Tune Book 1: Vanishing Point by Derek Kirk Kim

Andy is tired of art school, so he quits to get a real art job. Why spend more time in school when he knows enough to work at a magazine or some other publication? Well, that works out. So after two months of sitting on his parents couch watching TV, his father gives him an ultimatum: find a job in seven days or move out.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so he searches the want ads. On the seventh day he accepts a job that requires no qualifications and will pay a bunch of money. Sounds good...perhaps too good. The job will require Andy to be far away from his parents and friends for a year (but on the weekends he can return home). So, still doesn't sound too bad. Andy will be a zoo exhibit for beings in another dimension. Ya, bad.

Within a full scale replica of his house, Andy must live in captivity for the amusement and education of seemingly emotionless creatures. And the worst part is that he cannot see the love of his life, Yumi. Does she like him the same way? It doesn't matter. He cannot bear the thought of spending so much time away from her.

This manga inspired graphic novel is a the first part of a series. If you are ready for a little dimensional travel with a guy who doesn't have his life together, then check this one out. I have already read part 2 and things get even stranger for Andy.  

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer

Another book with a reality show in it. I swear I'm not looking for them - I just keep coming across them and thinking they sound interesting. In this case, four students are frustrated by how much the show has invaded their school.

Luke is fed up with For Art's Sake, a show that a pits a select few Selwyn Academy (a prestigious arts school) students against each other for the prize of a scholarship. Each week, the show ends with a competition where the contestants perform in their chosen medium (dance, drama, music).

Jackson, Elizabeth and Ethan (our narrator) follow their friend Luke into a plot to discredit the show and demonstrate how it has nothing to do with creating art and everything to do with making money. They suspect the school administration is benefiting financially at the cost of school's prestigious reputation.

In addition to the financial issues, they hope to bring to light other problems with the show. Luke decides to write a satirical, biting long poem that the group distributes in an underground publication (called the Contracantos) designed by Elizabeth that also includes Ethan's drawings. They also investigate the possibility that the show is scripted. Hopefully, someone will listen to them.

On top of the fact that their plans seem to get them nowhere, Ethan has a crush on Maura, the star of the show. As part of their scheme, he does get to talk to her, and in the process discovers she is being used by the show's producers. They are taking advantage of the fact that she is willing to do whatever it takes to be a successful professional dancer. How do you take down a show without killing the dreams of your classmates?

Poet Ezra Pound is a central part of this story. Introduced in their English class, his work inspires them. I mention this because within the pages of this story you will find a poem that perplexed me when I read it in high school. I mean no disrespect to poetry lovers, but this one was just not for me. I include it here in its entirety:
                        The apparations of these faces in the crowd;
                        Petals on a wet, black bough. 

Imagine my shock when I saw this poem after all these years. I was mostly confused by its brevity, but I will say I have never forgotten it.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

If you were going to die, would you take the opportunity to do things you might not normally do...like take revenge on people that have been cruel to you or tell your best friend that you feel the same way about him that he does about you. With nothing to lose, Alice did those things and more but must deal with the consequences when her cancer goes into remission.

Harvey loves Alice. He knows exactly how he feels, but she's never expressed her true feelings for him no matter what they may be. After she stopped ballet dancing her freshman year, Alice starting dating Luke (one of the people on her revenge list) and no longer spent time with Harvey. But that was before the cancer. After, Harvey became the person she depended on to help her complete her 'bucket' list and give her what will be her last nice memories.

This book could have easily been a book about Alice's revenge, but is deeper than that. This is a before and after tale - actually a before, during and after cancer story. Told in 'before' and 'then' chapters from Alice and Harvey's points of view, we have insight to their motives and feelings. It really is about these two young people dealing with whirlwind of emotions and all their relationships with each other and the people in their lives.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

The Benefactor by Erin Fry

I don't really watch reality shows, but it is impossible not to know about them and know how they are work. With this story, we get a behind the scenes look at a show that pits eight high school students against each other for a chance to win a scholarship to one of the top schools in the country.

So you know the set up - contestants live in a house together (in this case, boys and girls in separate houses) and compete in a series of tasks after which someone is sent home.

We follow each contestant and the shows creator through its first season. The four boys and four girls each have a compelling reason for wanting the scholarship. For example, Tyrell hurt himself playing football. We know what contestants are thinking and how they are playing the game. We also know that creator (who is unknown to the public) has doubts and struggles he must deal with also.

This story could have been filled with cliche student characters (the jock, the brainy kid, the rebel - think The Breakfast Club), but the teens are more complex which is quite a feat for a relatively short book with so many characters.

I've read a few books recently with reality shows as a part of the story. They usually address how being on the show has messed up the participants. This one has a more positive take on the contestants and its creator. As with actual reality shows, the suspense comes with the question of who will survive to the end. Who will make a mistake and get kicked off? Knowing the characters back stories make the questions all the more compelling. This is a fun quick read with some interesting characters and is probably better than any actual reality show.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Noggin by John Corey Whaley

So they froze Travis' head in the most scientific way possible. No, really, they cut off his head to save his life and then reattached it to someone else's body. Let me back up: Travis had cancer. He did everything possible, but nothing worked. So his parents agreed to a radical solution - remove Travis's head until science caught up and a donor body became available. No one knew at the time that it would only take five years.

For Travis, it is like waking up from a nap where no time passed. In reality, no one really expected Travis to return - at least not so soon. His parents went through the mourning process. His only real friend, Kyle, graduated from high school is off at college. His girlfriend Cate is now engaged.

This is not a science fiction story with some creepy head transplanted creature walking around. Nor is it a wacky comedy. It is actually a serious story (with humor) studying what happens when a young man is left behind by the entire world. Five years have passed and he is still 16 years old. He was dead to the world, and then he came back.

Travis cannot accept that his girlfriend is engaged. To him, they just said goodbye, but Cate has had five years to graduate from high school, go to college and meet someone new. She accepted Travis' 'death,' and moved on. Getting her back becomes his obsession and ultimately the focus for how his life has changed (whether he likes it nor not).

I hope people are not put off by what might seem to be a silly premise. This is a unique story of mourning and rediscovery.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.