colleen.

I enjoyed the book most of the way through, but I wasn’t truly blown away until the very end when I read the transcript of a phone conversation between Lorelei and a reality TV producer and the “script” for a reality TV episode featuring Lorelei’s family. Having just read the “true” story, seeing the “reality TV version” of it in print left me with my mouth hanging open. This is what hit home the point of the book for me.

Real Happy Family is a cautionary tale about conscienceless reality TV producers, the desperate people who believe reality TV can kickstart a “Hollywood” career, and the lengths that these people will go to “make it”, even at the expense of family, health, and morals.

For those that are into this kind of stuff (as I am), this is a great choice if you’re looking for a light read.

TLC Book Tours




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3 Comments

  1. Great review! Reality tv is compelling and it’s a great deal for producers since it doesn’t cost much to produce. But ‘reality’ is a misnomer, it seems! Thanks so much for being on the tour!

    Posted 2.25.14 Reply

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