A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook & Brendan Halpin

What does it take to be sent off to a secluded reform school called Heartland Academy? For Emmi, it is refusing to apologize for blitzing a guy's Facebook page with insults after he posted naked pictures of her on the internet. For Justin, it is taking a bunch of pills. At least those were the tipping points.

Really, they both have deeper issues. Emmi was adopted from China just before her new parents found they could have children and gave birth to Emmi's sister, a beautiful tall athletic girl who looks like her parents. Emmi has always felt like an outcast (physically, anyway). She's short, has dark hair, and is Asian.

Justin is caught by is father (who he rarely sees) in a compromising position with a girl he just met. He's never done anything like it before, but it in the wake of his parent's divorce it is seen as a big deal. He's pretty angry about all of it.

Both are in total denial as they arrive in their new 'home' (located in the middle of miles of farmland). They meet the members of their new therapy group and are expected to bond with them - even though some of them appear to be really messed up. It's all about perception.

Emmi and Justin alternate telling the story as the group breaks the rules to help each other get what they really want. The trick is to not get caught. All the while, the adults are doing what they can to help each group member work through their own issues. It is messy, but worth the journey.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the site for Brendan Halpin.

Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin

Lucas and Tessa have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Now as seniors, Lucas is ready to profess his feelings for Tessa and ask her to the prom with a grand gesture that the whole town will see. Imagine his shock when Tessa confesses that she actually likes girls. It's bad enough that she embarrassed him but how could she keep this secret from him when they always shared everything.

It doesn't take long for everyone in town to know Tessa turned Lucas down AND that she recently bought a man's tux for the prom (she is hoping to go with her co-worker, Josie). People protest in front of her family's small store that is struggling to survive against the massive new store that came to town. Her locker is vandalized at school. She is taunted and pelted with food. Tessa can't even talk to her best friend Lucas because he is not speaking to her anymore.

The school tells Tessa she cannot go to the dance with another girl or dressed in boy's clothes. What will the school board decide when Tessa's family files an official protest? What can they do since Tessa states that she will go to prom?

Ultimately, this is not just about whether Tessa can attend prom; it is about being accepted by friends, family and society as a whole. Having grown up in a small Indiana town similar to the one in this story (although mine was urban and not rural), I can only wonder what the reaction would have been if two teens of the same sex had wanted to go to prom. It was a different time for sure. No one was openly gay in my school, but I have no doubt there was someone who dreamed of going to the prom with a member of the same sex.

Although this book has a lighter tone that it could have, this is a serious real issue for many. With all the talk of bullying among young people, there are too many adults bullying young people and encouraging others to do the same. I hope this book continues to raise awareness that people are more the same than they are different and that acceptance of others is a great gift.

For more info about this book visit the Indianapolis Public Library catalog or visit Emily Franklin's and Brendan Halpin's website.

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin

This book has the pinkest cover of any book I have ever read. Not that I choose books based on their covers. When I look for a book, I want a premise that is different. In this one, Charlie and Fielding (aka Aaron) have spent the last four years on a popular Disney-style show. On the show, they portray Jenna & Jonah, two average high school students (and next door neighbors) who are secretly world famous rock stars. To keep interest in the show alive, they must also pretend to be in love off screen even though they have truly grown tired of each other.

When we enter the story, Charlie and Fielding are not sure if their show will be cancelled or not. They are strolling along on a beautiful California day acting all romantic for the paparazzi cameras that they know are out there. They have given up everything just to be in the popular show and the tension is high between them but must remain a secret. Something happens that changes everything and forces them to prove something to the world and each other.

This book took a different direction than I was expecting, but I still liked it. If you are looking for a nice quick read, I recommend it.

Click here for more info about this book from the Indianapolis Public Library.