Reviewed by Ro

TITLE: Method Acting

SERIES: Franklin U 2 book 7

AUTHOR: NR Walker

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 266 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 19, 2024

BLURB:

Chase Soria

Every budding actor knows acting is a difficult gig. There will be grueling auditions and punishing rejections. If you’re lucky, there’ll be roles that pay the bills and even roles that won’t.

Roles we don’t believe in.

But that’s what acting is—acting as if we do believe in them.

So when the semester’s production project is announced and I’m cast as one of the leads, I’m ecstatic. A lot of responsibility, a lot of work, but I’m up for it. Even when I find out what my role is and who my partner is. Amos, the brooding James Dean wannabe, is my on-screen boyfriend. Which is great, except for the fact he hates me.

I can do this. It’s just acting.

Nothing more.

Amos Beddington

The 90s are back, apparently. 90210 and Friends, but with a reality TV spin, which means cameras following us around as if they’re capturing the everyday lives of Franklin U students.

Me, but not me.

Me, with no more than a character description, no script or screenplay. Method acting, being the character 24/7, not just when the cameras are rolling. With a campus boyfriend.

Method acting is immersive and intense, and it can be confusing if the lines begin to blur. I mean, I’ve dreamed of being with the irritatingly gorgeous and annoyingly popular Chase Soria, and now I have to be his on-screen boyfriend?

I’m a good actor, sure. But how can I be convincing when I’m not sure I can even convince myself?

REVIEW:

Right away you have to suspend belief a little for this 7^th book in the Franklin U 2 series, because they are method acting. As in, the drama department of Franklin U is putting on a reality show and we all know, reality shows are not real. This is two weeks of 24/7 immersion into their characters. There are eight characters paired up, three romantic and one set of BFF. “I didn’t know them, or have any  interest in any of them on any personal level, so gender made no difference.” Good thing, since our MCs, Chase and Amos, are one of the romantic pairings. Chase considers Amos reclusive, James Dean-ish. Amos considers Chase to be generic Hollywood. A match made in heaven this is not. Add in that Chase is very extroverted, a popular guy who cares what others think of him. Amos, on the other hand, “…is reclusive and broody.”  He also cares not at all what other people think.

Chase also is “Forever playing the field…It’s how I like it.” While nowhere near a romantic, Amos believes that to be kind of sad. He believes, “…there’s one person we connect with better than any other person, that we understand, that we gel with.” I really liked that idea. But he knows, “Some people are supposed to be in our lives short term; other people forever.” So  maybe he’s a little more romantic than he thinks.

The story is focused on how Chase and Amos prepare for, and then work, this method acting gig while keeping it acting. There are some compromises made – Chase is very touchy feely; Amos is not. Chase has lots of friends; Amos has a hard limits about “People. In general.”  Opposites indeed. “You get buzzed hanging out in crowded places. I get drained by it.” I get that, Amos. I get drained by it as well.

Amos makes Chase realize some of the things he does, such as “Tater Tot” aren’t kind. He also makes Chase understand how focusing on what others think, especially on social media, can be detrimental. They come to see each other more fully, getting to know each other. And this is complicated by their reality show personas, who don’t even have their real names. Hello Dominic and Elijah.

In addition, there are side plots involving the difficult times some of the other characters are having due to the method acting, how social media influences things and getting adjusted to cameras in your face constantly. I did think at times Chase was a little much, but he is who he is. I liked his friends and his interactions with them. There really isn’t any angst in this, and it is very informative on the not real aspects of reality TV.

RATING:

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