Confessions of a Backup Dancer

August 2, 2004
The 17-year-old heroine of Shaw's (Flavor of the Week
) rather flimsy novel primarily relays the story of her star-studded summer through "personal diary software," supplemented by e-mail and instant messages. Among her heroes is Darcy Barnes, whom she describes as "definitely the biggest pop star out there." Kelly is thrilled yet nervous when she lands a job as a backup dancer on Darcy's tour, during which she must contend with the mercurial pop diva, who declares Kelly her new best friend; the star's lecherous boyfriend, a high-profile VJ; and Darcy's controlling mother, who views Kelly as competition for her daughter and eventually fires the dancer. But readers sufficiently curious about the alleged behind-the-scenes life of a pop star to get caught up in the tale need not worry. After a stint dancing for Darcy's main teen idol competitor, Kelly rejoins Darcy's entourage. Though some kids will find the narrative grating, others will identify with Kelly's run-on teenspeak ("then she goes 'do you have a boyfriend?' and I go no. she looked at me for a minute and I got kinda nervous so I said, 'we just broke up last week,' which I totally made up just to fill the space"). The protagonist's affecting relationship with her younger brother, attending a correctional school after committing a felony, strikes a welcome realistic note to a novel that too often reads as an unsuccessful spoof. Ages 14-up.

August 1, 2004
Gr 8 Up-Kelly Kimball, 17, is a talented dancer. When her best friend convinces her to attempt a Los Angeles audition, Kelly ultimately finds herself on a summer tour as a backup with pop princess Darcy Barnes, who soon views Kelly as her new best friend. Kelly works hard to be a top performer, which is difficult when she has to deal with Darcy's overbearing mother, Darla, who calls the shots; sensational media hype; the star's tendencies to smoke pot, drink too much, and sneak around with her boyfriend; and the pressures of the road. However, Kelly feels responsible for earning the money she knows her family needs. When Darla unjustly fires her, Kelly dances with a competitor's tour, until the diva has the guts to stand up to her mother, bring Kelly back into the show, and prove that she truly is her friend. The book is told through Kelly's "entries" into personal diary software, interspersed with instant messages and e-mails. The teen's lively character is realized through this creative format, and her voice rings clear and true. It is through that voice, complete with wry humor, realistic slang, and occasional coarse vernacular, that supporting characters and situations come to life. The purposeful grammatical errors simulating the way a "real" teen might write are mildly annoying. However, fans of Rachel Cohn's Pop Princess (S & S, 2004) and Sarra Manning's Guitar Girl (Dutton, 2004) will easily overlook them as they join Kelly on her travels and enjoy this backstage view of stardom.-Diane P. Tuccillo, City of Mesa Library, AZ

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2004
Gr. 8-12. Talk about your guilty pleasures! From the shiny silver cover with its stylized photograph of a dancer to the online diary format, this is a book teens will fight over. Kelly Kimball, an "ordinary" 17-year-old from San Diego, is selected to be a backup dancer for teen superstar Darcy Barnes' summer tour. We all want to know about the secret lives of pop stars, and thanks to Kelly, readers learn what Darcy likes to watch (Disney videos), her working habits (driven professional), her relationship with her boyfriend, with whom she is absolutely not having sex (yeah, right), and her not-as-happy-as-it-looks rapport with her overbearing mother. E-mails and instant messages intersperse the online diary entries written by a talented girl who gets a chance to make it big but realizes fame isn't all she's expected. The pop culture references will date quickly, but this is a compulsively readable, potato chip of a book that will be passed from teen to teen (with a few adults sneaking a peek as well). (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)