Dramarama

Feb 15, 2009 Kevin Fanning rated it 4 of 5 stars

I debated 4 or 5 stars-- it's not as good as Frankie Landau-Banks, but it still basically took me apart. I mean I read it while I was stuck in an airport on my birthday, so emotions were pretty close to the skin, but still. Loved it. If you did drama in high school you have no business not reading this.

One thing I DO want to say though: E. Lockhart (and other YA authors) does this thing in more than one book: main character writes or records her negative feelings about a certain other person, ce...more

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May 28, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Die-hard theatre buffs who can relate to the characters better than I ever could

Shelves: 2011-reads, disappointing-books, could-have-been-better, should-have-loved-it-but-didn-t, realistic-teenage-voices, left-me-feeling-conflicted, left-me-with-mixed-feelings, realistic-fiction, reviewed

(Actual Rating: 2.5 stars)

In all honesty, Dramarama is much more a two-star read than a three-star one, but I couldn't stomach the idea of giving an E. Lockhart book so paltry of a rating. (Thus, I settled for two and a half stars.) I mean, this is the woman who gave us The Boyfriend List with self-deprecating Ruby Oliver and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks! What went wrong that I even had the inclination to give this book a straight two stars?

The story follows Sarah (who rechri...more (Actual Rating: 2.5 stars)

In all honesty, Dramarama is much more a two-star read than a three-star one, but I couldn't stomach the idea of giving an E. Lockhart book so paltry of a rating. (Thus, I settled for two and a half stars.) I mean, this is the woman who gave us The Boyfriend List with self-deprecating Ruby Oliver and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks! What went wrong that I even had the inclination to give this book a straight two stars?

The story follows Sarah (who rechristens herself with the name Sadye to suit her "gawky-sexy" self) and her best friend Demi (whose real name is Douglas) as they are setting off for the Wildewood Academy of Performing Arts where they have been accepted for the summer theatre program. Though Sadye and Demi have only known each other for a short while -- they met during the audition process for the Wildewood program -- Sadye feels they are kindred spirits even though Sadye is a white straight girl and Demi is a black gay boy. However different they are to outside eyes, two things are true: they share a longing to get out of their small town of Brenton, Ohio, and a love for musicals. But, as theatre drama and competition seeps into their lives, will their friendship stand the tests and strains?

The sad truth: I did not care about any of these characters and their struggles at theatre camp. Why? How could I care about flighty, flawed Ruby and too-confident-for-her-own-good Frankie but not any of these drama kids belting out Broadway show tunes and acting as if they knew their places in the world just for being involved with theatre? Maybe the characters were too shallow for my tastes -- or perhaps the petty qualms that come with friendships and relationships just seemed out of place in what I had hoped would be a story about learning and understanding, growth and realization. Yes, the story was straining to reach that level, but it never reached it. It was half-baked all the way.

It's strange that I'm complaining about the realistic elements about this book since I usually stress the importance of realistic elements to make a fictional story have impact. It's my belief (as a reader and a writer) that realism makes characters more relatable, that character flaws can help make readers see themselves in the characters, that obstacles and setbacks are necessities to make the characters' journeys even more satisfying. In Dramarama's case, I felt that Lockhart treaded too deep into realism about teenagers, their fickle and sometimes idiotic ways, and the hard truths about those striving to be involved in theatre that she lost focus on telling a story that enlightened rather than bogged the reader down. Yes, there were flashes of Lockhart's characteristic wit in the sarcasm and banter among her characters, but it just wasn't the same. It felt much too contrived to ring very deeply within me as a reader.

Lockhart tackles teenagers and their drama fests far better in The Boyfriend List (and its sequels) and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, so I can't give any whole-hearted recommendation for Dramarama. Lockhart fans (like me) may just as well be happier to avoid this one and simply go reread one of Ruby Oliver's (mis)adventures about boys and love trouble. At least the drama there has growth and resolution, unlike Dramarama and its sad grab at drama, depth, and memorable storytelling.(less)

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Jun 28, 2009 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, ya, ala-ya-2008

This is a book about Sarah (aka Sadye) - a girl whose ambitions are too big for her small and conventional Ohio town. Her life just doesn't have that razzle-dazzle that she craves. She dreams of being special, noticed, a center of attention. She thinks musical theater is the place where she rightfully belongs. However, after spending a summer at a drama camp, Sadye realizes that her talents are not adequate to her ambitions. The gap between her and her more talented friends widens and she finds...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Fatesocruel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading Dramarama, I have decided that I really, truly like E. Lockhart’s writing. I enjoyed The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and I absolutely loved this. I like that all of her characters have deep, consistent flaws that affect everything they do, that not everything works out into a neat package for them, and that they are strong despite, or because, of it.

