My Favorite Band Does Not Exist

May 16, 2011
Chaos theory meets rock 'n' roll in adult author Jeschonek's ambitious, reality-bending YA debut. In one of three plot threads, 16-year-old Idea Deity is convinced that he is a character in a novel, who is going to be killed off by the author; Idea has also created an imaginary band, Youforia, which has developed a big following, despite its nonexistence. Meanwhile, Reacher Mirage, Youforia's lead singer, is frustrated that the band's secrets keep getting leaked online, and both Idea and Reacher's lives are intertwined with that of a girl who has a face drawn on the back of her head. The third story line is a gory fantasy novel that both Idea and Reacher are reading, which comes to play an important role in both their lives. It's a complex, meandering novel, full of portentous character names, nonplaces and nontimes (Pennsyltucky, Junuary), and many parallels, opposites, and allusions that keep readers wondering what's real. Recalling outsider films like Donnie Darko or Gregg Araki's Teenage Apocalypse trilogy, this proudly surreal piece of metafiction could develop a cult followingânot unlike Youforiaâbut isn't likely to attract a mainstream readership. Ages 12âup.