Rival

Gr 7—10—A standard tale of a high school friendship torn apart by jealousy and competition. Rich, popular Brooke Dempsey and shy, middle-class Kathryn Pease see themselves as total opposites. The only thing they have in common is their love of music; both are top singers in the school's choir and are preparing for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Each girl narrates in alternating chapters, and the story jumps back and forth from junior year, when the girls are friends, to senior year, when they are not. Readers do not find out until the end of the book what caused the rift. Between the impending estrangement and the upcoming competition, the author artfully builds tension in both time lines. However, the narrative is undermined by the fact that the friendship between the girls was relatively brief and apparently not that strong, thus rendering its loss less significant. Also, their designated roles as wallflower and queen bee don't ring true. Brooke is frequently disagreeable and alienates her friends, while Kathryn seems to get along with everyone. Despite inconsistencies, Rival is fast paced and readable, and the frequent musical references give the story an original twist.—Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA