nicklelove's review
4.0
Originally posted in Night Owl Reads
The first time I heard about Phantom of the Opera was when the movie came out in 2004, and I wasn't interested in it thinking that it was too serious or just wasn't my type. Four years later, I decided to watch it and ended up loving it! I was singing the songs from the movie for months, and even now I would still belt out to it from time to time. I know it doesn't compare much to seeing it in live theatre or reading the original novel, but still, I loved it! That's why I signed up for this tour.
It starts off like a typical high school story, Rebecca is a shy girl who tries out for the school play instead of playing in the orchestra like she usually does, and ends up bagging the lead role. Everything changed when she snags the role of Christine. Suddenly, like in the story of Phantom, she finds herself in the middle of a love triangle between the cool surfer dude and the wiccan goth who resembles the Phantom himself.
What seems to be a harmless high school affair turns dark when a mysterious stalker sends threatening notes to Rebecca and accidents keep on happening on stage, someone even ended up dead. The mystery behind the stalker kept me guessing and the revelation totally came as a surprise. Although I guessed it right, I was clueless as to what the motives of this person was. I was not expecting it to end that way, but it did feel like watching a slasher film from the 90s.
As for choosing sides, well, I didn't really like Tom in the first place. He only noticed Rebecca when he heard her sing, his attraction is superficial, in my opinion. I'm team Lord Justyn all the way, even if he is, as they say, creepy vampire freak.
I enjoyed reading this book and it made me want to watch The Phantom of the Opera again. Maybe I'll read the book one of these days too (I wish I had time for it). I found a copy of the performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011 and I can't wait to see that version.
I also like the idea of a popular story reflecting what's happening in your life. We are all fans of something and at some point we dream of being part of a fictional world. If you could choose a story, (be it a movie, a book, or a tv show), to happen/reflect in your life, what would it be?
The first time I heard about Phantom of the Opera was when the movie came out in 2004, and I wasn't interested in it thinking that it was too serious or just wasn't my type. Four years later, I decided to watch it and ended up loving it! I was singing the songs from the movie for months, and even now I would still belt out to it from time to time. I know it doesn't compare much to seeing it in live theatre or reading the original novel, but still, I loved it! That's why I signed up for this tour.
It starts off like a typical high school story, Rebecca is a shy girl who tries out for the school play instead of playing in the orchestra like she usually does, and ends up bagging the lead role. Everything changed when she snags the role of Christine. Suddenly, like in the story of Phantom, she finds herself in the middle of a love triangle between the cool surfer dude and the wiccan goth who resembles the Phantom himself.
What seems to be a harmless high school affair turns dark when a mysterious stalker sends threatening notes to Rebecca and accidents keep on happening on stage, someone even ended up dead. The mystery behind the stalker kept me guessing and the revelation totally came as a surprise. Although I guessed it right, I was clueless as to what the motives of this person was. I was not expecting it to end that way, but it did feel like watching a slasher film from the 90s.
As for choosing sides, well, I didn't really like Tom in the first place. He only noticed Rebecca when he heard her sing, his attraction is superficial, in my opinion. I'm team Lord Justyn all the way, even if he is, as they say, creepy vampire freak.
I enjoyed reading this book and it made me want to watch The Phantom of the Opera again. Maybe I'll read the book one of these days too (I wish I had time for it). I found a copy of the performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011 and I can't wait to see that version.
I also like the idea of a popular story reflecting what's happening in your life. We are all fans of something and at some point we dream of being part of a fictional world. If you could choose a story, (be it a movie, a book, or a tv show), to happen/reflect in your life, what would it be?
engelsigh's review
5.0
I love The Phantom of the Opera, but not as much as the heroine of our story, Rebecca, does. Rebecca has seen the play a ton of times, read the book countless more times, and seen every single movie version ever made. When her school’s drama department decides to do Phantom of the Opera, Rebecca knows that she has to be part of it – and spurred on by the encouragement of her besties Carmen and Deb she tries out. To her surprise she wins the lead role of Christine. This immediately makes her the enemy of Wendy, the school’s normal starlet. It also catches the attention of all-American boy Tom and gothic and mysterious Lord Justyn.
Over the span of the book, Rebecca receives threats in the form of letters quoting lines from Phantom of the Opera. She then goes on to receive more direct threats. There are “accidents” and several people die. Who is killing people in this school theater? Could it be Justyn, the new student – who is not only gothic, but Wiccan? Rebecca’s friends keep putting the suspicion on him. Could Wendy be taking her vendetta against Rebecca to the extreme? How many people will die at the hands of the school’s Phantom killer, and will Wendy escape with her life? You must read Phantom to find out.
