Review: Dramarama - E. Lockhart

Dramarama by E. Lockhart, published by Hot Key Books on 9th February 2017


Goodreads synopsis:
Two theater-mad, self-invented, fabulositon Ohio teenagers.

One boy, one girl.
One gay, one straight.
One black, one white.

And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP.

Review:
‘Dramarama’ sounded like a fun and entertaining read, incorporating one of my favourite things…the theatre! The story is about two friends who get accepted into a drama summer school. We see them on their journey there with dreams, hopes and aspirations of becoming big stars and escaping their small town lives. The narrative unfolds from the perspective of Sarah, or Sayde as she likes to be known. She has always felt that she is destined for bigger and greater things and through her love of the theatre she believes that she has a chance at becoming something more. Her best friend Demi is quite a character and comes across as thoroughly flamboyant and over the top. I wasn’t sure that he ever really grew on me throughout the book and some of his actions near the end of the story were questionable.

What I loved the most about this title were all the theatre references to shows and stars that I’ve seen, enjoyed and loved myself. I couldn’t identify with the longing to become a star in front of the curtain but I could identify with the pleasure and enjoyment that Sayde feels for an amazing song or a well-choreographed routine. It made me want to rush out immediately and buy a ticket to go and see something. The author states that she attended a summer drama school herself when she was younger and I think this probably helped to make the experience in the book more authentic.

I can’t say however, that the story itself particularly resonated with me. It was light, it was fluffy and apart from one or two scenes in the book, it stayed that way for the most part. I felt that the plot was a bit flat and I kept waiting for something more to happen. I wasn’t hugely keen on the ending either which I felt didn’t have enough drama. It was a quick read which I finished in one evening but it’s not a book that I’ll want to come back to in the future.