This book is about my people, and it was incredible to see how much of my life is in those pages (and it means the...more After reading Dramarama, I have decided that I really, truly like E. Lockhart’s writing. I enjoyed The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and I absolutely loved this. I like that all of her characters have deep, consistent flaws that affect everything they do, that not everything works out into a neat package for them, and that they are strong despite, or because, of it.

This book is about my people, and it was incredible to see how much of my life is in those pages (and it means theater people really are the same at heart, in all their incarnations…). I can’t say how much you’d like it if you’re not a theater person, because I am one. But if you are, it is a must-read. Everything is here: those insanely talented friends we all have that we love and yet can’t help but be jealous of, the directors we adore as people but can’t stand when they’re directing, thinking you’re special and wondering if you really are what you think after being taken down a few pegs. It’s a beautiful, addicting, strange world to inhabit, and it makes for a wonderful story.

In particular, the character Lyle says something that entirely sums up the world, and the book: “I meant that this place can be hard as hell to take. There’s a lot of blood spilled in the creation of musical comedy…it’s dysfunctional.” From my own experience, and from the book’s, this is clearly Truth in Television. But in spite of the difficulties, rivalries, etc. that course through production, theater is family. It’s home. For me, it’s one of the very, very few things that has been with me my entire life. For Sadye, it’s a way out of Ohio. Our fall play, as anyone at my school will tell you, was very nearly a complete and total disaster. We had prima donnas, chaotic directing, a huge cast for a play, personal problems; you name it, we had it. By contrast, the spring musical was as smooth as butter in nearly all aspects. But you know? The musical didn’t feel like we were a family. During the play, everyone hated everyone at some point, malicious gossip was spread, and we all wanted to savagely murder each other, but afterward we were so much closer as people, and learned quite a bit more in the process. It’s much the same in the book.

What I love in both Dramarama and The Disreputabe History of Frankie Landau-Banks is that you have to be yourself to be happy. It’s hard to do that, and you may not like who you are, but it’s worth it to find out. It could be a very cheesy thing, but Lockhart delivers her message very subtly, with humor and forgiveness.

This book also gives light and life to theater beautifully – among the dysfunctions, it really shows the joy that drama will give a person. The way that we become close instantly, the acceptance, the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful addiction to performing and the glamour, the hours of work. This is why the theater is home – no matter how good or bad you are, or your problems, there’s still why you’re there in the first place, and you won’t ever forget it. For some, it exists as a collection of memories, or regret, a career, a hobby. It comes in different forms, all beloved by someone. Sadye is a dancer, and her experience with that is explored, while her friends are big belters and actors; methods of directing are discussed with the characters of Jacob Morales and Rianne. It’s a good world.

I wish some of the side characters had been explored a little more, but that’s not to say that they didn’t get a good amount of development, especially Sadye’s roommates. Nanette especially, and her relationship with the other characters, is a very interesting case. Where I dance, we have a very similar girl, and more on a smaller scale, and it’s interesting where Lockhart takes that role.

Dramarama is a good book, almost great. It’s well worth your time, and it’s also one of the few books I’ve read that really captures theater well. If you are a theater person, or if you hang out with theater people, you ought to be picking it up right now.

Side note: I love the cover for this book. It's the perfect mixture of old-fashioned glamour, sparkly pizazz and anonymity that belongs to theater.(less)

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Feb 28, 2008 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, plays, friendship, fiction, glbtq

