Look Both Ways

Gr 9 Up—A well-written novel that pushes the envelope but remains true to its premise. Rising senior Brooklyn Shepard has always felt out of sync with her theatrical family; thus, when she gets accepted to Allerdale Playhouse Summer Theater, she is hoping she'll fall in love with performing and finally fit in. Though not cast in any main stage productions, she dives into doing technical work, meeting Russell, a scenic designer wannabe who gives her some much-needed support. In fact, when a fire destroys the main theater, the twosome crank out a clever musical spoof to save the final production, and Brooklyn finally realizes her true talent as a composer/lyricist. On a personal front, despite some sexual experiences with her Juilliard-bound roommate Zoe, she decides to consider Russell's romantic feelings. Brooklyn is a well-developed, soul-searching, angst-filled adolescent; Russell and Zoe are also fleshed-out characters. Most of the others are mere caricatures—the over-the-top master, the backbiting fellow performers, the actor-hating techies, and the inept, avant-garde director. Strong language and sexual references abound. They are well handled and in keeping with the book's focus on self-discovery. Most theater terms are clarified in the text, and high school thespians will easily relate to the theatrical lifestyle that is featured.