Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

From the fantastic author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice comes a story of all the drama and comedy of four friends who grow into themselves at a performing arts high school.



Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

Emme is a talented singer, songwriter, and musician living in the shadows of her friend.  Sophie is a charismatic singer who will do anything to be famous - even if it means using the ones who trust her.  Ethan is a songwriter who hasn't always made the best decisions.  And Carter is a famous actor who suffers from the cliche problem:  Being himself, and finding out how to get there.

This book was great.  All of the characters were so real, from the main four to everyone else.  The friends in the band Teenage Kicks relationship was one of my favorite parts of the book.  Jack and Ben kept me laughing even with the sad plot.  There weren't that many extra characters that the story got bogged down, but there were enough that the story had some sub-plot.

As for the main characters, I hated Sophie.  But she was an awesome character.  You were supposed to hate her, and yet, you couldn't help but feel sorry for her.  Even when the book was over, she really had no character development, which was what made her such a hate able character.  Even when everyone was telling her she was wrong, she was doing the wrong things, she kept doing them.  In the process, she lost a lot.  I felt like Carters story was a bit cliche, but also fresh, in its own way.  I also love how his chapters dialogue was scripted, unlike any one else's dialogue.  And Emme and Ethans story was totally the main center of the book.

Even with all of those plots, and the varying POV's between the main four characters, the story was very organized and I never was wondering what was happening or confused.  Even though I felt that Emme and Ethan were the main characters, every one's story was delved into.

For a contemporary book, this novel was very original.  Don't be scared by the cover - what lies inside is amazing.

Rating: 5/5

Language: Minor
Sensuality: Minor - if you're little you wouldn't understand it.
Violence: None