Screaming Divas

April 15, 2014
Rock music offers four teen girls a much-needed outlet and escape in mid-1980s South Carolina. The Screaming Divas are an unlikely ensemble. Brought together by Trudy, a magnet for trouble who is fresh out of juvie, the band also includes gorgeous Cassie, a former child-beauty-pageant queen; stoic Harumi, a classically trained violinist who had a meltdown at her Juilliard audition; and shy Esther, who harbors a secret crush on Cassie. The third-person narration rotates through the four members' viewpoints to show what attracts each girl to the group. Even as the Divas begin to enjoy modest success on Columbia's club scene, the girls' rebellious impulses lead them to take other risks, such as moving out of their parents' homes, experimenting with drugs, and starting romantic relationships with older men and women. At times, the novel feels more like a catalog of teen social issues than a coming-of-age story. Kamata's (Gadget Girl, 2013) sensitive, restrained prose shines during small character moments--like Cassie's fierce recitation of Sylvia Plath's "Lady Lazarus" during English class--but dulls the impact and energy of the concert scenes. A strangely tame read despite all the sex, drugs and rock-'n'-roll. (Historical fiction. 14-17)

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August 1, 2014

Gr 10 Up-A contemporary coming-of-age novel that focuses on music, sex, and drugs, told from the points of view of four teenage girls who are all searching for something. Trudy, Cassandra, Harumi, and Esther come from different walks of life. Trudy is no stranger to juvenile detention, and finds herself kicked out of both of her parents' homes. Cassandra is a former beauty queen with an ugly scar and a newfound addiction to heroine. Harumi is a violin prodigy with overbearing Japanese parents, and Esther is a confused teen struggling with her sexuality. The four of them come together to form a band called the Screaming Divas that is in desperate need of practice. But as the girls get better and the band becomes more popular, Cassandra falls deeper into her addiction, and after an argument with Trudy, ends up dying from a drug overdose. While this is a relatively short book, the pacing is painfully slow. It isn't until halfway through the book that the group actually forms, and readers are unlikely to find the characters likable or believable. Unless teens are heavily invested in the rock and roll theme, they are unlikely to be hooked by this story that fails to perform.-Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT

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