E(mily) Prescott has clearly been to drama camp. She gets that part of the book right-on. The rest of the book is quite a disappointment, though. The characters are flat; our narrator, Sadye, is set up to learn a lot through the people she meets, the criticisms she gets, and the experiences she has at drama camp, but she doesn't. She makes a grand sacrifice that gets her kicked out of camp, but not because she's really learned anything, except that her best friend, Demi, has more talent than she...more E(mily) Prescott has clearly been to drama camp. She gets that part of the book right-on. The rest of the book is quite a disappointment, though. The characters are flat; our narrator, Sadye, is set up to learn a lot through the people she meets, the criticisms she gets, and the experiences she has at drama camp, but she doesn't. She makes a grand sacrifice that gets her kicked out of camp, but not because she's really learned anything, except that her best friend, Demi, has more talent than she does. She returns to her boring small town and continues to be the same person she was before camp, although we don't really get any details about it. Nor do we get much closure for Sadye. We learn where the future is taking Demi (NYU), but all we know about Sadye is that she has a summer internship in New York City after she graduates high school. There being every indication that Sadye is reasonably intelligent, it felt odd that there was no discussion of where she wanted to go to college, or where she applied or was accepted, even though we learn about Demi's college-choice process.

Not that I could really bring myself to care that much about what happened to her. I never found her to be a compelling character. Although she has thoughts and ideas, too often they seemed to come from nowhere, and every time someone tried to tell her something or teach her something, she got resentful, and failed to come even close to apprehending the lesson (which is not to say she was always wrong, but just that her continued failure to get the point became annoying).

I think this story would have been much more interesting if told from Demi's point of view. Here we had a character with some actual talent, as well as substantial issues to face. He's a black, gay teenager who comes from a primarily white world with parents who only pretend to be ok with his sexual orientation. When he gets to camp, we're given hints that, although he's still a minority by far (we're told there are fewer than 10 black campers), he's pleased to be with people with whom he feels like he can be black (this is the topic of a very disappointing scene between Demi and Sadye where he tries to talk to her about how he feels that she's trying to deny the fact that he's black, and she tries to explain that it just wasn't important to her, and wasn't that better than acting like it's a big deal -- but like most of the rest of the book, that scene just fizzled into nothing). More importantly, though, he can truly "come out" for the first time. He forms a crush, gets betrayed, and finds love, all in the span of a few weeks. This is the story I would have enjoyed reading, along with the entertaining stories about rehearsals and the like.(less)

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Jul 20, 2008 lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, drama-rama

Wow, as a self proclaimed theatre geek and drama teacher, I completely adored this book from beginning to end. It was charming, cute, current, relevant, refreshing, and honest, infused with fun references to Broadway musicals, theatre facts, and approaches to acting.

But theatre is really just the backdrop here: switching between the first person narration of the main character Sadye and transcripts of voice recordings between Sadye and her friends as they document a summer at drama camp, Lockha...more

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May 28, 2012 Alexis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, E. Lockhart is certainly good at creating characters whose strong personalities, strident beliefs and whirring brains are compelling and totally realistic, but simultaneously SO UNCOMFORTABLE. (Especially in that maybe I identify with them a bit more than I would like, at least in terms of seeing problems and wanting to FIX them, even if that isn't the best thing for the whole.) Sadye was an entirely different beast than Frankie Landau Banks, but her positioning as the odd-girl-out in an i...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Rhi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ah-feminism, books-with-brilliant-females, ya-you-have-my-heart, 4-stars

"I am Sadye Paulson, even if some people do call me Sarah, and there is a bigness inside of me. So I will figure out what to do with it."

Oh E. Lockhart. I love you. I just do.
I can't be unbiased when reviewing anything by Lockhart, because I really do just love her. I love her characters, I love her style, I love her messages, I LOVE that her books are not romances.

Dramarama is no different. This is not a novel about summer romance with another person in the way you would normally think of a su...more "I am Sadye Paulson, even if some people do call me Sarah, and there is a bigness inside of me. So I will figure out what to do with it."

Oh E. Lockhart. I love you. I just do.
I can't be unbiased when reviewing anything by Lockhart, because I really do just love her. I love her characters, I love her style, I love her messages, I LOVE that her books are not romances.

Dramarama is no different. This is not a novel about summer romance with another person in the way you would normally think of a summer romance. This is a novel about a love for theatre, for musicals, for drama and the stage and everything that comes with that.

This is a novel about a friendship between two people. It is about understanding how some friendships come about, about how they are sometimes a necessity, and sometimes not for a lifetime.

This is a novel about complex issues related to racial privilege. About needing to understand you come from a place of privilege before being able to understand anyone else. About needing to understand there are racial privileges, and how being a 'I don't see colour' person really doesn't benefit anyone.

