Someday, Somewhere

February 26, 2018
In this New York story with clear allusions to West Side Story, Ben, a violin prodigy studying at a music conservatory, and Dominique, a young woman fascinated by his talent, fall for each other hard and fast. After Dominique sees Ben play at Carnegie Hall during a class trip, she conspires with her best friend, Cass, to find a way to meet him. When her plan works, she tells him that she’s an NYU student, though she’s still in high school. Ben is smitten and puts up flyers around the city looking for her (because they hadn’t exchanged numbers). Champion alternates between Ben and Dominique’s perspectives, emphasizing the different city lives they lead. Ben’s narrative unfolds in the high-stakes world of conservatory music; Dominique, meanwhile, lives in Trenton, N.J., where she helps her family make ends meet by working in her mother’s laundromat. Champion, in her debut novel, effectively balances a whirlwind romance with sobering realities: it’s not Dominique’s dishonesty that derails the couple’s happiness, but Ben’s mental illness, which is sensitively unveiled over the course of the novel. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency.

January 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-This story about first love will engage readers with the lyrical voices of the characters. Ben (an uber-violinist in New York City) and Dom (who is helping her mom in her failing laundry shop in Trenton, NJ and living on rice and beans) are in such separate worlds they should never meet. But a school field trip to Carnegie Hall places Dom in the balcony at the back of the hall while Ben is front and near-center, playing the most awesome violin he has ever played. The audience, the conductor, and Dom are floored and stand for the ovation. The pacing throughout is fast and furious. The author has created a story told through expertly crafted dialogue and monologue. The composition mimics music with arpeggios and crescendos as Dom seeks out the boy she saw on her school field trip. Ben, trying to find a mystical girl he saw, posts flyers around his school, New York City, and on Instagram. "Have you seen this girl?...Wild, curly hair...a voice like liquid gold...skin like a shot of espresso." Teens will root for Dom and Ben and won't want to leave these characters. VERDICT Add this music-themed YA to shelves needing more romance.-Cathleen Ash, Manor High School, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2018
A meet-cute encounter opens this novel that tackles mental health, inequality, parental failings, and young love.Dominique lives in poverty with her white mother who owns a laundromat in Trenton, New Jersey; she barely knows her Ecuadorian father. Dom dreams of becoming a dancer, but financial difficulties force her to quit dance classes. Her African-American best friend is a fellow classic film buff who is questioning his sexuality and shares her dream of making it big in New York City. By contrast, Ben, a wealthy, white, Jewish violin virtuoso at an elite Manhattan conservatory, seemingly has it made--although he clearly struggles with mental health issues that his parents refuse to acknowledge. When the two fall for one another, Ben sees Dom as his savior and emotional anchor. Dom, on the other hand, initially lies about herself out of fear that the reality won't be good enough for Ben. Tiresomely, the size and unruliness of Dom's curly hair is emphasized and her urban vibe feels exoticized. The descriptions of her neighborhood emphasize crime over community bonds, and success is framed as getting away. However, Dom's touchingly close relationship with her mother is a bright spot. The story unfolds at a satisfying clip, surprising readers who expect a formulaic ending.Romance--and a lot more besides. (Fiction. 12-18)

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March 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 Dom and her best friend, Cass, have dreamed of moving out of their small New Jersey town and making it big in New York. When their school gets the chance to go to Carnegie Hall, Dom is excited to get lost in the music. But she didn't expect to fall for the concert's featured player, Ben. Ben inspires Dom by immersing her in the musical world of New York, and in return, Dom helps to calm Ben's anxiety. As their love grows deeper, the secrets they're keeping from each other threaten to wedge them apart. Champion's debut is infused with music, from the setting to the plot to the structure of the novel itself. Champion captures a unique voice for each of the characters; Ben's is fast-paced and anxious, reflecting his mania, while Dom's chapters reflect her desperation to pull her and her mom out of the cycle of poverty they are trapped in. Readers will get lost in the musical romance Champion has created and be inspired to follow their own dreams.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)