The Gravity of Us

Stamper, Phik. The Gravity of Us. 2020. 314p. ISBN 9781547600144. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Cal Lewis Junior has a promising career in front of him as a journalist. His online posts are generally viewed by thousands of people, and he's covered many events, both political and entertainment. At 17, Cal is looking forward to moving in with his best friend Debra, and go to college in Brooklyn. He's already attracted some attention from Buzzfeed and other social media companies. But when his father returns home one night and announces that he's applied to be the 20th astronaut on the Orpheus mission to Mars, Cal cannot believe it. His dad is a pilot, but he's never expressed an interest in going to space, at least that Cal can remember. Worse, his dat is actually selected, and the family has three days to move from New York City to Houston.

Cal is crushed. This will undermine his dream and life trajectory. Moving to Texas, Cal soon falls for Leon, the son of another of the astronauts on the Orpheus mission. And Cal discover that instead of being a death knell for this channel, this new opportunity brings more viewers. It helps that the whole experience is being recorded by a reality television company and is immensely popular on television. Soon Cal's takes on life find hundreds of thousands of people, and are even picked up by the mainstream media.

But as Cal gets into a fight with the reality television company, his relationship with Leon becomes more serious. With NASA's Orpheus mission in danger of being defunded, Cal will need to navigate the choppy waters of politics and best social media experts at their own game to avoid losing Leon.

Dealing with social media, depression, and emotional instability, the story incorporates elements of the space flight enthusiasm of the 1960s mixed with a more modern version of the world. Cal is a powerfully motivated character, but he is often unlikable. Leon, however, is more relatable, so readers will cheer when the two of them finally decide they are right for each other.

Fake News and the Factories that Make It

Heitkamp, Kristina Lyn. Fake News and the Factories that Make It. Part of the Critical Thinking About Digital Media series. 2019. 80p. ISBN 978-1-978504-72-1. Available at 070.43 HEI on the library shelves.

The election of Donald Trump in 2016 was marred by Russian meddling and the spreading of what became known as "fake news." This phrase has entered the lexicon and has permeated the national discourse, and has been used repeatedly by the President to decry news that are not fake but rather unflattering to himself. This is not the first time that the words "fake news" have been used, however. American history is replete with yellow journalism and sensationalistic headlines, from Benjamin Franklin's completely fabricated reports of British and Indian atrocities against American settlers to today's social media trolls enhancing and promoting disinformation.

What is "fake news"? At their heart, fake news are information that are not accurate. They range from reasonable mistakes in reporting to disingenuous pieces of propaganda designed to sway public opinion one way or another. They can come from citizens who do not take the time to fact check their information, or they can come from aboard where people create articles to drive traffic to their websites and generate advertising revenues.

It is dependent on readers to carefully consume information and seek confirmation from different sources. If a headline appears too sensational or unbelievable, it probably is. An informed citizenry is essential to a thriving democracy, and fake news, if not checked, will undermine the nation's stability.

Quarantine: A Love Story

Cicatelli-Kuc, Katie. Quarantine: A Love Story. 2019. 336p. ISBN 978-1-3382-3291-2. Available at FIC CIC on the library shelves.

Strangers Oliver and Flora sit together on a flight to New York. One of the passengers has caught a virulent tropical mono, and due to the fact that everyone was isolated on the plane during the trip, the CDC orders everyone quarantined for 24 hours. Those with symptoms will need to be in isolation for 30 days to make sure they can't spread the disease. Stressed by her home life, Flora tampers with the thermometer on their last check before release and it registers a fever. 

In love with Kelsey but uncomfortable in his own skin, Oliver is surprised to see Flora, a girl he has just met, cheat, and even more so when she proceeds to kiss him. Since they might now be suffering from the same disease, they are isolated together in the same room, with their beds separated only by a thin curtain. As their ordeal becomes known, and their social media presence goes viral, they have to deal with fame and a level of interest neither of them is used to. Despite their nearness and their confinement, and in spite of the world wanting another kiss, can both teens learn how to express their interest to each other?

Together yet separated by a wide chasm, Oliver and Flora are awkward, nervous, and lack confidence in themselves. Their voices are authentic, and their use of social media to share news and communicate with each other even though they are in the same room can be witnessed daily in any school cafeteria. The entire plot centers around “the kiss” and each teen obsessively looks at every facet of each interaction. The premise of physical isolation is well executed, and the lack of physicality and decent language between the characters makes this book appropriate for all levels. Fans of romance will appreciate the efforts, or lack thereof, that Oliver and Flora make to learn to live with each other.

Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know

Graydon, Shari. Illustrated by Michelle Lamoreaux. Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know. 2013. 155p. ISBN 978-1-55451-560-8. Available at 659.1 GRA on the library shelves.

When we see an ad on television, on the Internet or in a magazine, we often wonder who they are trying to attract, and we tell ourselves that we as savvy customers are not influenced by advertisement. But there is so much of it everywhere that we often don't realize it. That vehicle involved in this movie's car chase? Advertisement. This full page news report about China? Advertisement. Your friend's t-shirt with the logo of his favorite restaurant? Yes, advertisement. We are bombarded with visual and audio advertisements every day of our lives, from the time we are born to the time we die. Billboards outside; internet sites; broadcast media; clothes; even the food on our shelves are advertisements. How can we survive this onslaught of branding?

Made You Look describes what advertisement is, how it is used to distribute messages, how ads actually work, and what students can do to fight back against all of these ads. We need to realize that we are the ultimate product being marketed and that ads do not contribute to our well-being or our relationships with others, but simply aim to make us purchase more of specific products. There are several steps that we as consumers can take to stop bad advertising and reduce the overall amount of advertising that we see in our lives. Helpful hints to create one's own impactful advertisement, for business, yard sales, or appealing for donations, are also included.

This Is Really Happening

Chack, Erin. This Is Really Happening. 2017. 234p. ISBN 978-0-448-49358-9. Available at 973.92 CHA on the library shelves.

Senior editor at Buzzfeed, Erin Chack begins her memoire with her cancer diagnostic at age 19. She explains that movies and television shows had prepared her for what was to come, including the pain and the chemotherapy, but it had not prepared her to reveal this information to her friends. Over the course of this book, Erin discusses snapshots of her story that were significant and that influenced who she is today. From meeting her boyfriend and soulmate when she was 14, to talking about her trip around the continental United States with two friends, a beat up car and no money, Erin’s remarks are incisive and hilarious, and reflect the experiences that millenials live through every day. Fans of true stories will appreciate how Erin presents both her strong side as well as her vulnerable side, providing a look into her quirky mind and outlook on life.

Dear Martin

Stone, Nic. Dear Martin. 2017. 210p. ISBN 9781101939499. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Justyce McAllister is the top student at his private school, and is ready to graduate and attend an Ivy League school. A free scholarship student, Justyce managed to escape the thugs and drugs from his neighborhood, and is on the path to a valuable contribution to society. Coming back from a party, he notices a girl from his school passed out by the side of her car, and he helps her into the back seat. The police arrives at the same time, and the officer witnessing this scene handcuffs Justyce despite his protestation that he was just helping the girl. As an African-American, Justyce is keenly aware of the prejudices that many police officers have, but he is still surprised that it would happen to him. This incident is eventually dropped, but it mars Justyce’s conscience.

Throughout his senior year he writes letters to Dr. Martin Luther King, challenging the Reverend’s teachings on race relations and hopes for the future. Unfortunately all of the letters are one-sided, as Dr. King can’t write back. The police officer that arrested Justyce is killed, causing more questions to be asked. When Justyce and best friend Manny, also African-American, go for a ride in Manny’s Range Rover, they have a deadly encounter with another white police officer who turns out to be the partner of the first officer who arrested Justyce. Manny is shot to death at the wheel of his vehicle, and it takes Justyce all of his willpower to survive the fallout and the following court case. Throughout it all, Justyce questions the value of a life, the negative issue that plaque society, and his role in it. Can Justyce find some justice in what happened?

Dear Martin deftly addresses several current issues, including race relations, social media exploitation, gang violence, and police shootings of unarmed African-American men. Readers interested in the immediate impact and aftermath of a shooting, as well as those attracted by social justice will appreciate Justyce’s quest to find answers to his questions and see if Dr. King’s teachings remain valid fifty years later.

For a similar take on social justice and solving a gross miscarriage of justice, take a look at This is My America. A companion volume, Dear Manny, explore Justyce's friend electoral campaign in college.

Trolled

Sandor, Steven. Trolled. 2016. 144p. ISBN 9781459411425. Available at FIC SAN on the library shelves.

Andy is the best swimmer in town, and he dedicates all of his efforts in achieving a time of 56 seconds for the 100 meters race. As a result, his grades, especially in math, suffer. No matter, Andy has his eyes on the Provincial championship in Toronto, thence to the Nationals in Edmonton. All he needs to do is win against his closest competitor. As team leader, also nicknamed Tiger Shark for his speed, Andy is expected to lead by example, and he thinks nothing of initiating the new guy on the team.

One of the team’s favorite activity after early morning practice is to swing from the rope attached to the pool’s ceiling and land on a kickboard, surfing as far as they can. On this particular day, Andy pulls the best jump ever, and he surfs clear across the pool. This exploit, which was recorded on a phone, goes viral overnight and is viewed by millions of people, making Andy somewhat of a celebrity.

During the Provincial championship, Andy is dared by two older boys to hug Myriam Said, the best female swimmer when she completes her race. Despite Andy’s girlfriend being in the audience, he goes over, congratulates her, hugs her and kisses her. The problem? Myriam is Muslim and follows a strict code of conduct. When Andy’s bad decision also goes viral, it gets him barred from further Provincial championships, and his ticket to the Nationals is revoked. He is also suspended by his swim team, he loses his job at the mall, and his girlfriend dumps him. To top it all, he barely passes his math class.

Hounded by journalists and by trolls on social media, Andy’s bad decision has cost him everything. Can he find a way to redeem himself? A lesson in one’s behavior, this book also explores the dangers of social media and how too much celebrity can be a double-edge sword. Fans of sports will appreciate the conciseness of this book.