Lucky Fools

Gr 8 Up—High school senior David Ellison, the popular acting star of Oak Fields Prep in Palo Alto, California, plans to audition for Juilliard instead of his parents' choice, Stanford. He has a goal-minded girlfriend, Ellen, but with the arrival of intriguing newcomer Vanessa, David's costar in the school's production of The Great Gatsby, a complicated romantic triangle develops. When the privileged students of Oak Fields learn that revered Stanford University will admit only one senior, insecurities and competitiveness abound. An anonymous prankster, The Artist, begins posting incriminating photo collages of individuals outside the college counseling office, undermining the highest achievers in the school. Struggling to sort out his romantic entanglement, anxious about his Juilliard audition, and worried that he'll be a target of The Artist, David finds his confidence weakening. In a moment of clarity and self-realization, he breaks out of character during a performance to say that "The only future we can believe in…is the one we create for ourselves." Snappy dialogue, witty and sarcastic observations, a diverse cast of adult and teenage characters, relevant Gatsby themes, and a heap of parental and peer pressure make David's story an entertaining cautionary tale about privileged students with a sense of entitlement. Teens will enjoy the protagonist's candor and humor, and, of course, the satisfying ending.—Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC