Review by Booklist Review
Five personalities come together with their own varying drama backstage, showcasing the dynamics of a musical production from the perspective of the stage crew. There's Ella, an aspiring stage manager who dreams of managing national tours; her best friend, Levi, who assists with stage crew; siblings Rosa, the lead actress, and Sebastian, a sixth-grader new to crew; and Willow, a girl who just moved from New York and wants nothing to do with the show but is forced into volunteering as a detention sentence. Aside from the show drama and the ongoing prank war between cast and crew, each character has personal struggles to deal with as well. Levi is in foster care and wonders if he could ever belong, Rosa secretly struggles with dyslexia, Ella is overly relied on by her parents, and Sebastian has a burgeoning crush on Levi, who, in return, is crushing on Rosa. While this series starter frustratingly stops midway through with a "to be continued," theater fans are sure to devour the theatrics on and off the stage.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up--Eighth grader Ella Amani has been theater-obsessed for as long as she can remember. Now, it's finally her time to shine as stage manager for her school's production of Curie: The Musical. She's been prepping for this job for years; with her annotated binders and can-do attitude, she's ready for anything! Except, it seems like all the problems cropping up are exactly what Ella's not prepared for, like a major prank war with the show's cast and growing distant from her BFF and tech lead Levi. When so much goes wrong that it feels like nothing can be fixed, the Juniper Valley Middle School crew must band together to help their fearless leader. Champion crafts a big, bustling novel that gives readers a comprehensive education on all things theater, specifically the intricacies and significance of the tech crew. The story flits between the first-person POV of multiple characters whose experiences are more distinct than their narrative voices. Having so many separate, interweaving plots bogs down the pacing for the first two-thirds of the novel as character personalities and backstories are established. Nevertheless, the action mounts towards the book's end, and a major cliff-hanger will ensure readers anticipate the next installment. Character description is minimal aside from hair and eye color; Ella is described as having dark hair, and it is implied she is Iranian. VERDICT A plucky, engaging series debut that will resonate with theater-loving tweens. Perfect for middle school collections where Wicked is the musical du jour.--Ashleigh Williams
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this series opener, Champion introduces readers to the chaotic world of middle school theater through the eyes of the often-overlooked stage crew. When eighth grader Ella Amani finally gets her dream job as stage manager forCurie: The Musical, she discovers that managing both temperamental cast members and her ragtag crew is harder than she expected. The premise is fresh: Most middle-grade theater novels focus on aspiring actors, but this one showcases the unsung heroes who make productions possible. The story rotates among multiple narrators: perfectionist Ella; her best friend, Levi Jacobson, who's crushing on the show's star; Sebastian Diaz, a sixth grader dealing with his own crush on Levi while his sister headlines the production; and rainbow-haired Willow McCloskey, a sarcastic New Yorker doing crew as punishment. The cast vs. crew conflict provides solid dramatic tension, and the characters tackle real issues such as learning differences, foster care, family issues, and the feeling of being the new kid. Though chapters are labeled with character names, the voices feel largely interchangeable. It takes most of the book to distinguish among speakers, making emotional investment difficult for those not already interested in the topic. Still, Champion clearly knows her theater. The Broadway references, technical details, backstage dynamics, and crew hierarchy feel authentic and will delight drama kids, and the cliffhanger ending will leave them eager for the next installment. Names and other cues in the text imply racial diversity among the characters. Theater enthusiasts will appreciate the insider knowledge and behind-the-scenes perspective.(Fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
