Zen and the Art of Faking It

Reader reviewed by Julie M. Prince

San Lee has to figure out who hes going to pretend to be this time and he has to do it quick, before the kids at his new school have figured out who he really is: Nobody. Well, nobody except the son of a lying, swindling prison inmate. Just a kid whos so poor he cant afford new footwear and has to trudge to school in sandals and socks during the oncoming winter. How can San spin things this time?

When he observes the folk-singing hippy goddess in his class, he figures peace lover might just fit into his plan. And since their social studies teacher has brought up the topic of Zen, San decides hes hit on just the right new persona to impress the girl and explain his sandals.

Its tough to stay one step ahead in his pretending. He has to spend his evenings studying up on Buddhism at the local library and his mornings meditating on the (freezing) rock near the school, where everyone, especially his hippy goddess, can see him.

Before long, Sans plan is in full swing, the girl of his dreams has fallen for the ruse, and his Zen life is perfect-until things get a little out of control.

Jordan Sonnenblick has created a fun, believable, and totally human character in San Lee. Most readers will relate to the desire to be something theyre not, and Sans flaws are understandable, given his family history and need to fit in-or maybe even stand out for once.

The writing here is fun and light, easy-to-read. The dialogue and relationships ring true, and the humor is consistent and strong.

This is a highly recommended book for readers trying to figure out just where they fit in.

Reader reviewed by mearley

Cute story: San Lee doesn't really practice Zen, but through a series of events his classmates begin to believe he's a Zen master, and he can't figure out how to tell them the truth. At it's core, this is a story about being honest and being yourself.

Jordan Sonnenblick is one of my very favorite YA authors. His books feature kids that the average middle schooler can relate to. The books are funny without being inappropriate; clean without being dumbed-down or condescending. Sonnenblick was a middle school teacher once, and you can tell he really understands that age group.

Reader reviewed by Meg

I really enjoyed this book. Now I may be totally biased because I enjoy seeing depictions of Buddhist youth in fiction, but I think that it's a great book regardless. The main character, San is an 8th grader who moves to a new school and tries to create a new identity for himself, and he decides to be a zen master. The book is pretty funny, and actually has a lot of good information on Buddhism too. I'd definitely recommend it!

Reader reviewed by mlecompt

San Lee's dad is in prison and he and his mother move to a small town in Pennsylvania where they barely get by on his mom's salary. When he starts school he is the only Asian student and after answering a couple of Buddhism questions correctly in his Social Studies class he starts to get a reputation as a Zen guy, which he cultivates to try to win the heart of one of his classmates, a girl who calls herself Woody. He digs himself in deeper and deeper, and though he knows Woody will be mad at him for lying, he can't seem to tell her the truth.

There were a few parts of this story that seemed off (I never really understood Woody's step-brother's motivation for keeping San away from her), but for the most part this is a funny book with a healthy dose of "real life." San is a likable character and his narration is priceless. If you like this book, be sure to check out Sonnenblick's other titles- they are excellent.