A Whole Song and Dance

by Sarvenaz Tash

Hyperion, 2023. 295 pages. Young Adult

Nasrin Mahdavi, an Iranian-American college freshman is a triple threat on Broadway—but she’s living a double life. It's her first semester majoring in musical theater at NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, and Nasrin spends her days prepping for auditions, sweating through dance classes, and belting her heart out for the viral streaming show she's been cast in. But on calls with her maman and baba, she's the golden child who put her theater dreams aside to follow in their entrepreneurial footsteps as a business major. At least her whole life isn't a lie—she is taking a single business course. Except she's kind of failing it. Nasrin needs to bring her grade up fast if she's going to keep her parents in the dark, so she grudgingly signs up for tutoring with the infuriatingly smug and annoyingly attractive Max. And yet . . . as the semester rushes by, the sparks of anger that first flew between them start to turn into a very different kind of spark. The kind she definitely does not have time for. Except when Nasrin's charmingly devious cousin takes an interest in Max too, Nasrin has to figure out exactly what has been an act, and what's for real. Can Nasrin decide what-and who-is truly worth fighting for, and find a way to step into the spotlight as her full self?

As a former drama kid, myself, this book sang to me. It is engaging and character driven. Tash’s writing is packed with allusions to Broadway musicals. The love story is “hating to dating” with all the fun twists and turns that attraction can take. But more than the cute love story, this is a story about having big dreams.  Nasrin’s life is a mixture of dreams of fame and the American dream. Her parents really care about her and she really cares about them; her decisions are based on projections of how she thinks they feel. Will she be able to please her parents and also please herself?  Sarah Dessen meets Abigail Hing Wen in this heartwarming romantic comedy.

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The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom

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A bright and fun fat-positive YA novel about learning how to express yourself when what has always defined you is no longer and option. Bridget Bloom's out-of-this world voice is the perfect fit for center stage. When Bridget is admitted to Richard James Academy, a college prep boarding school with a prestigious music program--where heartthrob Duke Ericson attends--all her dreams are on track to come true: leave the hometown where she's never belonged, fall in love, and launch her Broadway career. But upon arriving at the academy, she learns that due to her low music theory scores, she's not eligible to perform or earn the sponsorship she needs to afford tuition. Worst of all, Dean of Students Octavia Lawless, the one person with the power to reverse the decision, challenges her to work on her humility . . . by not singing at all. Without her voice, Bridget will have to get out of her comfort zone and find a new way to shine. Good thing she's unstoppable! 

AG