This is a novel, of course, about a brilliant female. About a girl with a very physical 'bigness' in terms of height, but also in terms of presence, and thought, and spirit. Sadye is glorious, she is loud, and outspoken, and nervous, and self doubting. She is so thoroughly real in her reactions and responses to things, which is one of the reasons I love Lockhart so. She creates female characters that are honest, and smart, and big.

Sadye knows she has what is referred to as a 'lurking bigness' throughout the novel. She constantly questions. She constantly thinks. She is constant in her individuality. Whether it be how to relates to other females, other boys, her teachers. I just thought she was brilliant.

I love an author that isn't afraid to construct a female character who isn't dependant on a romantic interest. And Lockhart does this, over and over and over again. She gives her characters space to be human, and doesn't ever bend to damaging female stereotypes. She is never afraid of creating a big female character. There is no concern over females inhabiting Lockhart's literary space, that is exactly what she is writing for. She is fighting back and giving her girls thoughts and feelings and ideas that are important and real.

I could do a whole in-depth analysis of any of Lockhart's novels. But simply put. I love her. (less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Nenia Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-baby-ya, x-2007s, everyone-hates-it-but-nenia

tl;dr review: So much drama.

Dramarama is one of those amazing YA books that explores a facet of the vast wilderness of young adult life. You can totally picture some Aussie guy in safari khakis saying, "Here we have the wild drama students in their natural habitat. Watch as we get a little bit closer to hear them sing "Take Back Your Mink" from Guys and Dolls. The main character Sadye, is easy to relate to as a protagonist because she is just superficial enough to be a normal teen (changing her...more tl;dr review: So much drama.

Dramarama is one of those amazing YA books that explores a facet of the vast wilderness of young adult life. You can totally picture some Aussie guy in safari khakis saying, "Here we have the wild drama students in their natural habitat. Watch as we get a little bit closer to hear them sing "Take Back Your Mink" from Guys and Dolls. The main character Sadye, is easy to relate to as a protagonist because she is just superficial enough to be a normal teen (changing her name from Sarah to Sadye, for example, or obsessing over guys, or getting jealous over her friends' successes and her own mounting failures), but her character undergoes development that really does teach a valuable lesson.

The story takes place at a summer drama camp. Sadye goes with her best friend Douglas (Demi), a gay African-American boy who's been forced to live in a "half-closet" for most of his life because of unaccepting students and reluctantly tolerant parents. Wildewood is a place where he really feels like he can be himself; he has his first romance, and totally blossoms, landing lead roles in two plays. Sadye isn't as successful, and ends up being a Hot Box Girl, a man, and a tree, much to her horror. Theater isn't as glamorous as she expected, and she starts arguing with the directors about their methods and doing the typical "You just don't understand me!"-type spiels we all love to hate.

Throughout the book, recordings that Sadye is doing for "posterity" are interspersed between chapter breaks, where she interviews her friends and tape-records herself talking about her life and her experiences at Wildewood. The teen voices ring true, and you can picture the girls (and boys) in every single one of the situations, anxious and excited and mugging for the recorder to hide their own insecurities. Eventually, one of Sadye's friends listens to the recorder and realizes that some of the things they were saying about her wasn't that nice, which leads to DRAMA (which is kind of an overused ploy--it got old after the first time I saw it in Harriet the Spy and then again in Mean Girls. Hello! The idea of a Burn Book is so not new).

I really enjoyed learning about theater, though, and as far as drama goes, most of it was limited to the stage. It reminds me a lot of my theater-nerd friends, who are obsessed with musicals and singing and performing and dancing and costuming. I think anybody who's really into any of the aforementioned things will love Dramarama, even if it's just to vicariously live through their favorite performances once more. Encore?(less)

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Jun 17, 2011 Karen Kaiser rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-2011, four-stars, realistic-fiction, chick-lit, fiction

