You in Five Acts

October 17, 2016
LaMarche (Like No Other) shifts among the perspectives of five talented seniors at a New York City arts high school, structuring their story in five “acts.” All five characters narrate in first person, while addressing the objects of their affections as “you.” Ballet students Joy and Diego care for each other, but can’t seem to move beyond being dance partners and friends. Even more complex is the love triangle involving actors Liv and Dave, who are starring in a play written and directed by Ethan, whose frustrated attempts to get together with Liv are complicating the production. A countdown makes it clear that this story is building toward tragedy as the teenagers hurtle toward graduation, yet readers may still be caught off guard by how abruptly the novel ends, with only a brief “finale” giving any sense of the aftermath of the life-changing event. Still, LaMarche develops her racially diverse cast of characters well over the book’s five acts, giving a strong sense of their ambitions, frustrations, and interlocking relationships that hover uncomfortably between friendship and love. Ages 12–up. Agent: Brettne Bloom, the Book Group.

Five teenagers live for their art in this coming-of-age story of achievement, ambition, and heartache.LaMarche's latest novel (Don't Fail Me Now, 2015, etc.), which chronicles the tribulations of a group of friends in their senior year at a prestigious New York arts conservatory, is a pleasing mix of Fame and Gossip Girl. Each character narrates a section, addressing it to the titular "you," who changes depending on the narrator: Joy, the black ballerina and a passionate perfectionist terrified of failure; Liv, a Puerto Rican actress whose party-girl ways have tragic consequences; Ethan, the nerdy, white Russian immigrant's son, a playwright with Broadway ambitions; Dave, a white teen celebrity desperate for a fresh start away from his mistakes in LA; and Diego, a Latino dancer for whom ballet is a ticket to a better life. The author knows her subject matter well, and she effectively captures the essence of teenagerhood, from the hormones and the slang to the heartbreak and paralyzing self-doubt. As in a Shakespeare play, everyone is in love with the wrong person, and it takes most of the novel and some dramatic events for everyone's feelings to be sorted out correctly. Of the five storylines, Joy's--in which she copes with body shaming and other indignities that have kept the rarefied world of ballet largely off-limits to black women--is the most compelling. Given the current political climate, the characters' struggles with the white establishment create a poignant and timely socially conscious narrative. (Fiction. 14-18) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-Joy, Diego, Liv, Ethan, and Dave are students at Janus Academy, the highest-rated arts school in New York City. They are all friends, but more than that, they have one thing in common-they are all tired. Joy is tired of struggling to be recognized as a serious contender for prima ballerina by her parents and teachers. Diego is sick of always being seen as just a friend-especially by the one girl he wants the most. Liv yearns for some escape from her daily life. Ethan has had enough of the girl of his dreams always looking through him. Dave is tired of his past successes defining his future. None of the five realize that their world is changing, and it's all coming down to one pivotal moment that spirals out of their control. LaMarche crafts the novel in five parts, each narrated by one of the main characters. The protagonists are diverse, intelligent, and solidly teen in their perspectives. Each voice is distinct and recognizable. From the beginning, the story is counting down to a culminating event, and the author is able to develop suspense but also keep the book humorous and romantic. The conclusion is heartrending and timely but also unexpected and fresh. Different points of view keep the work moving at a fast pace and add to its compulsive readability. VERDICT Purchase for all libraries that serve teens.-Morgan Brickey, Arlington Public Library, TX

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