Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon

Have you heard this before? A guy wants to impress a girl so he makes up something about himself knowing he cannot keep lying to her forever. If he is successful, it will all fall apart. The plot has been done before many, many times. What sustains this one is the humor and likeable characters. 

Sunny Dae tells the new girl in school, Cirrus Soh, that he is in a rock band. How does a self proclaimed nerd who posts videos on how to make cosplay accessories end up in such a lie? Sunny has a older brother (Gray) who is in a band. Cirrus assumes Gray's room (full of posters, guitars and cool clothes) is Sunny's. And since she seems excited about guys in bands, he goes with it. 

Sunny also tells Cirrus that he and his band will be playing in a contest soon. The band will have to be his two best friends (and fellow video makers) who now also part of the big lie. They are not happy about it, but support their best friend even when he is headed for disaster. 

It is no spoiler to say that Cirrus eventually finds out the truth. It is just a matter of when, and also how she reacts. Which I am not revealing here. 

In addition to the humor, I like this story for its positive portrayal of friendships and exploration of the brothers' relationship. Sunny's two friends are there for him through it all. They disagree and argue, and frankly, Sunny treats them badly for his own personal gain. But ultimately, they stick with each other. Sunny's brother is different story. Sunny idolizes his brother and wants them to be closer, but Gray is not a willing participant. It is the rockiest relationship in the book. 

This story could easily have turned into a wacky series of misunderstandings, but it strives (and attains) much more than that. 

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