The Throne

Gr 9–11—On the first day of 10th grade, Meredith arrives at school early and observes the empty band room, where her homeroom meets. She seizes the opportunity to sit behind the drums, the coolest, most coveted seat in the place. She's not the only one who wanted that seat, though, and her decision brings her in direct conflict with senior Seymour Molyneux. First he asks, then demands, that Meredith relinquish the Throne, and when she refuses, he organizes his wide underground network. The attacks on Meredith routinely take the form of chewing gum on her clothes, but they build to something bigger. Still, Meredith won't back down, and she relies on her friends-new and old-to help her stand up for herself. This is an engrossing, quickly paced book, considering that most of the plot centers on the homeroom drama. A subplot about Meredith's family history, as she learns the unsavory details of her parents' lives and deaths, helps to strengthen her resolve about the seating war. With the exception of the protagonist, characters are not deeply developed, but the book succeeds on the strength of its relatable plot. A few Canadian phrases may give American teens momentary pause, but they are easy enough to decode, and a few f-bombs may keep this novel out of middle schools, but otherwise it deserves a place in teen fiction collections.—Brandy Danner, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA