The Gifted, the Talented, and Me by William Sutcliffe

Sam's younger sister is a budding artist. His older brother has potential as a musician. And Sam is good at...well, he excels in...he likes soccer. That was perfectly fine in his old public school. But once his family comes into some money, his parents move them all to London where the three children will attend an exclusive arts academy. Yay for Sam. 

Sam is miserable at the new school. His mom (who starts writing a blog about her parenting) constantly pushes Sam to the point where he feels like she doesn't understand him. He is not like his siblings. He has no talent and does not fit in at the school. She's not even trying to listen to him. 

There is Jennifer who is way too talented and popular and pretty for Sam. Through a chance pairing up with her in class, he thinks maybe getting involve in drama wouldn't be too bad. He could at least see her. 

Of course, there's Jennifer's boyfriend, Felipe, who thinks he is the greatest actor ever. He was already bullying Sam before Sam showed any interest in acting. 

Sam's struggles continues with moments of light and hope. Sam is a sympathetic character who pushes the limit of being frustrating only to be redeemed by the atrocious behavior of his mother. Stay with Sam through his story; it is worth it. 

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