I enjoy stories with alternating perspectives, so this one from the view of Charlie Dean and John Thomas-Smith worked for me in that regard. This is a book about teens trying to escape to a better high school, one that focuses on the arts but is uber-expensive. Charlie Dean is obsessed with fashion and determined to get in, with a Pollyanna-ish attitude about life. John would rather work with metal, but he's determined to get into this school, so how hard could fashion be? Both learn about themselves in the process, and do some growing up. The ending is slightly hopeful, but realistic.