The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn AcademyWhat made me decide to read this book was the blurb I saw with it: "Move over Glee—here comes a hilarious and heartfelt book about a group of friends who vow to save their prestigious school for the performing arts from a corrupt reality TV show."
That is a fairly accurate description, except for the "Move over Glee" part. This book isn't quite at that level, but it is good.
Ethan (our narrator), Jackson, Elizabeth, and Luke don't like what is happening at their school. The reality show "For Arts Sake" has taken over. It's making their students look bad -- or at least the one that Ethan is most interested in. Maura, a prima ballerina, is being made to look like a tramp. Thing is she doesn't even mind. When you attend an art school such as Selwyn Academy, you'll be heading for schools like Juliard, and that prize scholarship means that you'll do anything to win.
Believing that their favorite teacher is on their side, they set out to sabotage the program. As they get deeper into their plans they start to realize that things are not as they seem. Does the school have some sort of financial interest in the show? Is their teacher really on their side? Could they, themselves, give in to the temptations of money and fame?
The book does start out a little slow. It took me until about 40-50% in to realize I was actually into it. Despite the slow start, it's a charming book. Poetry, untrustworthy people, a gerbil, reality tv -- there's a little of everything here.
