Customer Reviews

Dramarama

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sadye and Demi are two teenagers who are tired of their non-razzle-dazzle lives in Brenton, Ohio and decide to apply to the Wildewood Academy for the Performing Arts Summer Institute, run by a well-known Broadway director. Both are fans of Broadway musicals and Liza Minelli, whom they both adore.

Their summer is one of friendship, jealousy, and new love. From "Cats" to "Guys and Dolls," this book tells all of the ups and downs of their summer, their new relationships, and just how hard the kids must work to be the actors they want to become in order to leave boring old Ohio behind them once and for all.

If you're familiar with Broadway shows, this book will be even better. If not, visit the author's website. You can download the songs that she references throughout the book.

I also sent this review on to the ALAN Review. :)

This book is really fun and moving too. It follows Sarah-- who changes her name to Sadye-- and her best friend Demi as they spend a summer in theater camp.

Great details about drama camp-- auditions, singing, dancing, and acting classes, the teachers' different directing styles-- make this a terrific read.

The setting is not the only star of this book. The characters are interesting and likeable and real. From the girl whose parents seem to appreciate her only when she wins a role, to the gay teen who hates being in the closet, to the main character, who is sweet but sometimes thoughtless, well-intentioned but sometimes wrong, these characters are fascinating people to spend time with, and we care what happens to them.

I love all of E. Lockhart's books, and this one didn't disappoint at all. Sayde is a terrific narrator - every bit as smart and funny as Ruby (The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book) - and she's surrounded by a wonderful cast. I admit that I did spend a summer at drama camp, so that might be part of why I loved it so much, but that's by no means a requirement. The relationships Sayde has with her gay best friend, her roommates, a boy who may or may not like her -- they're all exceedingly believable and filled with both fondness and more difficult emotions. Her discovery that she's not outrageously talented, as her friends are, and the jealousy that she experiences struck me as being especially relatable. Funny, warm (and snarky!), mostly unpredictable. I pretty much guarantee you'll enjoy this book, especially if you've liked Lockhart's others.

Sadye and Demi have been best friends since the very beginning of time; well, maybe not that long. But when they did first meet, they became inseparable. How could they not be inseparable when they both share the same interests, most importantly of which is the theatre. Both are able to identify with each other, even though Demi is a boy, and are able to see each other's true selves.

And now both of them are off to a summer filled with lots and lots of drama at their summer theater camp. The camp isn't only loaded with singing, dancing, tons of auditions and acting, but also competition, competition, and more competition. Sadye's life is just full of problems, but just as long as she has her best friend by her side nothing can go wrong. Unfortunately, the summer where Sadye tries to find her true talents is also the one where her friendship is tested - and we don't know whether or not it will last.

DRAMARAMA far surpasses other books that I have read. Aside from the hilarious plot and narration, E. Lockhart adds in issues that anyone who reads this novel is able to connect with, from being gay to having parents that only notice you when you succeed. Just reading DRAMARAMA makes you stop and take a step back and really see how our lives are (and will always be) full of drama - and there is nothing we can do about it except hope that we have our true friends by our side. Another great read from this amazing author.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

This is a book about Sarah (aka Sadye) - a girl whose ambitions are too big for her small and conventional Ohio town. Her life just doesn't have that razzle-dazzle that she craves. She dreams of being special, noticed, a center of attention. She thinks musical theater is the place where she rightfully belongs. However, after spending a summer at a drama camp, Sadye realizes that her talents are not adequate to her ambitions. The gap between her and her more talented friends widens and she finds herself searching for a new direction in life.

This is definitely not the best of E. Lockhart's books in my opinion. Just like with "Fly on the Wall," I couldn't quite identify with the main character. Artistic (and in this case musical-crazed) types are just not my thing. I found it hard to enjoy some parts of the books because I was simply unfamiliar with the musical theater scene. Also, Sadye wasn't a very sympathetic character prone to over-dramatizing things. She was often selfish and inconsiderate.

Having said that, I have to give Lockhart credit for creating another self-discovery book where she emphasizes the importance of objectively evaluating ones abilities and moving on after a crush of life-long dreams.

