Nothing-- Janne Teller

This book broke my brain.

Seriously, it was amazing. And I almost *never* say that about a book on this blog.

One day, 7th grader Pierre Anthon stood up in the middle of class and announced "Nothing Matters." He then leaves behind his normal existence, climbs a plumb tree and doesn't come down. Ever. He lives there and spews existential philosophy about nothingness, life, and death to his bewildered classmates.

His classmates, including Agnes who narrates this story, decide to prove to him that some things in life DO matter. They neglect their every day life and indulge themselves in this pursuit with the single-minded fervor of youth. At first it starts simply; the 7th graders decide to create a pile of meaningful items (later dubbed the Heap of Meaning) and then fetch Pierre Anthon out of the tree and prove to him that life does have meaning by showing him the pile. Each teen demands a meaningful donation from another... Agnes must toss in her favorite pair of shoes, another teen her crutches. But quickly the Heap of Meaning demands more sinister and macabre donations, and in the end the teens simultaneously refute and prove without a doubt Pierre Anthon's assertions about life.

Other reviewers are calling this a modern Lord of the Flies. I can see that correlation, and it also called to mind Cormier's The Chocolate War. I loved the stark way this book was written, the unabashed bluntness, the pace, and way it made me think philosophical thoughts not revisited since college. I think this book will appeal to the teen reader who likes stark, thought-provoking novels. While the characters are 7th graders, I do see the older teen appreciating this book more than the younger teen. Adults are going to either eat this up or blast it for being inappropriate for youth.

Nothing was originally written in Dutch and published in 2008, and was translated into English and published in America in February 2010. I wonder if it's eligible for the Printz, because if it is, I will be nominating it for Mock Printz for sure!

Beautiful Americans--Lucy Silag

Think Gossip Girl, but in Paris, with less sex and little less cruelty... and then you have Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag.

Honestly, what to say about this book? It was a quick read... in fact, it was perfect for reading on the elliptical machine or right before bed, because if you miss a word or two it's ok. I'm not saying it was a bad book; I've just read and reread this same story again and again. Zach, Alex, PJ, and Olivia are all spending a year at the American school in Paris. Zach is a gay emo-boy who wants to find love, Alex is a rich girl from New York who tries to buy happiness. PJ's the hippy-chick whose parents are in jail for drug trafficking, and Olivia is a ballerina who has been selected to dance with the Paris Underground Ballet.

Lucy Silag succeeds in giving her characters different enough personalities to remain distinct from each other, yet she doesn't give the reader much reason to empathise with their problems. I wanted deeper character development, more Parisian scenery, and more believable drama. Still, teen girls will probably enjoy this book, especially fans of Gossip Girl, The A-List, and The Luxe.

The Carbon Diaries, 2015-- Saci Lloyd

Imagine crossing Georgia Nicholson (Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging) with Miranda (Life as We Knew It). If you did, then you'd get Laura Brown.

It's the year 2015 and the entire world is suffering the effects of global warming, climate change, and rebuilding after The Great Storm. England has decided to be the guinea pig in a new carbon emission limitation scheme, which will later be imposed on the rest of Europe and beyond. Laura Brown is a regular teenage girl living in London. She is the bassist for a punk band, The Dirty Angels, is in love with the boy next door, and needs to find a way to pass her exams. When her family begins to fall apart at the seam because of the strict carbon rationing, Laura quickly learns there are bigger things at stake than a first kiss, a good test score, and a killer bass riff. She learns about civil disobedience, living off the earth, being a parent to her own self-destructing parents, and how to stand up for herself. She also learns that no matter what, family is your home even when everything around you crumbles away.

Although the topic matter of Carbon Diaries, 2o15 is quite serious, the book itself is light. Maybe it's the British slang, but I kept hearing Georgia Nicholson's voice throughout the book in the way that Laura nicknames her teachers, lusts after boys, etc. Still, the author does try to be appropriately serious when it's called for, and mostly succeeds. While it isn't a fine piece of literature, teens will most likely enjoy this book, and it's a less depressing option for teens who want to read futuristic books like these.

13 Little Blue Envelopes-- Maureen Johnson

There is something romantic about the idea of traveling through Europe by train guided only by the letters a now deceased Aunt left as a road map. However, in reality, a seventeen year old girl traveling alone with no guidebook, map, money, plan, or contact information is quite a dangerous and slightly frightening endeavor. In 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Ginny is on a path of self-discovery guided by her beloved runaway artist aunt, who recently died from brain cancer. Her Aunt Peg left her 13 envelopes and explicit instructions: open them one at a time, follow the directions on each letter, and absolutely do not contact home for any reason. Also, bring nothing but a small backpack with clothes in it and no money of your own (a small sum of Euros will be waiting at the first destination). Aunt Peg leads Ginny all over Europe with her letters, and Ginny does learn more about herself and come out of her shell a bit. It was an engaging read (I love books set in other countries), but I do have some serious problems with the book.

First, for a book that is supposed to be realistic fiction, I found it to be phenomenally unrealistic. Not allowing someone to consult guidebooks, make train or hotel reservations, contact home, or bring any money of their own is pretty risky. Many truly serendipitous events take place and without them, Ginny would have been seriously hurt, stranded, or worse. Also there is an alarming scene when Ginny goes back to a strange man's apartment... while nothing terrible happens (the man took no for an answer), in reality she probably would have been assaulted. While I absolutely trust that teens have enough wit to know the plot of this book is over-romanticized, I don't like the picture perfect way everything turned out for Ginny.

Hesitations aside, I would still recommend this book to a teen girl who was looking for something similar to the second Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book, or any book taking place in Europe. For whatever reason, I am being a little hard on this book (probably because it got so many rave reviews and I was expecting it to be better). It isn't terrible... it just isn't great.