The story chronicles one month in the life of pessimistic, disconnected teenage musician Martin, who nevertheless is inspired to put together a benefit concert to support the removal of landmines. Or whatever. Things fall in his lap, and people offer him advice. He isn't big on sharing, even with the reader, but his general apathy is so vividly drawn that it's contagious.

A month in the life of a blunt, cynical punk-rock guitarist. Readers meet Martin through a combination of contemplative black-and-white illustrations, episodic first-person narration, italicized internal monologues and excerpted school papers. Through Martin's eyes, they also meet best friend Jeff, whose relationship with Martin seems based on mutual antagonism, and photographer and fellow musician Holly, who lets Martin use her computer to do homework. There's no real hook to the plot, but there is motion: After Martin's English teacher responds to his paper on landmines with a Theodore Roosevelt quotation ("Do what you can, where you are, with what you have"), Martin assembles, promotes and finally emcees a benefit concert. Meanwhile, romantic tension and misunderstandings build between Martin and Holly. Each narrative segment is dated, and every day from April 2 to April 30 is covered, contributing to the episodic, haphazard feel. Incidents and dialogue sometimes move the story forward and sometimes don't (a concert-going girl's insistence that Martin wear a Band-Aid on his ring finger, for instance, is never explained to Martin or to readers). A revelation at the end is heavier than the rest of the story but not completely out of place. Funny and unusually freeform, but then, maybe rigid narrative structure is for losers. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Gr 11 Up-Martin Henry is a guitar player and a very angry teenager. His English assignments for Mr. Sanden are the only things that get him to think. Not having a computer to do his homework, he goes to his friend Holly's house and uses hers, giving her some guitar lessons as a fair trade. Martin kind of likes Holly, but she is weird and keeps giving him mixed signals. Frustrated with the lack of his life moving forward, he tries to stage a benefit concert to "adopt' a landmine from a war-torn region. Against all odds, people agree to play in Martin's show with acts as eclectic as a bad Christian rock band and a hip-hop star playing cello. As Martin worries if his concert will be a success, he also begins to alienate Holly as her behavior becomes increasingly erratic. Little background is given on the characters, ultimately making their behavior seem largely immature and uninteresting. For example, Martin's dad isn't in the picture, but readers don't know why. Also, Martin dislikes his best friend, Jeff, but continues to hang out with him and insult him throughout the entire book. The prose isn't saved by the plot, either, as the hastily arranged benefit concert sheds little characterization on Martin, Holly, or any of their friends. While some disaffected teens, especially those who are musically inclined, might like this story, most readers will need more to understand the motivations behind these characters' actions and feelings. Ryan Donovan, New York Public Library