Life in a Fishbowl

by Len Vlahos

Overview

"A weird, sardonic delight with the shape of an allegory and the heart of a joyful song." —Brenna Yovanoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement

In this brilliantly written tragicomedy from acclaimed Morris finalist Len Vlahos comes a story about a girl whose dying father does the unthinkable—puts his life up for auction online.

When fifteen-year-old Jackie discovers that her father has been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, her whole world starts to crumble. She can't imagine how she'll live without him.

Then, in a desperate act to secure his family's future, Jackie's father does the unthinkable—he puts his life up for auction on eBay. Jackie can do nothing but watch and wait as an odd assortment of bidders, some with nefarious intentions, drive the price up higher. The fate of her entire family hangs in the balance.

But no one can predict how the auction will finally end, or any of the very public fallout that ensues. Life as Jackie knows it is about to change forever . . .

"Surprising, original, political, and deeply affecting . . . It is one of those rare works of art that keeps you guessing up to the very last page." —Leila Sales, author of This Song Will Save Your Life

"It will tear you apart, and yet it's an absolute joy." —Adi Alsaid, author of Let's Get Lost and Never, Always, Sometimes

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681196169
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/05/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	83,487
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Len Vlahos dropped out of NYU film school in the mid '80s to play guitar and write songs for Woofing Cookies, a punk-pop four piece that toured up and down the East Coast, and had two singles and one full-length LP on Midnight Records. After the band broke up, he followed his other passion, books. He is the author of The Scar Boys, a William C. Morris Award finalist and a #1 Indie Next pick, and Scar Girl, the book's sequel. Len lives in Denver with his wife and two young sons, where he owns the Tattered Cover Book Store.

www.lenvlahos.com
@LenVlahos

Editorial Reviews

Numerous laugh-out-loud moments and beautifully drawn characters make for a powerful journey that will leave a lasting imprint on readers.” —Publishers Weekly

“Bold, biting fare often so dark you sometimes want to look away. But you can't.” —Booklist

“An unsettling rumination on the spectacle of tragedy.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Artfully blends the whimsical and the poignant . . . An achingly funny satire.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 10/31/2016
With wry humor and blunt honesty, Vlahos (The Scar Boys) unspools the story of a family whose father signs them up for a reality show after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Written in third-person, the novel rotates frequently among several characters, including 15-year-old Jackie Stone, the eldest daughter in the family; father Jared, who wants to ensure that his family is taken care of after his death; Ethan Overbee, a shrewd television executive who hopes to capitalize on this family’s tragedy; and Glio, Jared’s inoperable tumor, who busily and gleefully devours his host’s memories. Vlahos captures both the worst and best of society: its voyeuristic, reality-show addiction and fascination with celebrity, as well as its ability to unite around a common cause. From page one, it’s evident that the ending will not be a happy one, but numerous laugh-out-loud moments and beautifully drawn characters make for a powerful journey that will leave a lasting imprint on readers. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sandra Bond, Bond Literary. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—When Jared Stone is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, he decides to sell himself on eBay in order to provide for his wife and teenage daughters. Though the auction is quickly shut down, he attracts the attention of a sanctimonious, power-hungry Catholic nun; a teenage girl hoping to save him; a bored, sociopathic billionaire; and a soulless executive who will pay the family five million dollars in exchange for participating in a reality TV show broadcasting the last few months of the man's existence. The Stones agree to the TV deal, but Jackie, Jared's perceptive 15-year-old daughter, soon goes rogue, using every power at her disposal to expose the manipulative machinations of the television network. The author (The Scar Boys) incisively skewers reality TV, the Internet, celebrity culture, and religion, but he's equally adept at exploring the emotional lives of his characters; the bond between Jared and Jackie is especially rich. Describing the responses and experiences of the tumor, called Glio, who gleefully feasts upon Jared's most cherished memories, Vlahos artfully blends the whimsical and the poignant. While the prose is accessible, the premise (the fear of being unable to take care of one's family) and the focus on so many adult characters make this a candidate for a more mature audience. VERDICT An achingly funny satire that will appeal more to grown-up consumers of YA and sophisticated teens, especially fans of A.S. King or Aaron Starmer.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

2016-09-19
The members of a white, all-American family become the reluctant subjects of a reality TV show recording father Jared Stone's rapid decline from a brain tumor. Disoriented after receiving the news that he has an inoperable high-grade glioblastoma multiforme in his brain, Jared concocts a desperate plan to ensure the financial stability of his family after his death. He auctions his life on eBay to the highest bidders to do with him what they please, forgetting, in his tumor-addled confusion, to consult his family about his plans. What follows is a tragicomic romp through Jared's last months, related through the perspectives of the figures who have a vested interest in his life, from his family to the bidders (a motley assortment including a Catholic nun, a callous television executive, and a teenage gamer) to Jared's tumor itself, anthropomorphized and nicknamed Glio. The resulting reality show aggressively impinges on the privacy and dignity of the Stone family, as Glio gleefully consumes Jared's most cherished memories. Amid the chaos, Jared's quiet older daughter Jackie finds the courage to fight back by staging a behind-the-scenes show of her own. Vlahos' deadpan third-person narration amuses, but it also distances readers from the characters' emotional lives. Ironically, it is Glio who shines through most vividly as he tragically devours Jared's world. An unsettling rumination on the spectacle of tragedy. (Fiction. 15 & up)

Kirkus Reviews