Rival

January 24, 2011
Brooke and Kathryn are frenemies through and through. They come from opposite ends of the social and economic spectrum (Brooke is rich and popular, Kathryn is neither), yet the one thing they have in common means everything. It's why they became friends in the first place and the source of their current hatred: choir. Both are standout singers preparing to compete against each other to win the Blackmore, a prestigious music competition that comes with a college scholarship, something Kathryn desperately needs. Debut author Wealer tells their story by alternating between their points of view and jumping between their senior year, during the months leading up to the competition, and their junior year, when the girls met and befriended each other. Both girls have faults and neither is a caricature: capable of great depth and kindness, Brooke isn't just a stereotypical mean girl, and Kathryn's insecurities are balanced by her confidence in her singing. The story arc is somewhat predictable, but Wealer has a talent for depicting the fragile moments on which friendships are made and broken. Ages 12–up.

February 15, 2011

"The human voice, it turns out, just isn't that strong. Human hatred, on the other hand, is," begins loner Kathryn at the start of her senior year in small-town Minnesota. This year proves to be her most challenging yet, as she faces not only the upcoming Blackmore Young Artists' Festival, one of the most prestigious singing competitions in the nation, with winners often advancing to Juilliard, but constant sneers and backbiting from her Chamber Choir rival and former best friend, A-lister Brooke. Just how these two teen singers became such bitter enemies is told through Kathryn and Brooke's alternating viewpoints. The tension and mystery escalate as the author also alternates between junior year, when Brooke's groupies throw a sorority-like slumber party to recruit new followers, inviting Kathryn in the process, and the burning hatred and stress of senior year, allowing readers to discover each girl's secrets, betrayal, sacrifices and reasons for wanting to win the Blackmore. Musical terms and their definitions cleverly open and set the mood for each section. From spreading gossip and stealing boyfriends to bitch slaps and malicious pranks, this quick-paced and solid debut novel has all the drama of real high school. Think Glee, only with chamber music. (Fiction. YA)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

April 1, 2011

Gr 7-10-A standard tale of a high school friendship torn apart by jealousy and competition. Rich, popular Brooke Dempsey and shy, middle-class Kathryn Pease see themselves as total opposites. The only thing they have in common is their love of music; both are top singers in the school's choir and are preparing for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Each girl narrates in alternating chapters, and the story jumps back and forth from junior year, when the girls are friends, to senior year, when they are not. Readers do not find out until the end of the book what caused the rift. Between the impending estrangement and the upcoming competition, the author artfully builds tension in both time lines. However, the narrative is undermined by the fact that the friendship between the girls was relatively brief and apparently not that strong, thus rendering its loss less significant. Also, their designated roles as wallflower and queen bee don't ring true. Brooke is frequently disagreeable and alienates her friends, while Kathryn seems to get along with everyone. Despite inconsistencies, Rival is fast paced and readable, and the frequent musical references give the story an original twist.-Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2011
Grades 8-12 Seniors Brooke and Kathryn are the two best singers in their Minnesota high school, former best friends, and now bitter rivals as they compete for top prize in a vocal-music competition. They could not be more different: Brooke is generously sized, wealthy, and hugely popular, while Kathryn is petite, poor, and socially awkward. Wealers debut novel establishes realistic situations and dialogue, empathy for all sorts of teens, and challenging themes that command a readers thought and attention. Despite the current popularity of Glee and show choirs, Wealer instead focuses on classical music, using credible examples that demonstrate her knowledge, experience, and appreciation of the genre. Alternating chapters narrated by Brooke and Kathryn relive their high-school history and allow us to see the conflict from both sides. Both girls are at times shallow, manipulative, and just plain meanthese complex, interesting, believable protagonists will satisfy many readers who pick up the book expecting a lighter sort of musical read and instead find real substance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)