This book was a completely new perspective for me. I have never been anything even remotely resembling a theatre kid, and I'm not big on musicals in my free time (I've only ever seen Wicked and Little Shop of Horrors). So it was kind of fun for me getting to learn about the whole process and seeing how it feels to perform in the theatre.
The writing was clever and comfortable, which I loved. And I completely related to Sadye, who couldn't decide whether or not she actually had any talent. Persona...more This book was a completely new perspective for me. I have never been anything even remotely resembling a theatre kid, and I'm not big on musicals in my free time (I've only ever seen Wicked and Little Shop of Horrors). So it was kind of fun for me getting to learn about the whole process and seeing how it feels to perform in the theatre.
The writing was clever and comfortable, which I loved. And I completely related to Sadye, who couldn't decide whether or not she actually had any talent. Personally, I think she did, just maybe not in the areas she wanted. Was I the only one who kept thinking throughout the story that she would make an excellent director? I thought that's how the book would end, but it only hinted at that possibility.
The characters' stories were diverse, which led to an ample collection of personal dramas and quirky personalities. You've got Sadye, who doesn't know where she stands. Demi, who feels repressed and can finally spread his wings. Candie, who gets that gaping wound of neediness bandaged (kind of). Nanette, who's been forced to grow up and be perfect for her fabulous life (which can be viewed as good or bad). And Iz, who ends up being in an even worse social standing than plain Sarah (a.k.a. Sadye).
I had one big problem with this book, though, which is why it was only rated four stars; the ending. So Sadye gets expelled from Wildewood, and she goes home, and I wasn't really expecting that, so I was still kind of jumpy from the twist of events. Then...nothing. Her home-life is just as boring. Her parents are just as blah. None of her friends keep in touch with her regularly. Theo, who I was really starting to like, just disappears off the face of the earth (which I suppose is to be expected, seeing as they only knew each other for a few weeks and live in different states and everything). There was no conflict resolution with Reanne or Morales, who constantly got on my nerves. And then, out the blue, she has this attack of determination and confidence. She suddenly knows that she has talent, and she's going to find what it is, and she's going to release the bigness inside of her, and she's going to be famous.
Where did that come from? If it came from anywhere, it probably came from the weeks of watching movies alone and working a boring job and living in a boring town, but the book didn't really represent the time span well, so her determination came as a complete surprise. I didn't find this believable. There should've been some landmark conversation or thought process that led to this. Not just her randomly deciding "I'm worth something, so I'll go out and prove it."
But the ending seems unimportant when compared to everything I love about this book. The story made such a good impression on me, I can actually feel my interest in musicals spiking farther and farther up by the second. I recommend this to anyone who's ever felt unsure about their own abilities, or their own place in the world, and I definitely recommend this to someone who is passionate about theatre.(less)

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Feb 01, 2011 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I'll admit, when I first started this book I groaned "Oh no, theater kids?!" I never got the theater kids in high school, so I figured I'd hate the characters in this book. Instead, Lockhart really shows the personalities and insecurities of a small group of characters, and especially gets into the head of the main character, Sadye.

"In Brenton, Ohio, where I'm from, committing suicide would be redundant.
It's a nothing town, as lacking in character as Cream of Wheat."

I was rooting for Sadye all...more I'll admit, when I first started this book I groaned "Oh no, theater kids?!" I never got the theater kids in high school, so I figured I'd hate the characters in this book. Instead, Lockhart really shows the personalities and insecurities of a small group of characters, and especially gets into the head of the main character, Sadye.

"In Brenton, Ohio, where I'm from, committing suicide would be redundant.
It's a nothing town, as lacking in character as Cream of Wheat."

I was rooting for Sadye all the way. She was so real, so easy to identify with, that I knew she just had to floor them at her audition and make it into the summer drama camp. Which she did. Sadye, who had been plain ol' "Sarah" back in Ohio, decided to reinvent herself for the summer acting camp she was attending. She wasn't being fake, she just saw an opportunity to let her true self shine, since her small Ohio town didn't have room for her "bigness." But once she was there, things didn't get any easier. There was just enough conflict, just enough realism to make this book memorable.

If you don't know anything about the musicals they were performing, you can download a playlist of the songs on E. Lockhart's website. It's a fun way to interact with the book, and listening as you read helps you imagine the dances and rehearsals Demi and Sadye are focused on all summer.

A section I especially liked:
"It wasn't about my height - though I'm five foot ten. It was like I was this supersonic, hydrophonic, gigantic person - only no one could see it. Like I had an undiscovered superpower. Like I was in a chrysalis, and when I popped out everyone would be shocked at my beauty and the breadth of my wings. Like there was a sound track to my life, and it was always blasting. But everyone in the world was deaf, except me.
I know that doesn't make sense. What I'm trying to say is that sometimes I felt like the extra five inches I had on most girls was a symptom of the bigness inside me."

Makes perfect sense to me, Sadye. Reminds me of myself in high school. I think everyone feels that "bigness." Some can channel it, some keep searching.

The ending was a little ambiguous. I'm torn on that issue - in short stories, I think an indefinite ending is fine, and usually expected and accepted. In a novel, however, there is more room to explore, more to wrap up, and I usually think that it needs to be resolved to a certain extent. There wasn't much resolution here, but I think it works in this case. I won't spoil the ending, but it seems real-life enough to work; there is some resolution, but also room to expand. And, in the case of a bunch of YA novels, expansion is the purpose. I'm behind the times with E. Lockhart, this being my first, so there may be a sequel - I'll have to look into that.(less)

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Nov 17, 2010 Margaret H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lis-483, young-adult-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is actually my second time reading Dramarama. I chose to read it again for this project specifically because I didn't quite like it the first time, but I couldn't quite explain why. In general, I feel about E. Lockhart the way Sadye feels about Liza Minelli: I revere her utterly. Her Ruby Oliver books are criminally underrated and I think that The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is one of the most cogent deconstructions of systematic privilege I've encountered anywhere. Dramara...more This is actually my second time reading Dramarama. I chose to read it again for this project specifically because I didn't quite like it the first time, but I couldn't quite explain why. In general, I feel about E. Lockhart the way Sadye feels about Liza Minelli: I revere her utterly. Her Ruby Oliver books are criminally underrated and I think that The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is one of the most cogent deconstructions of systematic privilege I've encountered anywhere. Dramarama shares a host of strengths with these books, the two most important being excellent characterization and Lockhart's trademark social analysis. As a former drama geek who attended an intensive summer acting program, Lockhart's ability to capture the cast of characters such an institution would attract is remarkable. Sadye's initially condescending relationship to Candie, her pathetically eager but monumentally talented roommate, is especially well-drawn. Moreover, the gimlet eye Lockhart turns on the theater world is incisive and intelligent. Lockhart is careful to never gives Sadye insights above her age, but she still managing to unpack how Morales, the wildly successful but callous Broadway director, hurts his students in the name of art by putting them in boxes, or manipulating their emotions. The way Lockhart can capture this warts and all theater world and still make it magnetically appealing is truly impressive.

In spite of these strengths, the book still doesn't quite work for me, because it's just too hard on poor Sadye. She bombs her auditions, loses her best friend to the theatrical meritocracy, gets kicked out of Wildewood for drinking and talking back to her teachers, and has to go home, alone, to miserable Brentwood. Once home, she doesn't even hear from her otherwise adorable love interest, Theo. The book ends on an encouraging note, with Sadye and Demi meeting in Times Square, both still chasing their razzle-dazzle dreams, but it's not enough for me. Going through the book is genuinely painful, because Sadye is demonstrating enormous talent for directing at every turn, but all anyone sees are the ways she's failing as a performer. At a serious acting camp like Wildewood, it's probably a realistic depiction of the instructor's attitudes, but it maddens me just the same. I really wanted ONE PERSON in the book to say "Hey, Sadye, have you ever thought about directing?" and acknowledge her skill and specialness, but no one does. As I said, I am sure that's realistic, but it's also heartbreaking. So, I guess this book is ultimately hard for me because I can't bust in and hug Sadye. She has to go it alone.
In one way, it's a testament to Lockhart's writing, because she clearly manages to create characters who I cherish and want fiercely to protect. But, ultimately, it can make this book almost too hard for me to read.
(less)

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Nov 01, 2009 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: alcohol, art, capch-14-and-up, friendship, gays, summer

Best buds Sarah, transformed to Sadye, and gay, Black Demi are the only two artsy-drama types in their Ohio town. They get into a drama camp where they're surrounded by an assortment of drama-teens including Nanette who has been in professional shows but whose parents use all their children as money-making actors, and gay, self-absorbed blond Blair who Demi initially falls for before falling for chubby, nice Lyle. Sadye learns that she's not as talented as the others and she spends a lot of time...more

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Aug 20, 2009 Brandi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, lpl-blog, teen

In Dramarama by E. Lockhart, we meet Sarah Paulson. Sarah is unhappy with her life. One day she makes a drastic change in hopes of escaping her boring life in Ohio. She reads about auditions for a prestigious summer drama camp. While waiting for her chance to perform, she meets Douglas Howard, Jr., or Demi, as he prefers to be called. The two teens click instantly over their love of the theater and Liza Minnelli. Demi convinces her to change her name to Sadye in order to get in touch with her in...more

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Feb 10, 2009 Steph Su rated it 2 of 5 stars

Upcoming high school seniors Sadye (pronounced Say-dee, formerly Sarah) and her gay best male friend Demi are finally escaping their bland Midwestern town of Brenton, Ohio to Wildewood, a top-notch drama summer camp. The two friends are beyond excited to feel like they finally belong, to make new friends with similar interests, and to prove that they have what it takes to make it in the big league.

