Deep Fried

Synopsis

Pete, in his last year of high school, is hit with a giant wave of disillusion about his future. His final year is supposed to be when he has 'made it'. Teachers, parents, advertising campaigns all tell him he's had some of the best years of his life and now he should be ready and amped to launch off into adulthood, and the so-called real world. But when he looks at that world, it all seems like more of the same: one great big empty con. Itchy, antsy, angry - and not really understanding exactly why - he finds himself staging a spontaneous anti-you-name-it protest at a local Prince of Burgers franchise. Which gets him on the news. Which draws the attentions of Sophie, a troubled young woman at his school, who sets up a website in his support. Which - given the instantaneous reach of the Net - starts a chain reaction of copycat protests around the world. All of which can't escape notice of the Prince of Burgers' management team. Soon two of its company psychologists, Lucinda and Marcus, want to interview Pete. Intrigued by his angry energy, and his angle on society, they think he might be made of the stuff that could win him a study scholarship. Has Pete's view of corporate ethics been misguided? Meanwhile, Sophie, his fanclub website manager, has developed an unhealthy obsession with Pete's antics. She is following his every move - and she has her own suspicions about why Lucinda and Marcus are so fascinated by Pete. She thinks she knows the truth - but who can the reader trust?