Okay. I just finished this book about two minutes ago so I figured I should write this review while my memory is still fresh. The first thing I should say was that my first impression after finishing this book was that I liked it. I didn't love it or anything, but I did end up enjoying it. Mildly.
I will say this, though: E. Lockhart is a great writer. She knows how to craft words and have them stick in your head. She's also a smart writer. She doesn't write meaningless things, she knows how to get a point across and her themes to really pop out at you. However, I didn't really like her storytelling in this particular book. I felt like that aspect of her writing left something to be desired.
The book is basically about Sadye (a straight, sarcastic, funny, determined, theater-obsessed girl) and her friend Demi (a gay, funny, determined, talented theater-obsessed boy) and their experiences at a well-known drama camp. Now, I'm not a theater/musical junkie. So, half of the references in the book were lost on me. But, I don't think it affected my overall appreciation of the novel. Maybe it did? Who knows. Anyway, this book starts off with Demi and Sadye making their way to the camp and you know right off the bat that one of them is going to leave disappointed.
For the first half of the book, I spent my time thinking, "God, Sadye is so annoying and such a bitch." Because, I couldn't really relate to her obnoxiousness and her always voicing whatever was on her mind. But, as the story progressed, I started to respect this quality of hers and really started rooting for her. But then my anger switched to the other characters of the book because they weren't getting Sadye like I was finally getting her. I think that tainted my experience of reading this book a bit because I happened to be angry at someone during every point of this book.
I also felt like some characters weren't fleshed out enough. For example, in the beginning we were introduced to Sadye's roommates, Iz and Candie. We're given details about their lives and personalities. But then they just disappear. We really don't get to see them interact with Sadye again. I mean, we do see them in the background; they don't disappear completely, but I wanted them to pop up more since we did get so much background on them in the beginning.
Also, Theo and Sadye's "romance" didn't really hit me as authentic either. It just felt too forced and I didn't really get the feel that they liked each other.
But, all in all, even with its faults, this was a pretty good book. It was fast and fun and light but it also sent out a message very rarely seen in young adult books: just because you love something, doesn't mean it'll come easily to you. It is a book about self-discovery and realization and acceptance of your own talents. And I really loved that message and I loved the way that it was delivered. So, my advice is that if you want a book based around a theme and an idea and you happen to love musicals and theater then go read this book. But, if you want something with a compelling storyline and fleshed out characters, you might wanna skip it.
I give it a: 3/5 stars.
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