Selwyn Academy is an Arts School, where the pupils excel in dance, drama, art and music. Some of those pupils are stars of a reality tv show called "For Art's Sake" which is filmed at the school.
Our hero Ethan is a mediocre trumpet player and has no confidence in himself or his ability to draw. He is not one of the reality tv stars and neither are any of his small group of friends.
An English class on Ezra Pound incites Ethan and his friends to a secret rebellion against the administration and the tv production company who may or may not be controlling them.
This all seems like an unlikely set of circumstances and yet the characters really hold it together. There's a great mix of different outlooks from this group of friends which underpins the theme of the perceptions of reality. A theme which works so well, in fact, that the three different beginnings and three different endings all make perfect sense.
I really enjoyed this book, a youthful stirring of dissent makes a refreshing change from kids trying to survive in alternate worlds or kids battling apathy in this one.
Ages 12+
Published April 8, 2014 by Knopf
Until recently, Laila and her family lived in a palace in an unnamed a middle eastern country. Her father was king and although they lived under threat from violent rebel factions, Laila believed her father was a good man in a difficult situation. A few weeks ago he was shot dead in a coup and Laila was removed to America by the CIA. Now she lives in a small apartment in Washington DC, with her hysterical mother and younger brother, "the king of nowhere".
Laila has to make adjustments to her world view, not just to fit in at the local high school, but also to make sense of the father she loved and the tyrant she now knows he was.
Her mother is intent on taking back the country, making deals with the CIA and rebel factions back home. But this all occurs in the background as Laila recreates herself as a Western teenager. She learns to drive, makes out with a boy and goes to a school dance. But Laila knows she wants to go home and after spying on her mother, she thinks she may know how.
This is a taut and clever story about the innocent and not so innocent families behind the news reports. Laila's perspective not only shifts, but actually stretches to accommodate all the different people she needs to be. The ending is very satisfying and surprisingly hopeful.
An interesting and different coming of age novel, with fascinating insights into international relations.
Ages 12+
Published February 11, 2014 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Review first published in Diesel, a bookstore's Newsletter March 2014
More Than This begins with the death of its teenage protagonist and gets stranger from there. The book is set in a seemingly abandoned and desperately creepy landscape, as detailed as it is desolate. But this is so much more than just another dystopian adventure. Excellent pacing and realistic relationships counterweight the inherent paranoia in this perception jolting and genre busting novel.
Hands down my favorite young adult book of 2013, not just for the writing, but also for the no holds barred approach to content.
Great for teens and grown-ups who enjoy psychological thrillers and sci-fi.
Published September 10, 2013 by Candlewick
