On Bliss Island, the people are Characters, and the show is Blissful. Blissful Days is the show that the mainlanders live for, the thing that keeps them from losing all hope in their war-torn world. The Characters who live their lives in the world of the television show have to act in themes and patterns to get high ratings. If they don't they are cut from the show, made into Patriots with an uncertain future. Nettie Starling's ratings are not what she wants them to be, and there doesn't seem much chance of them improving. Until she joins the Initiative, that is. The Initiative provides suggestions that help Nettie gain ratings, style, and the boy of her dreams. And as long as Nettie doesn't question the Initiative, things will go perfectly.

SCRIPTED is a debut young adult novel with a beautiful new twist on a classic story idea. A reality television show where people are cut for low ratings almost daily and no one knows what happens to them? It's nothing we haven't heard of before, but the elements are woven in with such excellent prose that everything is surprising and fun. The Characters are all concerned with their ratings and their story lines, but they also have to worry about their personal lives and what they're going to do if they get cut. They are so fascinating even on the page. It's remarkable how cool the concept and characters are.

This is a great novel, but there are a few things I would have liked to be different. The pacing is really great until it reaches the last few chapters. The ending comes at such a rush and it's so different from what it seemed to be building up to. Don't expect what you think will happen, or you will be disappointed. It's not that it's bad; it's just so diametrically different. Another issue comes with the dynamics of the world. There are so many different, complicated rules you have to understand if you're going to understand the book. These rules are so many and so sparsely explained, they often distract from the novel rather than enhance them. If you don't like complex rule systems, this might turn you off.

On the whole, SCRIPTED by Maya Rock is an excellent novel. I would recommend it to teens and adults alike, and especially to reality television buffs. If you like your reality shows, you will like this book. Fascinating characters, concepts, and a world unlike our own make a force to be reckoned with.