Last night I finished Marc Acito's Attack of the Theater People, the follow-up to How I Paid for College, which I adored. Good news - I loved this one just as much, if not more. Not only does it boast the same fabulous cast of characters but there are several new and memorable ones (Acito infuses the least of the characters with a protagonist's worth of richness and detail), and the plot is an outrageous adventure that includes drama school expulsion, insider training, a Bruce Springsteen cover band, a Marxist theater group that rehearses in a Catholic church, a deaf man playing Harold Hill and the decadent bar/bat mitzvah scene of the mid-1980s. Oh, and so much more, not the least of which is the AIDS crisis which looms large in the mind of gay protagonist Edward Zanni. Just brilliant. Still and all, like the first book, my favorite part was the tight and wonderful friendships woven and maintained among Edward and his core crew. Unforgettable.
I notice that the copy of the book I requested is shelved in YA. I don't think the first book was considered YA - is it left up to library's discretion? I'd be curious to know, especially since this book touches on some complex things that might go over a contemporary teenager's head and the very graphic sexual situations. Not that I don't think an older teenager could handle it, I just wonder if it's sent anyone up in arms of if it's too far under the radar to be controversial.
Here was my favorite quote from the book:
"It's like Marcus says--if you're an artist, create art. Don't sit around waiting for someone to give you permission."
Yes!!!! I think I'm going to get that printed on a tee shirt.
Before Attack, I wrapped up Suite Scarlett which I found to be so much fun! It also hit me on a personal level because, as I've written in here before, I lost a sibling to cancer when I was very young and Maureen Johnson really hits the nail on the head as far as what it's like for families who are hit with a childhood illness, all the sacrifices and the financial toll, the tiptoeing around the stricken child. It's a very authentic portrait, particularly among the siblings. What she does with Marlene, the cancer survivor, and her personality and relationships is so interesting and I appreciate that she doesn't sugar coat anything. The scene with Scarlett and Marlene near the end is cutting and perfectly believable. Great work, and I look forward to the sequel. Will Mrs. Amberson return? What about Eric? I can hardly wait to find out.
And since I apparently cannot get enough of theatrical teenagers in New York City, I am currently being enchanted by Maryrose Wood's My Life, The Musical.
In less-urban, less-fictional teen news, I have obviously heard all the brou-ha-ha over the Gloucester High School "pregnancy pact" (what up, Gloucester? I got married there!). I just feel it's been too sensationalized for me to even want to take a stab at weighing in, but here's a very thoughtful series of posts from Liz over at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy which I think cuts to the heart of the matter. She asks all the right questions.
How timely that The Secret Life of the American Teenager is scheduled to begin its run. I'm still very wary of this series, but at the very least I have something to use my DVR for besides So You Think You Can Dance (GO JOSHUA!). Ahem.
Written material copyright 2008 Dawn Emerman