Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

Vizzini, Ned. (2005). Be More Chill. NY: Disney-Hyperion.
ISBN: 978-0786809967
Awards/Honors: Today Show Book Club selection
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2007.01|What’s so Funny?, 2007)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2005)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Fitting In, Popularity, Being Cool, Friends, Love, Sex, Drugs
Genre: Science Fiction
Annotation: Jeremy Heere is not cool. But he wants to be and will do just about anything to be more popular - even swallow an illegal technology that melds with his brain and tells him how to be more cool.
Summary: Jeremy Heere is probably the least cool guy in high school, but he longs to be more popular and catch the attention of beautiful Christine. When he hears about a new technology that can help him look and act cool, he becomes determined to get it, even though it is illegal. Jeremy does find a place to buy a Squip, which turns out to be a small pill encoded and able to meld with the swallower's brain. But, he has to steal his aunts beanie babies and sell them in order to get the money. At first, everything goes great. Jeremy learns to stand tall, be a smart ass, and wear the right clothes. This new attitude gets him attention from Christine, and other girls, but also the disgust of his old best friend. Then, even when the Squip starts giving questionable advice, Jeremy continues to do what it says.
Evaluation: I both liked and disliked this book for the same reason. Jeremy seems to have a one track mind - sex and girls. His whole motivation for getting the Squip in the first place is so he can get with Christine. So, while I am not a boy and perhaps because of this, I was a little turned off by the focus of Jeremy's life (pun intended). However, it was also interesting to read a book from a point of view so unfamiliar.

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. (2004). Feed. NY: Candlewick
ISBN: 978-0763622596
Awards: Los Angeles Times Book Prize (2002.02|Young Adult Fiction, 2002)
National Book Award finalist (Young People's Literature, 2002)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (2002)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2003)Booklist Editors' Choice (2002)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (2002)
ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (2004.3|Literature & Language Arts, 2004)
ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (2009.4|Science & Technology, 2009)
Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers (2003)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Consumerism, Commercialism, Independence
Genre: Science Fiction
Annotation: Titus is an average teen living in a future world where everyone has a feed - a computer - implanted in their brain. On a trip to the moon with his friends he gets attacked by a hacker, and meets Violet, a girl who is afraid of what is happening to the world.
Summary: Titus and his friends are average teens living in a future world, a world where everyone's brains are wired with a feed. The feed pumps personalized advertisements and television shows directly into people's head. They also give people the ability to chat with anyone. Slowly, readers realize that humans have destroyed the planet and everyone has devolved into stupid, thoughtless consumers. Everyone but Violet. Titus meets Violet on a trip to the moon and through her, readers learn of the plight of the planet and the dumbing down of the people. We follow Titus, Violet, and friends as humans start loosing their skin, the Earth rebels, and everything comes to an end.
Evaluation: At times it was hard to keep up with all the slang, but the story is great. As Titus goes from being an ignorant teen to a more aware person, readers are able to both hate and sympathise with him. Also, despite the looming apocalypse, the book is full of humor and ironic wit.