Sing Like No One's Listening

July 1, 2020
Nettie is a singer--although she currently can't produce a single note. Despite a disastrous audition, Nettie is accepted by the prestigious Duke's Academy of Performing Arts in London's West End. Her famous mother, who trained there as a ballerina, passed away suddenly a year ago, leaving Nettie's emotions raw. After a horrendous first day that includes bullying from an older student and cruel public abuse from an elder ballet teacher, she stops in an empty studio, where she surprises herself by being able to sing a song her mother liked. Then she realizes she's not alone; someone's playing piano, hidden by a partition. Shocked, Nettie runs out, leaving the identity of her accompanist a mystery. As she settles in, Nettie collects a dramatic group of friends, including two gay boys and a bi-curious girl who struggles with body issues and disordered eating; Nettie does her best to support her. Getting to know an attractive guitar player and private voice lessons that help her work through her psychological triggers take up the rest of Nettie's time. Anglophiles, music and theater nerds, and those looking for some classic will-they-won't-they romance will all find something to enjoy here. Jones writes her subject matter authentically, with obvious passion to balance the professional arts' not-so-pretty struggles. Most characters are white although there is some ethnic diversity in the cast. A touching portrait of healing after loss. (Fiction. 14-18)

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July 31, 2020

Gr 7-10-Nettie gets accepted into Duke's Academy of Performing Arts, the same place her recently deceased mother attended. The only problem is right after her (terrible) audition, she loses her singing voice. Determined to succeed at Duke's, Nettie works on bringing music back into her life to help fill the hole her mother left when she died. To help her navigate her new school, Nettie finds friendship with fellow students Alec, Kiki, and Leon and a love interest in typical heartthrob Fletch. Intended to be a Fame-meets-Glee underdog story, this novel falls flat. The story is full of literary tropes and the LGBTQ characters read as stereotypical instead of genuine. Instances of body shaming and eating disorders are unfortunately too common within the dance community, yet feel like more of an aside here than something helpful for the storyline. No additional resources are given at the end of the book for the reader. Nettie is pale-skinned, Alec is tanned, Leon is Black, Kiki is "mixed race," and Fletch is white. VERDICT Readers looking for a YA novel about the love of theatre or the arts would do better to check out Leah Johnson's You Should See Me in a Crown or Cynthia Leitich Smith's Hearts Unbroken.-Anna Taylor, Chattanooga, TN

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Nettie was sure her dreams of attending Duke's Academy of Performing Arts were over after a disastrous audition, during which a wave of grief over the recent death of her mother rendered her voiceless just as she needed to sing like never before. But when her acceptance letter comes, she plunges into a world of exacting teachers, competitive classmates, and a legendary (and terrifying) instructor who has a surprising connection to her mother's performing arts past. Before she solves that mystery, or finds her true place at school, she first has to find her (still missing) singing voice. Jones' novel has the expected Fame vibes that will delight any reader who loves stories of aspiring young stars learning their craft, but its exploration of Nettie's complexities makes the story unique. Nettie's drive for a future on the stage is tangled with her yearning for the past when her mother was still with her. Jones offsets the narrative's weightier moments with light and quirky ones, making it a fast read with staying power.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)