Dramarama is a wonderful book about friendships that are meant to be but don't end up making it. Sadye always felt like she was out of the loop at school, not quite fitting into any clique, until she met her soul mate best friend Demi, a secretly gay boy. They find that they have many things in common, the number one thing being a fierce desire to be well, fierce. The friendship is a match made in heaven, that is until they are both accepted into a summer drama camp and they find out that they don't truly want the same things in life. Dramarama shows the ugly side of what growing up can do to a friendship that readers of all ages will be able to relate to.

I loved this book for multiple reasons, one of them being the fact that it is set in Ohio! :D The other main reason I loved this book so much is because my and one of my old best friends used to do a lot of things that Sadye and Demi do, until she went away to a theater school in New York. We still hang out when she comes home to visit, but there is an awkward void between us since we have traveled in different directions. To some people Sadye may come off as a little bratty because she does complain a lot, but I feel like if I was in the same situation I would become a little bratty myself. I like to think that my friends can only be friends with me, so when they start to hang out with other people I tend to get a little jealous... it's a problem I am trying to work on ;)

I would highly recommend Dramarama to anyone interested in theater because there are a lot of specific plays and acting methods mentioned, of course this just made me feel more out of the loop. I would also recommend this book to anyone who has lost a friend due to a difference in interests or simply due to growing apart over time.

DRAMARAMA
E. LOCKHART
YA Contemporary
Hyperion


Rating: 5 Enchantments

Sarah and Demi are the two misfits of high school. They're lives change when they go to Wildewood, an elite boarding school for the performing arts. While there, Sarah is Sadye and Demi comes out of the closet, comfortable for the first time about his sexuality. But while Demi soars at the school, Sadye finds that maybe she's not good enough to succeed. All the while her relationship with Demi is tested. Will their friendship withstand one of them making the big time?

I loved this story! Sarah's conflicts were so real. Her experiences were similar to going to American Idol try outs for the theater. The harshness of that life is very true. Not all will be stars. Sarah's struggles to be happy for Demi, while he succeeds, rang true. I also liked how Lockhart shows Demi finding his true home, a place where he's accepted for who he is.


Once again Lockhart delivers a hilarious and totally unforgettable look into the friendship of two who learn to become the best in whatever they do. A must read!

E. Lockhart is the author of The Boyfriend List, Fly on the Wall, The Boy Book, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Check out more on Lockhart at www.e-lockhart.com

Kim
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
April 09

This book was wonderful. Throughout the book, tape recording sessions take place between Sadye, Demi, and their friends they meet at summer drama camp.

Sadye is torn between friends, lies, and auditions, and the overall storyline was good.

It's only four stars because the ending was definitely not resolving. You never find out what happens to the characters, which is very disappointing.

It's definitely still worth reading though.

DRAMARAMA tells the story of Sadye and Demi, who escape their boring lives in Brenton, Ohio when they apply to a summer theater camp at Wildewood Academy. Now, I didn't expect to really like this book. Although I'd enjoyed a couple of E. Lockhart's previous novels, I'm not a big fan of musicals or theater people, and I thought most of the characters were annoying caricatures of real people at the beginning. But just as in real life, gradually and without my even realizing it, the characters evolved from being who I thought they were to being interesting, likeable, and most importantly, real people. Everything about the novel rings true -- from the fascinating details about music and acting classes and Broadway directors to the intricately woven relationships between the characters felt like it could come from a memoir. What I loved most about this book was how it felt like real life: things didn't always wrap up neatly, it wasn't always satisfying, and I didn't always expect what came next. An interesting story of love, trust, jealousy, true friendship, and letting your true self out.

I really liked this book. At first I thought it was going to be so predictable... Sadye gets into the drama camp, Sadye doesn't get the part she wants, Sadye shows the teachers her true potential, Sadye goes on to be a famous actor... But it wasn't like that at all. Meaning it wasn't predictable. Some parts actually surprised me, which is great because I don't like reading a book that I can guess everything. This is definitely a unique book, so if you're looking for something fluffy but 'inspirational', and different, I would definitely reccommend it.