Zero

February 1, 2012
Amanda, who signs all of her artwork "Zero," planned to leave Phoenix in the fall to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A lack of funds and a rift between Amanda and her best friend, Jenn, has changed everything. Now fall looms, with nothing more than community college, her bickering parents and a sense that her art will never be good enough even to hang in the local coffee house. Then she meets Mike, a drummer in an up-and-coming band called Gothic Rainbow. Amanda's snappy, consistent voice displays the tension between her conviction that she's got what it takes to be an artist and her feelings of low self-worth, occasionally breaking into her own narrative to clarify matters with "Here's the thing." Leveen smoothly depicts Amanda's growing self-acceptance through dialogue, as Mike encourages her with his appreciation of her talent and his refusal to go along with her negative body image. Fitting quotations from Salvador Dali, Amanda's artistic idol, head each chapter and reflect the unfolding story. As the summer wears on, Amanda finds a new level of maturity as she grows through a battle of wills with her mother, moves toward reconciliation with Jenn and faces decisions about the direction of her relationship with Mike. Artful. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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May 1, 2012

Gr 10 Up-This melodrama follows Amanda, whom everyone calls Zero, through a postgraduation life that is not what she expected. The budding artist is confronted with the realities of community college instead of the prestigious art school her parents couldn't afford without the scholarship she didn't get. This situation, combined with an alcoholic father, a fed-up mother, and a best friend who betrays her in a way she never thought possible, leads to a kind of teenage angst that older readers can relate to. When she meets Mike, a drummer in a local punk band, she finds unexpected love and newfound friendships, but life still doesn't go as planned. Although the book is filled with four-letter words, sexual content, and dysfunctional families all around, readers will find themselves caring about Zero's artistic development, her love life, and the well-being of her family and friends. The real value of the novel lies in its realistic glimpse into the mind of an artist as she creates while overcoming her parents' mistakes to find her own path in life. Each chapter starts with a relevant quote from Salvador Dali, Zero's hero. The pacing will draw in reluctant readers, and artists and musicians will find characters with whom they can identify.-Danielle Farinacci, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco, CA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
"Here's the thing": after high school graduation, Amanda (nicknamed Zero) is at loose ends, struggling with her art, relationships, and low self-esteem. Enter Mike, a musician attracted to her sardonic wit and passion for her work. Can Mike help Zero get out of her own way and follow her dreams? Authentic-sounding characters keep this self-actualization story from feeling stale.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)