I think Laura DeLuca did something cool and unique by writing a book interwoven with The Phantom of the Opera. I always loved the play, and found myself so sad for Erick (the Phantom) and the fact that he could never really have Christine. I, like Rebecca, often wished I could rewrite that ending.
I loved the way this story was done. The characters are all really well done. I don’t want to tell you who the culprit is, but it came as a complete surprise – not only the person, but the motivations behind the atrocities committed. I liked the supporting cast. It’s hard to make up my mind about Tom. He seems sweet at times, but your average high school popular guy at other times. Justyn was more my type. I like dark and brooding. I won’t tell you who Rebecca ends up with – you should read Phantoms and find out. I can hear some of you sighing, because there is a love triangle – and usually I would be right there with you. In this case, it works. For one thing the original Phantom of the Opera is based on a love triangle between Christine, Raoul, and Erick (the phantom). Rebecca is playing leading lady Christine and Tom and Justyn have the roles of Raoul and Erick respectively, so it’s only fitting there would be a love triangle. It’s done well.
Overall, the book is really well done. The writing is excellent. Lauren DeLuca paints a creepy word picture. I was literally on edge in certain parts of the book. Ms. DeLuca is excellent with build-up and making the reader emotionally invested. I felt like I was there among the cast. Almost everything about the book is so well done I give it 5 stars.
I have two issues I feel are worth mentioning. My first issue is the cover. Many people judge a book by its cover, whether that’s right or wrong. Most people I talk to are drawn first to pretty, well done covers. I would have read this book regardless, because of the subject, but I think that having a better cover would make this book more appealing to others.
My second issue has to do with all of the threats, warnings, “accidents” and deaths. Rebecca doesn’t tell the police. Even when she gets a phone call warning her someone has been murdered she never tells her parents or the police. Rebecca notices things around “accidents” that alert her to the fact that someone did them on purpose and/or tampered with things. She never tells the police. Ms. DeLuca isn’t the only author lately who’s teen character doesn’t report to her parents or police incidents that I feel any normal teen would speak up about. I don’t understand this trend. I just wish Rebecca had been a little more responsible in this area.
Other than that – the book is an excellent read and I highly recommend it for adults and young adults.
neenor's review
3.0
Now I'm a bit at odds with this novel. On one hand I want to rave about how amazing the last fifty or so pages were, as in literally the personification (booksonification?) of un-put-downable; it felt like it was glued to my fingertips. But then on the other hand, I want to rant about how disappointing I found it. Well, not exactly disappointing, it was definitely good - but I think my expectations were too high, and that's why I feel like it was a bit anticlimactic. But let me explain.
Phantom is basically a modern rendition of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera (or Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical adaptation, whichever you prefer), where the students of a high school are putting on the play. Things seem to be going well, until a love triangle begins between the three main cast members, and Rebecca, who is playing the lead role of Christine, starts to get threatening messages from an unknown phantom...
Now I thought the premise was amazing. It sounded like the book would be interesting, full of suspense, and just an overall unique read. And it was. But it also had the dodgy love triangle going on, as well as a main character who is a direct cross between Twilight's Bella Swan, and Fifty Shade's Anastasia - a combination that nobody wants to see.
Let me first explain the characters. Justyn I absolutely adored - he was individual, witty, charming, and just overall a lovely guy. He's one of those main characters that you can't help but love. Tom was a bit irritating, but your typical high school jock, so tolerable. I also liked Carmen and her hot-headedness - she seemed to be one of the only characters that wasn't seemingly oblivious to Rebecca's annoying personality. And then we get on to Rebecca herself - the one thing that I think made this book a disappointment for me. I did go through a stage where I could only read one chapter at a time, because the character made me so furious. She's supposed to be this timid violinist who is invisible and ugly - then suddenly she gets the main role in a play and BOOM the popular guy loves her, everyone wants to be her, she's got people fighting for her left-right-and-center, and she's suddenly gorgeous. Anyone that has been following my reviews for quite a while will know that I detest weak female characters like this, and she was basically the personification of all my hate. That was the only thing that I really didn't like about this novel - yeah, I will complain about the love triangle, but I could have put up with that. It was just Rebecca I couldn't deal with. A few people may reply saying that perhaps Christine is just as equally annoying, and so therefore DeLuca's representation of this character was quite accurate. Yes, Christine can be a bit irritating at times - but with her, her attraction to the Phantom and her security with Raoul are so realistic that you just can't find it anything but beautiful. Phantom of the Opera, for me, shows the story of a girl torn between her heart and her head. I think DeLuca tried to portray this, and whilst she mostly did it brilliantly, this whole deal with Rebecca for me just didn't work out. It's a small aspect of the novel, but because the story is told from her point of view, it did ruin it a bit for me.
