BOOKANISTAS: RIVAL by Sara Bennett Wealer

Plot without spoilers...Kathryn and Brooke are both talented singers with dreams of winning the coveted Blackmore music prize.  That seems to be where the similarities end: Brooke is rich; Kathryn is poor.  Brooke is popular; Kathryn is shy.  For a moment in time, it seems they can be friends until, near the end of their high school junior year, they become bitter rivals.

Of literary interest...Wealer's understanding of the world of music--from her use of musical terms to begin chapters to the many wonderful tidbits about composers, operas, and care of the voice--enriches this piercing high school story.  Alternating chapters are narrated by Brooke and Kathryn whose voices, and characterizations are so spot-on that you  really feel compassion for boths points-of-view.

Finally, just gotta say...Though music is an important element of this story, I found it to be an incredibly realistic picture of the high school social scene, where power and popularity can be as difficult to hold onto as high note.  This is a story about dreams, the people with think we need to help us reach them, and the power of our own desire for success.

Wonder what the other Bookanistas are singing about this week?  Join our book club at The Reading Room or just click along...

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