When the Stars Go Blue

November 1, 2010

Soledad Reyes, a Cuban-American high-school senior, lives to dance and hopes to win a spot in a professional ballet company. When classmate Jonathan Crandall, a handsome and hunky horn player, suggests she audition as Carmen in the competitive world of drum and bugle corps, she's intrigued—and ends up nabbing the role as well as Jonathan's heart. Hampered by hazy descriptions of the competitive action, the conflict-free overlong middle section drags, though it eventually becomes clear that something is off with Jonathan. His feelings for Soledad have a suffocating intensity, and he's locked in an unhealthy battle with his controlling father. For her part, Soledad, who is experiencing intangible knee problems, enjoys a forbidden flirtation with a handsome Spanish futboler. Finally, in a gasp-out-loud moment around the three-quarter mark, the novel takes a shocking turn then moves at a swift pace as all the loose ends are neatly tied up. Soledad's first-person narration feels authentic, but the material would engage more if it were shorter and sharper. (Fiction. YA)

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June 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-Soledad is about to graduate from a Miami performing-arts high school and is weighing her options for a future dance career. Jonathan, a classmate and musician, has had his eye on her for the last four years and finally makes his move by inviting her to join his all-male drum and bugle corps to perform as Carmen on their summer bus tour. Romantic feelings influence Soledad's decision to join the corps but issues with Jonathan's family and a Spanish soccer player traveling the same fair circuit threaten the budding relationship. Soledad is a self-assured, feisty Cuban-American teen with a strong drive. She lives for dance, so it doesn't ring true for her to pass up an opportunity to join a dance company to be with a boy in a drum corps. The relationship between Soledad and Jonathan is thin at the beginning of the book, but the plot picks up when the soccer player enters the scene. This twist will hook fans of romance, and the book satisfies with a climactic ending.-Shawna Sherman, Hayward Public Library, CA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2010
Grades 9-12 In a risky career move, ballerina Soledad refuses an offer to join a dance company in order to play the role of Carmen with a Miami-based competitive all-male drum and bugle corp. Although the role and its opportunities are seductive, spending the summer with her new boyfriend, bugle-playing Jonathan, and exploring their fresh, exciting love is equally compelling. As deep as her love is for Jonathan, Soledad finds herself strangely attracted to Taz, a Spanish soccer playera development that threatens not only the couples love and trust but their careers as well. Ferrer understands the drive that consumes aspiring artists and athletes, and she conveys this single-minded absorption with charm and intensity. All three teens are likable, even lovable, and readers will empathize with their difficult choices. The story effectively depicts the excitement of performance, the intrigue of one girl traveling among 150 boys, Jonathan and Soledads steamy romance, and Tazs courtly pursuit. Well written, with contemporary characters and an engaging story line, it lacks only the promise of a sequel to make it complete.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)