Now onto the love triangle. As I said, Rebecca was supposedly this invisible ugly girl, yet she gets the part and she may as well be a celebrity. Tom, the high school hottie who never paid attention to her but who she's been in love with for years, suddenly decides he has a desperate crush on her, and makes an utter fool of himself. In my experience, getting the main character in a high school musical is not something that makes you popular - so why the heck would some guy who's never noticed this "invisible" creature before suddenly be interested? Beats me. And then you have Justyn, a new guy who is a stereotypical goth, who is also falling for invisible Rebecca. I think if DeLuca had made it a bit more realistic - you know, giving Rebecca and Tom a bit of history, and not making Rebecca out to be, at first, the most unpopular girl to walk on the face of Earth, because that just again made me think of Twilight and how that love triangle was forced on us. That's all there is to it - the love triangle here was forced, which I thought was a shame, because in the actual novel and production, it is such a natural and beautiful thing. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it did grate on my nerves. All I can say is thank goodness DeLuca wrote Carmen in - she seemed to vent my frustration at Rebecca and the triangle out for me.
I don't want this to be a bad review, because I genuinely enjoyed the novel, especially towards the end. The ending was absolutely breathtaking - it had all the suspense and fantastic structure that I had been hoping would be making an appearance throughout the entire book. But in this case, I think it's better late than never. I think is you are a fan of Phantom of the Opera, you should definitely give this book a try - it is a great take on the famous production and book, and with such a high standard to live up to, DeLuca did really well. It was a shame that I didn't gel with Rebecca, but I still raise my hat off to Laura for writing a really good novel. I do recommend it, and I am looking forward to the next installment into the Dark Musicals trilogy, which will be Demon, an adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Phantom is basically a modern rendition of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera (or Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical adaptation, whichever you prefer), where the students of a high school are putting on the play. Things seem to be going well, until a love triangle begins between the three main cast members, and Rebecca, who is playing the lead role of Christine, starts to get threatening messages from an unknown phantom...
Now I thought the premise was amazing. It sounded like the book would be interesting, full of suspense, and just an overall unique read. And it was. But it also had the dodgy love triangle going on, as well as a main character who is a direct cross between Twilight's Bella Swan, and Fifty Shade's Anastasia - a combination that nobody wants to see.
Let me first explain the characters. Justyn I absolutely adored - he was individual, witty, charming, and just overall a lovely guy. He's one of those main characters that you can't help but love. Tom was a bit irritating, but your typical high school jock, so tolerable. I also liked Carmen and her hot-headedness - she seemed to be one of the only characters that wasn't seemingly oblivious to Rebecca's annoying personality. And then we get on to Rebecca herself - the one thing that I think made this book a disappointment for me. I did go through a stage where I could only read one chapter at a time, because the character made me so furious. She's supposed to be this timid violinist who is invisible and ugly - then suddenly she gets the main role in a play and BOOM the popular guy loves her, everyone wants to be her, she's got people fighting for her left-right-and-center, and she's suddenly gorgeous. Anyone that has been following my reviews for quite a while will know that I detest weak female characters like this, and she was basically the personification of all my hate. That was the only thing that I really didn't like about this novel - yeah, I will complain about the love triangle, but I could have put up with that. It was just Rebecca I couldn't deal with. A few people may reply saying that perhaps Christine is just as equally annoying, and so therefore DeLuca's representation of this character was quite accurate. Yes, Christine can be a bit irritating at times - but with her, her attraction to the Phantom and her security with Raoul are so realistic that you just can't find it anything but beautiful. Phantom of the Opera, for me, shows the story of a girl torn between her heart and her head. I think DeLuca tried to portray this, and whilst she mostly did it brilliantly, this whole deal with Rebecca for me just didn't work out. It's a small aspect of the novel, but because the story is told from her point of view, it did ruin it a bit for me.
Now onto the love triangle. As I said, Rebecca was supposedly this invisible ugly girl, yet she gets the part and she may as well be a celebrity. Tom, the high school hottie who never paid attention to her but who she's been in love with for years, suddenly decides he has a desperate crush on her, and makes an utter fool of himself. In my experience, getting the main character in a high school musical is not something that makes you popular - so why the heck would some guy who's never noticed this "invisible" creature before suddenly be interested? Beats me. And then you have Justyn, a new guy who is a stereotypical goth, who is also falling for invisible Rebecca. I think if DeLuca had made it a bit more realistic - you know, giving Rebecca and Tom a bit of history, and not making Rebecca out to be, at first, the most unpopular girl to walk on the face of Earth, because that just again made me think of Twilight and how that love triangle was forced on us. That's all there is to it - the love triangle here was forced, which I thought was a shame, because in the actual novel and production, it is such a natural and beautiful thing. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it did grate on my nerves. All I can say is thank goodness DeLuca wrote Carmen in - she seemed to vent my frustration at Rebecca and the triangle out for me.
