Dramarama (Hardcover)

by E. Lockhart (Author)
Key Phrases: stage combat, secret garden, advanced dance, Show Boat, Miss Delilah, Sadye Paulson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
*Starred Review* She was just big-boned, big-nose Sarah living in Brenton, Ohio, where, as she puts it, "committing suicide would be redundant." Then she meets Demi, who is trying hard to be invisible--surprisingly easy considering he's black and gay. Alone they are, well . . . alone, but brought together by their love of musical theater, they light up. All this might sound like a stereotypical take on gay men and the women who love them, and there is some of that, but there's also so much more. The renamed Sayde and Demi make their way to a summer theater camp, and that's where things change. Encouraged to become part of the ensemble, Sayde finds she is too opinionated to do that, even as it turns out that she is less talented than she believed. At the same time, Demi is discovering that he's a star who can hang out with actual boyfriends rather than Sayde. Lockhart mixes this all up neatly. Most of the story is told in a bright, bitchy voice that, while familiar, is very smart and very funny; transcripts of tapes made for "posterity" add delicious detail. Although it's hard to say what kids who aren't into musical comedy will make of the myriad detail offered here (Birdie! Cabaret! Cats! ), theater lovers will applaud, and everyone else will appreciate the twists and the ending you don't see coming. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

Two theater-mad, self-invented

fabulositon Ohio teenagers.

One boy, one girl.

One gay, one straight.

One black, one white.

And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP.

It's a season of hormones,

gold lame,

hissy fits,

jazz hands,

song and dance,

true love,

and unitards

that will determine their future

--and test their friendship.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786838159
• ISBN-13: 978-0786838158
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #640,889 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of fun!, May 4, 2007

By	Jenni "jenni35" (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

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. :)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now I want to go to theater camp, April 29, 2007

By	Debra Garfinkle "author of books for teens an... (Orange County, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, April 16, 2007

By	Fanny Sultan "YA book lover" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

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.