The Taming of the Drew

Gr 10 Up—Following her parents' contentious divorce, recent high school graduate Cass doesn't believe in relationships. She does, however, believe in the theater and is eager to begin an internship playing Kate in a summer production of The Taming of the Shrew in Vermont. Unfortunately, she and her leading man, Drew, take an instant dislike to each other. In the spirit of the play, Cass sets out to torment Drew, as much for her own amusement as to help mold him into the perfect new boyfriend for her lovelorn friend and castmate, Amy. Over the next two weeks, revulsion blooms predictably into romance as Cass and Drew get to know each other, both onstage and offstage. Befitting her character, Cass's narrative voice has a flair for the dramatic, and the story is steeped in Shakespearean quotes and references. At times, however, the plot seems a bit contrived, and a subplot involving a nearby group of pro skateboarders—and a rival love interest for Cass—feels unnecessary. The characters are largely one-dimensional, and the tidy resolution wraps up the central conflicts almost hastily.