I don't want this to be a bad review, because I genuinely enjoyed the novel, especially towards the end. The ending was absolutely breathtaking - it had all the suspense and fantastic structure that I had been hoping would be making an appearance throughout the entire book. But in this case, I think it's better late than never. I think is you are a fan of Phantom of the Opera, you should definitely give this book a try - it is a great take on the famous production and book, and with such a high standard to live up to, DeLuca did really well. It was a shame that I didn't gel with Rebecca, but I still raise my hat off to Laura for writing a really good novel. I do recommend it, and I am looking forward to the next installment into the Dark Musicals trilogy, which will be Demon, an adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
notsarayah's review
5.0
I absolutely live the play The Phantom of the Opera and when I saw this book I just had to buy it. And I'm so glad that I did. Lord Justyn is the new love of my life! He is just so goth and poetic and sweet and tormented and BEAUTIFUL! Was it just me or did Tom bother everyone who read the book? The true phantom is no one that you would ever suspect! I won't say who because "spoilers". (Doctor Who reference) The ending was perfect and I cant wait to read Demon!
alexlcriddle's review
5.0
Wow! This novel was captivating, thrilling, and very well written. The story was executed flawlessly and kept me guessing until the end. I loved The Phantom of the Opera references throughout and felt that this modern twist did justice to the original. There were some words missing and unnecessary words placed throughout which took me out of the story at times, so another proofread would have been beneficial. The content is quite mature, so even though this is a young adult novel, I would recommend it to older teens and adults.
mossfloor's review
3.0
I've been reading a lot of books in the last couple of weeks trying to catch up with my reading challenge, and while I've read some great books, none have kept me completely enthralled like this book! There were times I felt myself skipping ahead because I was so anxious of what was to come. There were parts that I was biting my nails, looking around my dark room because it got to be legitimately creepy!
opheliasviolence's review
3.0
I was really curious when I heard about this and decided to read it for fun. It's exactly what you'd expect from a story like this, full of teen angst and cringey dialogue at times.
As long as you know what you're getting into, this is a fun read. It reminds me of Fear Street or Goosebump novels a bit. I liked the mystery aspect too. Overall, an enjoyable read. I haven't decided if I'll read the sequels yet.
As long as you know what you're getting into, this is a fun read. It reminds me of Fear Street or Goosebump novels a bit. I liked the mystery aspect too. Overall, an enjoyable read. I haven't decided if I'll read the sequels yet.
a_chickletz's review
1.0
I don’t even know how to start this review off.
Have you ever watched the show Mystery Science Theater 3000? Then of course, you know, some things can be so bad they’re good.
This book was so god damn awful that it was hilarious.
You know how Goosebumps was written with a certain age demographic in mind? I have no idea what age demographic this was written in mind for, but let me tell you, it can’t be anybody under the age of 13.
The story of this book is that, like R.L Stine’s The Phantom of the Auditorium, a school in the US is performing Phantom of the Opera. Unlike R.L Stine who could not get the rights for the Webber show to appear in his book, our author got the show to appear in the book.
OR DID SHE?
I’m gonna show you a lyric:
Time may pass, the memories grow dim.
But I’ll be in your thoughts in a passing whim.
You will never be completely free,
You can never let go of meeeeeeeeeeee.
Now, what song do you think it is? Anybody who is a Phantom fan KNOWS what song that is. So there you see. She has found a loop hole around it, she literally takes the songs from the stage show, grabs a thesaurus and then – bam – no RUG knocking on her door.
But seriously, these lyrics are fucking awful.
Anyway: as soon as our lead NAILS that audition, the popular kid in school—Tom—and the new kid in school, the Goth—Justyn, or Lord Justyn—have her on radar. The popular lead for all these shows, Wendy, ends up being the Carlotta role and Tom’s friend, the class clown, ends up being cast as Buquet… and two of Rebecca’s friends become the Giry couple (Debbie and Carmen). See how strangely apt it all is?
