"Nothing" by Janne Teller 227p.

This sparse, yet vivid, young adult story reads like a sardonic fairy tale that progresses from light to dark as a group of young adults set out to prove to an existential classmate that life truly does have meaning.

Set in Denmark, an intellectual teenager living in a commune with his hippie parents, Pierre Anthon, comes to the conclusion that life is nothing. He decides to plant himself in the branches of a plum tree and proceeds to spout off his existential declarations at a group of his peers as they pass by his tree on the way to school. His prophetic musings only incite anger and rebellion at first, causing the group of passersby to unite in proving him wrong. To do this, they decide to create a heap of meaning, creating a system of contribution by allowing each member to choose the next member's sacrifice. The contributions are minimally sacrificial at first, but as the story progresses, the group's hunger for more meaningful items overshadows its ability to think rationally and humanely, and the heap grows into a collection of nothing less than monstrous. After completing the heap, the group confronts their tormentor and, ultimately, their respective consciences as the story comes to a disturbing end.

I think this book has universal appeal, although the Danish setting may be off-putting to young adults. The pacing of the story is lilting, and the ideas it provokes would provide an excellent springboard for discussion in a group setting, although I would be surprised to see this novel added to the public school curriculum anytime soon. The tone evolves effortlessly from humorous to horrific. It has some gruesome and shocking moments, but the author does a fantastic job of describing the more morbid scenes with just a hint of language, employing the powerful tool of suggestion.

Reminiscent of "The Lord of the Flies", this book is a fascinating glimpse into the dangers of groupthink and the meaning of life itself. I highly recommend this for anyone (older teens and adults) who has ever questioned the meaning of life.