Fireworks

May 1, 2017
Dana Cartwright lives in the shadow of her talented best friend Olivia until she is unexpectedly chosen to join a new girl group, Daisy Chain, alongside Olivia. Jealousies and tension, romantic and otherwise, grow between the two girls, even as they try to maintain a sense of normalcy. The lack of cohesion onstage and off between the members of Daisy Chain threatens to undermine the band, and when its producer pits Dana and Olivia against each other, their friendship suffers even more. Cotugno (99 Days) follows a mostly predictable script of interpersonal dramas, set against the backdrop of the competitive world of pop stardom. Initially, Dana is the weakest link in Daisy Chain, but hard work and growing self-confidence get her noticed and propel her into the spotlight. As an interest develops between Dana and Alex—the boy Olivia likes—their secret romance further threatens her relationship with Olivia. Olivia’s struggle with an eating disorder aside, Cotugno’s coming-of-age novel mostly keeps it light as it explores the breakdown of friendship and the lure of fame. Ages 13– up. Agency: Alloy Entertainment.

January 15, 2017
Dana--poor, white, and from a troubled home--knows she has no real prospects for a life outside of her small Georgia town. Dana doesn't mind living in the shadow of her best friend, Olivia, also white. Olivia is the special one, and Dana happily plays the role of supporter and caregiver, talking Olivia out of stage fright and monitoring her eating. When Dana accompanies Olivia to try out for Guy Monroe's new girl group, neither takes it seriously when the white pop mogul himself asks Dana to perform. Both are shocked when they are each offered a place in the four-piece ensemble. When the girls of Daisy Chain move in together in Orlando, tensions quickly mount. Dana, untrained, struggles to keep up with the others, who have been performing since childhood. She tries to avoid the undeniable chemistry igniting between her and Olivia's crush, a member of Guy's boy-band project. Set in the late 1990s, the narrative is well-paced, with authentic dialogue among the racially diverse supporting characters and all-white leads. Dana's honest, self-aware, past-tense narration recounts her navigation of her changing friendship with Olivia, the harsh realities of the music business, and a romance as hot as the midsummer Orlando sun, ultimately finding her own path to success. A compelling portrait of the intimacies of close girl friendships and young love. (Historical fiction. 14-17)

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March 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-Growing up in late 1990s Georgia, 17-year-olds Olivia and Dana have been inseparable best friends since childhood. Dana, with an incompetent mother, views Olivia's mom as a welcome surrogate. Ashamed of her ho-hum grades, Dana feels permanently stuck in their ordinary small town. Then, performance-trained Olivia's hope for pop stardom materializes when she heads to Orlando, FL, to audition for a new girl group-with Dana in tow for moral support. Surprisingly, pretty Dana is prompted to audition, too, despite her lack of preparation, and both she and Olivia are selected for a four-girl group. As grueling practices ensue and Dana struggles to progress, she is subjected to mean girl nastiness; she suspects Olivia of anorexic behavior; and boy band member Alex, Olivia's crush, falls for Dana. Dana's believable and likable first-person character, attempting to overcome self-doubt, comfortably meshes with encouraging, sweet, almost-too-good-to-be-true Alex as they embark on a swoon-worthy relationship leading to meaningful, though not graphic, first-time sex. However, Olivia is not as convincing as the sisterly pal who ultimately sells out their friendship for fame, though this plot point makes the inevitable bittersweet ending easier to swallow. Readers still drawn to Rachel Cohn's Pop Princess may overlook the more dated aspects of the book as they discern relatable truths woven into this fast-paced drama about the significance of authentic friendship and romance. VERDICT A general purchase for YA collections, especially those with teens interested in recent historical fiction.-Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, CO

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Olivia and Dana have been best friends for most of their 18 years, despite the fact that wealthy, talented Olivia is a rarity in their small Georgia town: she'll get out. Dana has never bothered to dreamit's not like she's going to college. But when Olivia auditions for Daisy Chain, a girl band helmed by megafamous producer Guy Monroe, Dana tags along, accidentally auditions, and finds herself training for fame at Olivia's side. As Guy pits the four girls of Daisy Chain against one another, Dana and Olivia's lifelong friendship suffers. Dana finds solace in her blooming romance with rising pop-star Alex, but worries that she and Olivia were never as close as she thoughtand wonders if she can still make something of herself alone. Cotugno (99 Days, 2015) hits the nail on the head when exploring female friendship and the difficulties surrounding life in the spotlight. This devourable novel will appeal to those interested in the creation of fame, but also to any girl on the cusp of change.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
Unemployed and stuck in small-town Georgia with her alcoholic mother, Dana accepts an unexpected offer to sing in a new girl group. Rehearsing in Orlando, Dana struggles with friendships, competition, and her sexy romance with a boy-band singer. This 1997-set romance (with no cell phones or internet) reads like a reality TV show. Which girl will get cut and who will become a star? Insubstantial but entertaining.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)