sc104906's review
2.0
I received this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
After winning a scholarship to a summer theater camp, it becomes the first summer she does not spend with her best friend and her boyfriend. Penny soon finds herself growing in new ways, that do not always match up with her old friends. She begins questioning her future and making decisions that will impact her trajectory. Penny's new theater camp friends are new and exciting, they push her to do more. Will Penny leave her old life and friends behind?
This book wasn't extremely memorable. I did not find myself connecting to the characters. Not much happened with the plot.
After winning a scholarship to a summer theater camp, it becomes the first summer she does not spend with her best friend and her boyfriend. Penny soon finds herself growing in new ways, that do not always match up with her old friends. She begins questioning her future and making decisions that will impact her trajectory. Penny's new theater camp friends are new and exciting, they push her to do more. Will Penny leave her old life and friends behind?
This book wasn't extremely memorable. I did not find myself connecting to the characters. Not much happened with the plot.
thebookishlibrarian's review
Penny wins a scholarship to an acting camp and is thrilled to be acting all summer long. When she arrives, however, she is met with lots of competition and some self-doubt. Then she meets a boy named Chase and realizes that she has the potential to dream big and make it her dreams come true.
charmaineac's review
3.0
This story was straightforward, inoffensive, and sweet. It's a classic coming-of-age story for a girl who goes to a new place and realizes how much more life has to offer.
My problem with the story was how constant and apparent everyone's desires were. Eventually, everyone kind of sounded like a broken record with their mantras. We get it Penny, you want something MORE. And Logan gets a huge disservice for always seeming so jealous, insecure, and small-minded. We view Chase with rose-tinted goggles, and I really don't support that (he plays around! Penny is so clearly just one of his many fiddles!).
I also didn't feel like "dreaming big" is that realistic for Penny's future. Show business is TOUGH. People who starve for fame go after it at such a young age. Where does that leave her? I have trouble understanding the comfort in such a simple life (that her friends lead in their tiny perfect world), but the big city dreams just seem so far out of reach.
I wanted to see Penny move away, get swept away by Chase, or have some other big shake-up. I think this book would've been far more effective if it were set in Penny's first year of university, not some summer camp retreat.
My problem with the story was how constant and apparent everyone's desires were. Eventually, everyone kind of sounded like a broken record with their mantras. We get it Penny, you want something MORE. And Logan gets a huge disservice for always seeming so jealous, insecure, and small-minded. We view Chase with rose-tinted goggles, and I really don't support that (he plays around! Penny is so clearly just one of his many fiddles!).
I also didn't feel like "dreaming big" is that realistic for Penny's future. Show business is TOUGH. People who starve for fame go after it at such a young age. Where does that leave her? I have trouble understanding the comfort in such a simple life (that her friends lead in their tiny perfect world), but the big city dreams just seem so far out of reach.
I wanted to see Penny move away, get swept away by Chase, or have some other big shake-up. I think this book would've been far more effective if it were set in Penny's first year of university, not some summer camp retreat.
anz16's review
5.0
My new favourite book. I loved the characters, the plot. I could relate to a lot of this, that may be why I loved it so much. But it’s a wonderful summer read.
celestx's review
4.0
I really liked that even though this is a contemporary, it wasn’t strictly focused on the romance.
It was the story of a girl finding out what she wanted out of life and realizing that she wanted more than her small town could offer.
I’ve never really been into drama/theater (and this story focuses on that a lot), but I actually really enjoyed those parts of the story. The MC goes to a drama camp and I really liked seeing what goes on inside and everything that goes into preparing for shows.
4/5 stars for a cute and fun read. :)
It was the story of a girl finding out what she wanted out of life and realizing that she wanted more than her small town could offer.
I’ve never really been into drama/theater (and this story focuses on that a lot), but I actually really enjoyed those parts of the story. The MC goes to a drama camp and I really liked seeing what goes on inside and everything that goes into preparing for shows.
4/5 stars for a cute and fun read. :)
blackrose980's review
5.0
Penny is okay with her life, living in the same town she has always done. She soon wins a scholarship to a prestigious theatre camp and is thrown into competition with others, as she makes new friends she realises something.
Maybe she has bigger dreams than she ever thought possible.
Absolutely devoured this novel completely and surprisingly enjoyed this novel about a girl deciding what she wants out of life, choosing not to change anything and just expand on the dreams that she wants to explore now that she has the opportunity to do so - which brings up the question, if she had never gotten the scholarship in the first place, would she have never strayed from the original path in the first place?
Would she ever have considered getting more out of her life?
Overall, a unique and refreshing novel that deserves more attention!
Maybe she has bigger dreams than she ever thought possible.
Absolutely devoured this novel completely and surprisingly enjoyed this novel about a girl deciding what she wants out of life, choosing not to change anything and just expand on the dreams that she wants to explore now that she has the opportunity to do so - which brings up the question, if she had never gotten the scholarship in the first place, would she have never strayed from the original path in the first place?
Would she ever have considered getting more out of her life?
Overall, a unique and refreshing novel that deserves more attention!
haleybexe's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Would have rated five stars if it wasn't as slow as it was in the beginning. There's LGBT representation and issues covered too, but the main focus is a girl trying to figure out if her love for theater is just a hobby or a dream, and if it's finally time to leave her tiny little safety bubble of a town.
jilljemmett's review
4.0
I really liked this story!
I loved the drama program that Penny attended. It was described very well, and sounded fascinating. Acting is completely new to me. I’ve always been shy, and I was never interested in drama classes, though I did dance. I found this part of the story very interesting, since it is something that I’ve never experienced.
The characters in the story were great. They were well developed, and seemed like real people. I liked that Penny was conflicted in many ways, from her future career to her friends/boyfriend. It added tension to the story. I also loved the twist at the end. I didn’t see it coming at all, so I was surprised.
If you like contemporary Young Adult stories, you’ll love this one!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher on Edelweiss.
I loved the drama program that Penny attended. It was described very well, and sounded fascinating. Acting is completely new to me. I’ve always been shy, and I was never interested in drama classes, though I did dance. I found this part of the story very interesting, since it is something that I’ve never experienced.
The characters in the story were great. They were well developed, and seemed like real people. I liked that Penny was conflicted in many ways, from her future career to her friends/boyfriend. It added tension to the story. I also loved the twist at the end. I didn’t see it coming at all, so I was surprised.
If you like contemporary Young Adult stories, you’ll love this one!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher on Edelweiss.