Waste of Space
Author: Gina Damico
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 400
Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads
Description:
Cram ten hormonal teens into a spaceship and blast off: that’s the premise for the ill-conceived reality show Waste of Space. The kids who are cast know everything about drama—and nothing about the fact that the production is fake. Hidden in a desert warehouse, their spaceship replica is equipped with state-of-the-art special effects dreamed up by the scientists partnering with the shady cable network airing the show. And it’s a hit! Millions of viewers are transfixed. But then, suddenly, all communication is severed. Trapped and paranoid, the kids must figure out what to do when this reality show loses its grip on reality.
From the Author’s Note:
The account that follows is my attempt to ascertain what really happened in January and February of the year 2016—not what was reported in the news, not what was claimed afterward in the statements from all parties involved. The evidence I will present is composed of the files found in the aforementioned packet, plus several additional records unearthed over the course of my investigation (some of which were obtained through measures that were not, I admit, strictly legal). All documents are presented in their original states and are labeled with as much information as I could discern.
The full body of evidence calls to mind a jigsaw puzzle at a yard sale—some pieces are missing, some are bent out of shape, and some don’t make sense unless one can see the full picture. The truth may be out there, but I doubt anyone will ever be able to irrefutably prove what it is. All I can hope for is that my version is the closest.
Full disclaimer: Because I personally knew and/or met most of the witnesses, and as I was watching and listening from behind the scenes throughout many of the events described herein, it’s inevitable that some of my own judgments and criticisms will leak into this report. But I’ll do my best to keep my perspective to a minimum and to interpret the events in an unbiased manner. To that end, I will refrain from telling this story from my point of view, as it is not meant to be a tell-all. From this point forth I’ll let the evidence speak for itself.
I am not the story here. I, like each of you, was only a helpless witness.
***
When I accepted an internship at DV8, I knew it wasn’t going to lead to a Pulitzer. The
network isn’t what you’d call “prestigious” or “groundbreaking” or “staffed by literate individuals,” but the road to a degree in journalism is fraught with despair, douchebags, and dead ends, and I was aware of and prepared for that. In today’s competitive job market (especially in an allegedly dying profession), I was ecstatic to land any internship at all. I vowed to throw myself into the inane, unending errands. I’d cheerfully fire off meaningless tweets, retweets, and “impactful hashtags.” I’d withstand indignities and humiliations galore, and after all that, I’d be on my way with six college credits and nary a look back at the eight months of hell I’d had to endure, all in the name of my education.
But then came Waste of Space.
And a different type of education presented itself.
—An Intern
July 11, 2016
Gina Damico is the author of Croak, Scorch, and Rogue,
the grim-reapers-gone-wild books of the Croak trilogy. She has also
dabbled as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic
artist, movie extra, office troll, retail monkey, yarn hawker and breadmonger.
A native of Syracuse, New York, she now lives outside Boston with her
husband, two cats, and one dog, and while she has never visited hell in
person, she has spent countless waking hours at
the Albany Regional Bus Terminal, which is pretty darn close. Visit her
website at www.ginadami.co.
(3) winners will receive a hardcover of WASTE OF SPACE - US Only!
Tour Schedule
Week One:
7/3/2017- Wandering Bark Books- Guest Post
7/4/2017- Eli to the nth- Review
7/5/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt
7/6/2017- BookHounds YA- Review
7/7/2017- Hooked To Books- Interview
Week Two:
7/10/2017- Novel Novice- Review
7/11/2017- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt
7/12/2017- Lisa Loves Literature- Review
7/13/2017- YA and Wine- Interview
Interesting way you are presenting to the YA audience the adult fascination with reality shows.
ReplyDeleteI am really looking forward to this one. I love your other books!
ReplyDelete