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Zero Tom Leveen Books

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Zero Tom Leveen Books

Zero has picked the perfect nickname for herself, because that's what she is: nothing. Especially after graduation, everything Zero had going for her was lost. Her scholarship for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SIAC) flopped due to a lack of "technical proficiency," she's just lost her best-slash-only friend, and the arguments between her parents are getting worse every day. She wants to go to SIAC more than anything, but any artist knows how hard it is to create with so much self-doubt and outside anxiety. Luckily, meeting the cute drummer of an up-and-coming punk band might just be the outside perspective she needs to view her life from a new angle.

Tom Leveen has become a favorite author of mine, and although this is one of his earlier works, still proved itself to be a smooth and engrossing read. Leveen did not shy away from serious topics, making for a serious yet fun read that was quick-paced and filled with interesting characters. Each character had their own share of personal demons to deal with, which went along well with the theme that fear and anxiety can keep anyone from improving their lives—not just artists. To be honest, though, the book started out a little slow for me. In the beginning chapters, Zero's voice felt too forced into the angsty teen state, like Leveen was trying too hard to imitate a "real" teen voice. This problem didn't last long for me though as Zero/Amanda became better fleshed-out with unique traits and characteristics. As a fellow artist (writer), I found a lot of Zero's struggle to be relatable. The self-doubt and anxiety caused by the idea of sharing your art—whether it's a painting, a story, music, or something else—can be crippling. So many creative people never end up sharing their work and are locked in a permanent state of stress just by the mere thought of trying. Zero reminds us that even if you fail, you won't know for sure until you try, and fear will only keep you locked in place forever. I'd recommend Zero to YA readers, especially young artists, writers, musicians, or anyone else who one day dreams of sharing their soul with others.


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Zero Tom Leveen Books Reviews

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ACTUAL RATING 4.5 STARS

This book shocked me in the best way possible. I don't know what is up with me in artsy contemporary books, but I just fall in love with each one I read. Zero by Tom Leveen is real. It covers the self-deprecating insecurities that come with being a teenage girl, the frightening excitement that comes with all the firsts of falling in love. Add to that a beautiful swirl of art and music, and you have one marvelous novel!

Zero is an artist with some serious insecurities. She thinks she's a cow and her parents are too busy with their constant fighting to help subside those insecurities. She's afraid that her entire summer is going to be wrapped in boredom because she just lost her best friend and she didn't get accepted into her dream college. Mike is the gorgeous-eyed drummer who had a really bad run with his ex-girlfriend. He's more experienced than she is, but the fact that he was previously burned prevents him from really wanting to GO THERE, if ya know what I mean. Actually, if anything, it was the other way around. Zero pressured Mike to do things he wasn't ready for. I could tell from the get-go that, despite his rockerness, Mike is a good guy and that he is going to treat Zero well. He helped her reach for her goals and dreams. He helped her gain confidence and believe in herself. And, not to mention, I'm sort of obsessed with the drums and have a serious thing for drummer dudes.

I loved their relationship. It began with extreme awkwardness, which made it so real and familiar and relatable. And somehow their feelings bloomed into something that manages to transcend that initial awkwardness. There's no instant, "OMG I LOVE THIS GUY SO MUCH AND WE ARE GOING TO GET MARRIED AND MAKE BABIEZZZZZZZ." Their relationship progressed naturally. There are rough spots and there are not-so-rough (soft?) spots. They're not the perfect couple with this unwavering bolt of lightning crackling between them, but they are perfect for each other and each encounter between the two of them made my tummy tumble in a good way. It did annoy me that Zero refused to listen to what Mike really wanted. She was a little self-absorbed in their relationship, not even when it was extremely obvious that something has him down.

There were little things thrown in the pages that I wish would have surfaced more and caused more drama. Instead they just sort of lurked in the background, adding to the overall angst that Zero feels. I really wish that the situation with Jenn, her former best friend, would have come into the light more. It was a great sub-plot and it didn't get enough page time. Also, I feel the whole parent ordeal was elevated just a little more. It was there screwing up Zero's life and whatnot, but maybe just a little more? Is it horrible that I want her life to be just a tad bit more miserable?

The end, though, left me satisfied. The character and plot growth is obvious. The way things turned out was happy, even though there were a lot of little loose threads hanging from the tied ends.

Overall, I loved this book! It has an unflinching, authentic quality that really stayed with me. Some of the content will make younger audiences uncomfortable (except me, because I clearly have no comfort zone). But underneath it all is a novel about branching out and pursuing what seems to be impossible.
Zero has picked the perfect nickname for herself, because that's what she is nothing. Especially after graduation, everything Zero had going for her was lost. Her scholarship for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SIAC) flopped due to a lack of "technical proficiency," she's just lost her best-slash-only friend, and the arguments between her parents are getting worse every day. She wants to go to SIAC more than anything, but any artist knows how hard it is to create with so much self-doubt and outside anxiety. Luckily, meeting the cute drummer of an up-and-coming punk band might just be the outside perspective she needs to view her life from a new angle.

Tom Leveen has become a favorite author of mine, and although this is one of his earlier works, still proved itself to be a smooth and engrossing read. Leveen did not shy away from serious topics, making for a serious yet fun read that was quick-paced and filled with interesting characters. Each character had their own share of personal demons to deal with, which went along well with the theme that fear and anxiety can keep anyone from improving their lives—not just artists. To be honest, though, the book started out a little slow for me. In the beginning chapters, Zero's voice felt too forced into the angsty teen state, like Leveen was trying too hard to imitate a "real" teen voice. This problem didn't last long for me though as Zero/Amanda became better fleshed-out with unique traits and characteristics. As a fellow artist (writer), I found a lot of Zero's struggle to be relatable. The self-doubt and anxiety caused by the idea of sharing your art—whether it's a painting, a story, music, or something else—can be crippling. So many creative people never end up sharing their work and are locked in a permanent state of stress just by the mere thought of trying. Zero reminds us that even if you fail, you won't know for sure until you try, and fear will only keep you locked in place forever. I'd recommend Zero to YA readers, especially young artists, writers, musicians, or anyone else who one day dreams of sharing their soul with others.