Well. What is a Phantom book without some murder? R.L Stine, eat your fucking heart out. Rebecca starts getting threats in the manner of the show’s lyrics which is leading Rebecca to believe it might be from Justyn. (Besides the fact he is playing the Phantom, Justyn is a Phantom fan too! And he can quote Leroux because THAT is in the public domain, y’all!) Soon, the threats start coming true. Someone gets glass impaled in their face; Tom’s friend gets the brakes in his car cut and his friend creams into a pole and dies; the pervy janitor dies, and someone gets strangled. It’s all messed up. But what is even more messed up? WHILE HALF THE CAST OF THIS FUCKING SHOW IS DYING, NOBODY IS CALLING THE GOD DAMN COPS! NOT A SINGLE PERSON. And the show is still gonna go on because the drama teacher thinks it’s some sort of a tribute to continue on in their name. Bull.
Also, can I tell you how much the show is playing out in real life? Because Lord Justyn is so tormented and Tom is so protective, they take on the roles of Phantom and Raoul. But I like to think that Tom is some weird reject of Love Never Dies Raoul because he’s such a dumb ass throughout most of the book that I’m surprised that Becca even wants to go out with him or even is trying to ‘make up her mind’ when it comes between her and Goth boy. Because if you knew how many times Tom BEAT up Justyn it literally became a running joke. Also, Justyn keeps being sentimental and sappy, quoting shit left and right from the show. I’m sorry, if a guy I liked was into Phantom and if almost every serious conversation he was quoting lyrics from Phantom, I’d tell him to shut his fucking mouth and take this seriously.
Also, by this moment, I started realizing that the scenes they were reenacting for this show WERE not from the stage show – the one that they loved so much. No. IT WAS FROM THE 2004 MOVIE. WHAT?! I saw that Point of No Return scene with the damn staircases and bridge and I was like, oh hell to the fucking no.
(Oh, also, there is this weird deviation from the plot where Justyn gets Rebecca into wiccan. Which isn't a bad thing but it comes out of no where and really doesn't adhere to the plot than to give some really bad character development to a guy who is already pretty bland.)
So now the ending… the ending that made me clutch my chest and go ‘OH MY FUCKING STARS’. I saw it coming, I did. But when I finally saw it being played out and in the manner it was played out, I laughed. I laughed so hard that I cried. Because the person who was the killer ended up being someone who exhibited no sign of actual deranged, psychopath nature towards the lead.
Who was it? DEBBIE, one of Rebecca’s closest friends! We don’t know THAT much about Debbie besides the fact that she has a good singing voice, she is abnormally tall and built like a guy and isn’t very pretty. But apparently she was GAY? AND THE REASON SHE KILLED ALL THESE PEOPLE IS BECAUSE SHE LOVED REBECCA AND WAS JEALOUS OF HER BOYFRIENDS AND WANTED REBECCA TO LOVE HER. So then, all four of them, start reinacting the ending of Phantom. Debbie has Becca choose between Tom and Justyn.
Meanwhile some interesting writing comes up.
You need to read some of these lines:
Becca: ‘Did you even think of just telling me, Debbie?’ … ‘If I had known!’
Debbie: What you would have loved me back. You would have suddenly changed your sexual orrenation?’
Becca: ‘You never gave me the chance, maybe if you had, I would have felt something more… something more than just friendship.’
IS THIS REALLY BEING SAID? You can’t fucking become gay, Rebecca. Oh wait, the crowning glory!
Rebecca decides to literally take the role of Christine and turn Debbie into the Phantom because she goes [while lovingly caressing Debbie’s cheek]:
Sad creature trapped in the darkness
A life filled with pain is all you ever knew.
But know this, my dark tortured angel.
A part of me will always love you.
And you guessed it! She kisses Debbie.
Debbie then gets knocked out, and Carmen (Rebecca’s other friend who spent half the book hating her, mind you for stealing Tom from her, yeah, ha) ends up a good person again and helping Rebecca clean up the mess (because Justyn was also shot by Debbie at some point and Rebecca almost goes all reverse Love Never Dies ending on him). We never do find out what happens to Debbie. Mental institution, probably?
Oh. There is an epilogue. All four of them live happily ever after.
That’s it people. That’s the book.
Do you know understand why this book was so bad it was good? You can’t make this shit up. This was something literally written.
Didn’t take me long to read it, probably would have finished it all in one sitting. But if you’re a Phantom fan like me, and you get your kicks from reading bad fanfiction, then put this on your list.
Have you ever watched the show Mystery Science Theater 3000? Then of course, you know, some things can be so bad they’re good.
This book was so god damn awful that it was hilarious.
Spoiler
You know how Goosebumps was written with a certain age demographic in mind? I have no idea what age demographic this was written in mind for, but let me tell you, it can’t be anybody under the age of 13.
