Gr 6-10–Strange
and powerful forces are at work in the skies over sleepy Verona, MO, a
small town with a dying town square and some buried tragedies. High
school senior Quin has been raised on the legend of the long-abandoned
Avery Theater’s glamorous past and tragic closure.
When her adoptive mother, the high school drama teacher, forces the
advanced drama class to stage a production of Anything Goes to raise
money to revive the Avery, all hell breaks loose and past and present
intertwine in a whirlwind of memories, strange happenings,
romantic sparks, and flashes of memory. This urgent yet sweetly told
tale of history, small-town tragedy, and magic lacks something as a
theater story—rehearsals and performances are often skipped in favor of
magical denouements and dramatic flashbacks—but
the fast pace and slightly eerie writing are appealing. The
first-person narrative allows readers to see the world through Quin’s
caring, wide-open eyes and loving perspective as she works hard to
showcase her friends’ latent talents and honor her town’s history.
VERDICT
An innocent, hopeful, lightly magical romance, ideal for teens looking for “clean reads” and historical nostalgia.
