Fanboy has never been popular, but at least he had friends. Now, however, his less-than exciting life has hit a new low. His best friend is abandoning him for sports, a gym class bully has chosen him for his personal punching bag, and his pregnant mother is too wrapped up in the coming baby to care what's going on in Fanboy's life. But he can deal with all this, because he has something to look forward to-- namely the coming comic book convention, where he plans to finally meet the man who can, hopefully, help him to get his precious graphic novel, Schemata, published.
In the country of Panem, one can be killed simply for existing. In fact, ever since the rebellion that almost wiped out the country's government, being born may be a death sentence, at least for children between the ages of twelve and eighteen. It is these children, after all, who risk the most brutal execution imaginable in the form of participation in the Hunger Games, an annual competition in which a randomly selected few are pitted against each other in a brutal fight to the death.
A theater might not be the most normal place to live, but for Cat the Theater Royal is home. She spends her days helping out actors and playing in the London streets, her evenings watching whatever newest production her "family" has put on, and her nights curled up on discarded costumes in the attic of the theater. Life is good, but when a mysterious diamond is hidden somewhere in the theater, everything changes. Suddenly gangs are fighting over Cat and lords and ladies are sneaking into the theater to snoop.
Dolores had never imagined that life in Cape Canaveral could be anything but perfect. She loves the launches, the broadcasts, her family, her friends, and knows everything there is to know about space. She keeps a journal of every launch, dutifully recording all of the relevant facts in order to further her dreams of becoming an astronaut, confirming the details with her technician father and best friend, Eric. She's the best in her class, her teachers love her, and, most importantly, she's happy. But without warning, everything changes.
When Meline and Jocelyn are left orphaned in a train accident, they are both shipped off to live with their genius uncle on an island famous for its morbid history of airplane crashes. The two girls have completely conflicting personalities, and their uncle only exacerbates matters by ignoring them entirely. Life on the island is miserable for all involved-- that is, until one fateful day when a revelation occurs to Meline: "I know how to build a plane."
Miles always felt second best to her cousin, Laura. Laura's the skinny, pretty one, the popular girl with a doting father and more wealth than she can ask for, while Miles is the failure, overweight and underachieving. The two may not be as close as they were in their childhood, but Miles thought that she knew Laura, at least well enough to predict and prevent her cousin's suicide. Now, with her best friend gone, Miles is left alone, stranded on earth to deal with the consequences of Laura's death.
