Burnout and boyproof

I know, cheery titles for the new year. But I indulged in some reading, so I am happy about that, even if my choices were weird.

Burnout written by Rebecca Donner, illustrated by Inaki Miranda
After her dad leaves them, Danni and her mom move from the city to a remote Oregon logging town. Her mom moves in with an alcoholic bar owner, and suddenly Danni is sharing a room with her cute soon-to-be-stepbrother, the brooding and mysterious Haskell. The environmental terrorists are sabotaging the logging operations to save the forests, but many of the jobs in the region depending on the lumber mills. Her mom's boyfriend is increasinly violent, and Haskell is sneaking out the window in the middle of the night with a backpack. What will Danni be willing to sacrifice to have a real family again? And will the sacrifices be worth it?
The black and white drawings of Danni, Haskell and the forest backdrop in this graphic novel really bring this quick-paced adventure to life for the reader!

147 pages. graphic novel

Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci
203 pages
I came to this novel from Castellucci's graphic novel Plain Janes, which I loved.

Victoria is known as Egg because she always dresses like the main character in her favorite post-apocalypic movie. Egg is boy proof. She doesn't need anyone, because she is smart and focused and driven. She is invisible to boys, even the geeks in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Club at her Hollywood school. She is obsessed with movies. Her mom is a formerly famous actress looking for a comeback and her dad makes special effects makeup and props for big-time movies.
When Max Carter arrives at her school, Egg is shocked to find a boy as smart and witty as she is. Max immediately makes friends with everyone at school, although he pays special attention to a beautiful and silly girl named Nelly. Soon Egg actually feels lonely instead of just being a loner, especially after she keeps a secret about some movie gossip and alienates the few friends she had. As graduation approaches, unexpected encounters with some of her favorite movie stars may just change everything...