Zero

It's the '90s! Not everyone's heard of Nirvana yet, and audiotapes are barely outdated. The live music scene is alive and well, and bands still make things like "demo tapes" and "albums." Were you there? After missing her best opportunity to attend a prestigious art school, 17-year-old Salvador Dali devotee Zero begins dating Mike, a drummer in an up-and-coming punk band. As their tentative relationship blooms, Zero confronts a ton of baggage holding her back from her art career: the majorly awkward drama with her former best friend, Jenn; her dad's excessive drinking and parents' ongoing fights; and one formerly successful art teacher who might just hold the keys to her future, or smash Z's hopes forever. When Mike's band gets a chance of lifetime to bust out of black hole that is Metro Phoenix, Zero must make a life-altering decision and answer the one question we all face at some point in our lives: Follow your own heart, or the heart of the one you love? Zero was an ALA/YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Best Book of 2013.