What happens when an antisocial cinephile meets up with the worldly new guy at school — a quick-witted artist who's savvy enough to see through her sci-fi disguise?

Meet Egg. Her real name is Victoria Jurgen, but she's renamed herself after the kick-ass heroine of her favorite sci-fi movie, Terminal Earth. Like her namesake, Egg dresses all in white, colors her eyebrows, and shaves her head. She always knows the right answers, she's always in control, and she's far too busy — taking photos for the school paper, meeting with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, and hanging out at the creature shop with her dad, the special-effects makeup wizard — to be bothered with friends, much less members of the opposite sex. As far as Egg is concerned, she's boy proof, and she likes it that way. But then Egg meets a boy named Max, a boy who's smart and funny and creative and cool...and happens to like Egg. Could this be the end of the world — at least as Egg knows it?

"Debut author Castellucci gives voice to a memorable teenage narrator, Victoria Jurgen, living in Hollywood. A senior at Melrose Prep, she has set her sights on becoming valedictorian. She not only aces her AP classes, is photographer for the school paper and a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, she has also seen the movie Terminal Earth 42 times and calls herself 'Egg,' after the heroine in the movie. Egg even shaves her head and wears a white cloak like the movie's star (her mother says that Egg's appearance makes her 'boy proof'). 'Egg is a woman who can't afford to get close to anyone,' she says. But a cascade of subtle changes begin with the arrival of classmate Max Carter. Suddenly Egg bumps into him everywhere; they share the same interests, and she respects his intelligence in spite of herself (after reading his poem in class, she says, 'I thought he was stupid. Now I know he's gifted, just like me'). Through Egg's narration, Castellucci allows readers a glimpse of the girl's inner struggle and prickly exterior. Some wrenching moments arise when Egg's mother, an actress whose career was put on hold due to her pregnancy, tries to connect with her daughter and is rebuffed. And with just a few scenes, the author demonstrates how much Egg resembles her father, an Oscar-winner for his creatures in a sci-fi film. Castellucci effortlessly paints a picture of Hollywood as a setting that shapes her characters as much as they shape it. Egg's journey to shed her trappings and to confidently inhabit her own character is one readers won't want to miss. Ages 14-up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"This is a busy first novel whose secondary characters often outshine the protagonist. Still, lonely, overachieving girls may find themselves cheering for Victoria." School Library Journal

"Castellucci's brooding, smart, self-confident narrator gives an edge to the geeky sci-fi fan stereotype, as well as a warts-and-all glimpse into Hollywood." Hornbook Guide to Children

"[T]his first novel's clipped, funny, first-person, present-tense narrative will grab teens...with its romance and the screwball special effects, and with the story of an outsider's struggle both to belong and to be true to herself." Booklist

"Few readers will be as smart and talented as Victoria, and few will share her incredible life experiences as a child of Hollywood, but most will enjoy reading about her woes and triumphs." KLIATT

"This entertaining novel will appeal to anyone who has felt like an outsider, and Egg/Victoria's strong voice adds to the pleasure." Children's Literature

"[An] unusual, successful, appealing effort from first-time novelist Castellucci." Kirkus Reviews

In this unforgettable debut novel, an antisocial, sci-fi and fantasy movie buff doesn't want to be bothered with friends — especially the opposite sex. But then she meets a new guy at school — one who's smart, funny, creative, and who happens to like her.

What happens when an aloof and antisocial cinephile meets a new boy savvy enough to see through her cool, impenetrable disguise? Castellucci's smart and vulnerable heroine will please teen readers struggling with identity, choices, and relationships. Young Adult.

Cecil Castellucci is an author, filmmaker, actress, and singer-songwriter. She says, "When I first moved to Los Angeles from Montreal, I wrote in a café owned by Eric Melvin from NOFX, had Thanksgiving dinner with Tim Armstrong from Rancid, and had my taxes done by a guy who was in the Circle Jerks. Everyone was So-Cal Punk crazy and I felt so...beige. I wondered what it would be like to grow up around adults that cool, especially if you were plopped into that scene when it wasn't yours." She lives in Los Angeles.