The story of this book is that, like R.L Stine’s The Phantom of the Auditorium, a school in the US is performing Phantom of the Opera. Unlike R.L Stine who could not get the rights for the Webber show to appear in his book, our author got the show to appear in the book.
OR DID SHE?
I’m gonna show you a lyric:
Time may pass, the memories grow dim.
But I’ll be in your thoughts in a passing whim.
You will never be completely free,
You can never let go of meeeeeeeeeeee.
Now, what song do you think it is? Anybody who is a Phantom fan KNOWS what song that is. So there you see. She has found a loop hole around it, she literally takes the songs from the stage show, grabs a thesaurus and then – bam – no RUG knocking on her door.
But seriously, these lyrics are fucking awful.
Anyway: as soon as our lead NAILS that audition, the popular kid in school—Tom—and the new kid in school, the Goth—Justyn, or Lord Justyn—have her on radar. The popular lead for all these shows, Wendy, ends up being the Carlotta role and Tom’s friend, the class clown, ends up being cast as Buquet… and two of Rebecca’s friends become the Giry couple (Debbie and Carmen). See how strangely apt it all is?
Well. What is a Phantom book without some murder? R.L Stine, eat your fucking heart out. Rebecca starts getting threats in the manner of the show’s lyrics which is leading Rebecca to believe it might be from Justyn. (Besides the fact he is playing the Phantom, Justyn is a Phantom fan too! And he can quote Leroux because THAT is in the public domain, y’all!) Soon, the threats start coming true. Someone gets glass impaled in their face; Tom’s friend gets the brakes in his car cut and his friend creams into a pole and dies; the pervy janitor dies, and someone gets strangled. It’s all messed up. But what is even more messed up? WHILE HALF THE CAST OF THIS FUCKING SHOW IS DYING, NOBODY IS CALLING THE GOD DAMN COPS! NOT A SINGLE PERSON. And the show is still gonna go on because the drama teacher thinks it’s some sort of a tribute to continue on in their name. Bull.
Also, can I tell you how much the show is playing out in real life? Because Lord Justyn is so tormented and Tom is so protective, they take on the roles of Phantom and Raoul. But I like to think that Tom is some weird reject of Love Never Dies Raoul because he’s such a dumb ass throughout most of the book that I’m surprised that Becca even wants to go out with him or even is trying to ‘make up her mind’ when it comes between her and Goth boy. Because if you knew how many times Tom BEAT up Justyn it literally became a running joke. Also, Justyn keeps being sentimental and sappy, quoting shit left and right from the show. I’m sorry, if a guy I liked was into Phantom and if almost every serious conversation he was quoting lyrics from Phantom, I’d tell him to shut his fucking mouth and take this seriously.
Also, by this moment, I started realizing that the scenes they were reenacting for this show WERE not from the stage show – the one that they loved so much. No. IT WAS FROM THE 2004 MOVIE. WHAT?! I saw that Point of No Return scene with the damn staircases and bridge and I was like, oh hell to the fucking no.
(Oh, also, there is this weird deviation from the plot where Justyn gets Rebecca into wiccan. Which isn't a bad thing but it comes out of no where and really doesn't adhere to the plot than to give some really bad character development to a guy who is already pretty bland.)
So now the ending… the ending that made me clutch my chest and go ‘OH MY FUCKING STARS’. I saw it coming, I did. But when I finally saw it being played out and in the manner it was played out, I laughed. I laughed so hard that I cried. Because the person who was the killer ended up being someone who exhibited no sign of actual deranged, psychopath nature towards the lead.
Who was it? DEBBIE, one of Rebecca’s closest friends! We don’t know THAT much about Debbie besides the fact that she has a good singing voice, she is abnormally tall and built like a guy and isn’t very pretty. But apparently she was GAY? AND THE REASON SHE KILLED ALL THESE PEOPLE IS BECAUSE SHE LOVED REBECCA AND WAS JEALOUS OF HER BOYFRIENDS AND WANTED REBECCA TO LOVE HER. So then, all four of them, start reinacting the ending of Phantom. Debbie has Becca choose between Tom and Justyn.
Meanwhile some interesting writing comes up.
You need to read some of these lines:
Becca: ‘Did you even think of just telling me, Debbie?’ … ‘If I had known!’
Debbie: What you would have loved me back. You would have suddenly changed your sexual orrenation?’
Becca: ‘You never gave me the chance, maybe if you had, I would have felt something more… something more than just friendship.’
IS THIS REALLY BEING SAID? You can’t fucking become gay, Rebecca. Oh wait, the crowning glory!
