Common Sense Media Review
By Kate Pavao
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wannabe stars are full of drama in series debut.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Tangie starts school at a New York City performing arts school, ready to dance. But the drama here happens both on and off the stage: uber-popular (but drug-dependent) Eden starts dating a gangsta rapper, rumors abound about a mysterious new girl who claims to be only 14, and even good-girl Tangie finds herself torn between her soul mate and the school's star dancer. This book packs in plenty of plot: There are closeted gay characters, a diva who is secretly super insecure -- and even a mystery surrounding Tangie's mom's long disappearance from her daughter's life. All the while the kids are dancing and drawing and acting their little hearts out.
Is It Any Good?
This series debut, about a group of mostly African-American teens at a New York City performing arts school, does have a fun premise. It has a lot of the familiar trappings -- backstabbing friends, closeted characters, absent parents, drugs, sex, fashion -- and enough lively dialogue to hook readers who like these never-ending soap opera sagas. At least these characters are good at something besides shopping, starving themselves, and gossip (though there's plenty of that here, too) -- they sweat on the dance floor, practice their drama dialogues, etc. Even the drugged-out, popular-but-hollow senior girl is presented as an enormous acting talent.
The big problem with this book -- and a lot of these clique lit series installments -- is that it spews too many story lines. Nothing is resolved here, and characters don't really show any growth. Fans may itch for the next volume, but they really won't have learned anything here.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about young adult books -- like this one -- that feature lots of gritty, mature material. Is it OK for authors to push the envelope if it gets kids reading books? Do authors like Tia Williams promote unhealthy behavior by writing books that make drugs and sex seem glamorous?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Jump at the Sun
- Publication date : April 1, 2007
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 304
- Last updated : July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate