Scripted by Maya Rock

Think about your normal, everyday life for a moment. Maybe you go to school or work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, go to bed, everything you do on a normal day. Now imagine that your life is filmed and aired on TVs across the world. People watch you work and live, constantly seeing everything about you. In Scripted by Maya Rock, this is the reality for all who live on Bliss Island.

Nettie Starling is a teenage girl born and raised on Bliss Island and is one of the many stars on the TV show Blissful Days. This show airs for the people on the war-torn mainland, or at least that is what the citizens of the island are told. Life appears to be perfect for the inhabitants but there is a darkness hiding underneath the surface. Everyone who lives on the island is part of the show and all are working to be one of the main characters. Unfortunately for Nettie, her ratings have dropped and she is on the verge of being cut from the show. The "Patriots," or the people who have been cut, disappear and no one knows what happens to them. Nettie's father is one of those people and Nettie fears she will be next. When the producer gives her some advice on how to improve her ratings, Nettie does exactly what he says, which so happens to be to flirt with Callen, her crush. Nettie grows in popularity among the viewers but the advice from the producer becomes more and more extreme. Nettie is hesitant to do what he asks but is afraid to say no. Terrified she may be cut, Nettie is forced to follow her producer's demands. But how far is she willing to go when her life is on the line?

I enjoyed this Young Adult novel and found the dystopian aspect to be very interesting. The characters are well written and the plot is intriguing. It reminds me of the move The Trueman Show but with all the characters aware they are being filmed. It's a great read for middle school and up.