Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick

The source provides excerpts from the young adult novel, Zen and the Art of Faking It, by Jordan Sonnenblick, detailing the experiences of the main character, San Lee. San, having moved to a new school in Pennsylvania, is grappling with his identity and the emotional fallout from his father's imprisonment, leading him to fabricate a new persona as a Zen Buddhist master to stand out. His commitment to this deception involves intense reading about Zen and an attempt to maintain a facade of emotional detachment and wisdom, particularly to impress a quirky girl named Woody (Emily). The excerpts follow the difficulties of maintaining the lie, including San's growing feelings for Woody, conflicts with her stepbrother, Peter Jones, and the inevitable moment of exposure, forcing San to finally confront his true self and the complicated dynamics of his family life.