Rebecca decides to literally take the role of Christine and turn Debbie into the Phantom because she goes [while lovingly caressing Debbie’s cheek]:
Sad creature trapped in the darkness
A life filled with pain is all you ever knew.
But know this, my dark tortured angel.
A part of me will always love you.
And you guessed it! She kisses Debbie.
Debbie then gets knocked out, and Carmen (Rebecca’s other friend who spent half the book hating her, mind you for stealing Tom from her, yeah, ha) ends up a good person again and helping Rebecca clean up the mess (because Justyn was also shot by Debbie at some point and Rebecca almost goes all reverse Love Never Dies ending on him). We never do find out what happens to Debbie. Mental institution, probably?
Oh. There is an epilogue. All four of them live happily ever after.
That’s it people. That’s the book.
Do you know understand why this book was so bad it was good? You can’t make this shit up. This was something literally written.
Didn’t take me long to read it, probably would have finished it all in one sitting. But if you’re a Phantom fan like me, and you get your kicks from reading bad fanfiction, then put this on your list.
engelsigh's review against another edition
5.0
I love The Phantom of the Opera, but not as much as the heroine of our story, Rebecca, does. Rebecca has seen the play a ton of times, read the book countless more times, and seen every single movie version ever made. When her school’s drama department decides to do Phantom of the Opera, Rebecca knows that she has to be part of it – and spurred on by the encouragement of her besties Carmen and Deb she tries out. To her surprise she wins the lead role of Christine. This immediately makes her the enemy of Wendy, the school’s normal starlet. It also catches the attention of all-American boy Tom and gothic and mysterious Lord Justyn.
Over the span of the book, Rebecca receives threats in the form of letters quoting lines from Phantom of the Opera. She then goes on to receive more direct threats. There are “accidents” and several people die. Who is killing people in this school theater? Could it be Justyn, the new student – who is not only gothic, but Wiccan? Rebecca’s friends keep putting the suspicion on him. Could Wendy be taking her vendetta against Rebecca to the extreme? How many people will die at the hands of the school’s Phantom killer, and will Wendy escape with her life? You must read Phantom to find out.
I think Laura DeLuca did something cool and unique by writing a book interwoven with The Phantom of the Opera. I always loved the play, and found myself so sad for Erick (the Phantom) and the fact that he could never really have Christine. I, like Rebecca, often wished I could rewrite that ending.
I loved the way this story was done. The characters are all really well done. I don’t want to tell you who the culprit is, but it came as a complete surprise – not only the person, but the motivations behind the atrocities committed. I liked the supporting cast. It’s hard to make up my mind about Tom. He seems sweet at times, but your average high school popular guy at other times. Justyn was more my type. I like dark and brooding. I won’t tell you who Rebecca ends up with – you should read Phantoms and find out. I can hear some of you sighing, because there is a love triangle – and usually I would be right there with you. In this case, it works. For one thing the original Phantom of the Opera is based on a love triangle between Christine, Raoul, and Erick (the phantom). Rebecca is playing leading lady Christine and Tom and Justyn have the roles of Raoul and Erick respectively, so it’s only fitting there would be a love triangle. It’s done well.
Overall, the book is really well done. The writing is excellent. Lauren DeLuca paints a creepy word picture. I was literally on edge in certain parts of the book. Ms. DeLuca is excellent with build-up and making the reader emotionally invested. I felt like I was there among the cast. Almost everything about the book is so well done I give it 5 stars.
I have two issues I feel are worth mentioning. My first issue is the cover. Many people judge a book by its cover, whether that’s right or wrong. Most people I talk to are drawn first to pretty, well done covers. I would have read this book regardless, because of the subject, but I think that having a better cover would make this book more appealing to others.
My second issue has to do with all of the threats, warnings, “accidents” and deaths. Rebecca doesn’t tell the police. Even when she gets a phone call warning her someone has been murdered she never tells her parents or the police. Rebecca notices things around “accidents” that alert her to the fact that someone did them on purpose and/or tampered with things. She never tells the police. Ms. DeLuca isn’t the only author lately who’s teen character doesn’t report to her parents or police incidents that I feel any normal teen would speak up about. I don’t understand this trend. I just wish Rebecca had been a little more responsible in this area.
Other than that – the book is an excellent read and I highly recommend it for adults and young adults.
elemenoreed's review
1.0
This book was so incredibly horrible that I wish there was a no-star option available. I would have clicked it with gusto. The premise seems interesting (obviously, or I would not have read it at all), but the book just does not deliver. I have to begin by saying that I think if you are going to write a book about Phantom of the Opera, you should probably seek some kind of copyright permission to quote a few lines from the play. Every single time a character sings a snippet of song, it is painfully obvious that the author tried to re-work the original songs to avoid copyright infringement. What the reader gets is a terrible sham where even the meter isn't right. Apparently, as long as you have words that rhyme, it doesn't matter if the rest of the lines flow at all. The original Phantom would not be impressed. And it was jarring to my brain when, expecting to see quotes from a much beloved musical, it was presented with something wholly other.
There is absolutely no character development in this novel. The main character, Rebecca, is completely useless and I was left wondering why any boy was interested in her, let alone two. This is the kind of character Rebecca is: she eats "greasy" pizza several times with her girlfriends, but when out on a date with the popular surfer dude, she orders a salad because she's watching her weight. It doesn't matter what horrible deed she thinks anyone has done, everyone has some redeeming quality, so their actions somehow make sense. When she starts getting strange and threatening letters and phone calls, she talks to her girlfriends about it, but fails to inform anyone with some ability to do something about it (i.e. her parents, her play director, or even the police), so when the first body is discovered, you kind of find yourself wishing Rebecca would be next because she has no depth, no commonsense, and no reason for fictional existence. A whole lot of unnecessary drama could have been avoided if she would have just opened her mouth. Mr. Popular, Tom, is completely two-dimensional. We learn absolutely nothing about him by the end of the book. It is also unclear why the most popular boy in school falls completely and utterly for a girl he never even knew existed before she tried out for the play. Extremely unlikely, even for "suspend your disbelief" standards. And Justyn, (excuse me, Lord Justyn, which he prefers to be called for no reason ever explained) the phantom comparison, is the only character that's vaguely interesting, but I can't even really respect him because he is so smitten with Rebecca who is, as I have already said, completely and utterly useless.
The whole book hinges on the reader needing to find out who is responsible for committing all the heinous acts that keep popping up as rehearsals progress. But when I reached the end, I had a bad Scary Movie 2 taste in my mouth. I was actually pretty disgusted.
Also, the writing is horrible and really in need of good editing. Rebecca is a self-proclaimed clutz, but never does anything clutzy. And honestly, I am so tired of reading about clutzy heroines, as if every single one of them has to be modeled after Bella Swan. A girl can stand on her own two feet and still be endearing. I loved how when Rebecca screamed the "Calvary" did not come. I also really liked when "the puzzle had been knocked out in one *foul* swoop" and that "Rebecca pulled him through the door before her father could ponder that comment long enough to have an *angina attack*". Ugh, I really wish there was some way for me to unread this book.
There is absolutely no character development in this novel. The main character, Rebecca, is completely useless and I was left wondering why any boy was interested in her, let alone two. This is the kind of character Rebecca is: she eats "greasy" pizza several times with her girlfriends, but when out on a date with the popular surfer dude, she orders a salad because she's watching her weight. It doesn't matter what horrible deed she thinks anyone has done, everyone has some redeeming quality, so their actions somehow make sense. When she starts getting strange and threatening letters and phone calls, she talks to her girlfriends about it, but fails to inform anyone with some ability to do something about it (i.e. her parents, her play director, or even the police), so when the first body is discovered, you kind of find yourself wishing Rebecca would be next because she has no depth, no commonsense, and no reason for fictional existence. A whole lot of unnecessary drama could have been avoided if she would have just opened her mouth. Mr. Popular, Tom, is completely two-dimensional. We learn absolutely nothing about him by the end of the book. It is also unclear why the most popular boy in school falls completely and utterly for a girl he never even knew existed before she tried out for the play. Extremely unlikely, even for "suspend your disbelief" standards. And Justyn, (excuse me, Lord Justyn, which he prefers to be called for no reason ever explained) the phantom comparison, is the only character that's vaguely interesting, but I can't even really respect him because he is so smitten with Rebecca who is, as I have already said, completely and utterly useless.
The whole book hinges on the reader needing to find out who is responsible for committing all the heinous acts that keep popping up as rehearsals progress. But when I reached the end, I had a bad Scary Movie 2 taste in my mouth. I was actually pretty disgusted.
Also, the writing is horrible and really in need of good editing. Rebecca is a self-proclaimed clutz, but never does anything clutzy. And honestly, I am so tired of reading about clutzy heroines, as if every single one of them has to be modeled after Bella Swan. A girl can stand on her own two feet and still be endearing. I loved how when Rebecca screamed the "Calvary" did not come. I also really liked when "the puzzle had been knocked out in one *foul* swoop" and that "Rebecca pulled him through the door before her father could ponder that comment long enough to have an *angina attack*". Ugh, I really wish there was some way for me to unread this book.