And the summer goes well—at least for Demi. He, with his insuppressibly big personality, snags lead...more

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Mar 21, 2012 leilony T rated it 5 of 5 stars

We are going to Wilde Wood! Sarah is an ordinary girl at her high school until her drama coach tells her about a summer drama camp at Wilde Wood academy. She is as exited as a little kid getting a chocolate bar when she hears about this amazing opportunity.When she finally arrives at the academy to audition she notices someone there that goes to her school, he was the shy guy, the one who had his hood covering his face at all times. He introduced himself as Demi. he was also there to audition, b...more

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Feb 16, 2011 Maggie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Fantastic book, but suffered from sudden left turn syndrome. It was going one way full steam ahead and then just sort of stopped. If you've read the book, you know it's about a very close friendship that ends suddenly when Sadye takes the blame for Demi breaking the rules at their drama camp. She was having a hard time at the camp anyway and got kicked out for the rule-breaking that she didn't actually do.

Here's why I had problems with that: it was narratively unsatisfying, to an incredible degr...more

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Jun 17, 2009 Inge rated it 5 of 5 stars

I couldn't get enough of this book for two reasons: 1) The skilled narration of Kate Rainders on the audiobook, who effortlessly makes the distinctions between the diverse characters in this book. From the tiny, teenage starlet to the big bellowing stage director, the narration is flawless and entertaining. Rainders nails the way that musical theatre people talk to each other. The characters maintain a sort of sing-songy lilt throughout the audiobook, always one step away from breaking out into...more

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May 13, 2011 Johnp rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Sarah (later known as Sadye) only feels alive in her boring Ohio town when she's dancing. She auditions for a spot in the Wildwood Summer Institute for the Performing Arts - and gets it! What follows is a view of life inside the wild, unpredictable, and sometimes not-so-friendly world of theatre. Sadye and her close friend Demi go very separate ways within Wildwood. While Demi becomes the newest prospect, Sadye has a hard time getting the kind of acceptance she thinks she deserves. There are a z...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Mrs. S rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Ok, so this was a lot of fun for me to read, as a theater teacher and former theater kid. When Sadye (née Sarah) heads off to drama camp, she faces a lot of the hurdles you might expect--shifting friendships, boy trouble, difficult directors--but Lockhart handles it so deftly that it feels new and unexpected. I love the line she walked with Sadye's two directors; both have elements of me as a teacher, and elements of teachers and directors I had as a student. Neither is all good or all bad, and...more

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May 18, 2009 Ellen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Personally, I wasn't a fan of Dramarama. I really like the beginning, all the possibilities of where the book could go, and all the originality, but the ending was a let down.

I really felt like the book went nowhere. Sayde didn't seem to learn anything. The emotion in this book was wonderful, and I really like E. Lockhart's style of writing, but I just felt like Sayde's journey through the book resulted in nothing. She had tons of opportunities to listen to her teachers, but she didn't and I fou...more

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May 21, 2012 Torey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dramarama, written by E. Lockhart, consists of friendship, homosexuality, love, jealousy, and of course the performing arts. Douglas, aka Demi, is gay, black, and an outcast, but is something different when he is on stage. Sarah, aka Sadye, is straight, white, 5’10, and also an outcast. When she gets on stage you never know what to expect out of her, it’s either good or bad. When these two teens become best friends with several things in common, they find themselves given the opportunity to att...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sayde and Demi, two technicolor theater fanatics living in the drab grey world of Benton Ohio, and best friends, get accepted to Wildewood Summer Institute. Wildewood is a prestigious theater camp for high school students. Sayde and Demi believe that Wildewood will forever change their lives and cement their future stardom. Wildewood does change their lives, but not in the ways they were expecting.
Though this is my least favorite E. Lockhart book thus far, that doesn't mean much because I loved...more

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Oct 01, 2010 Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I chose Dramarama as a surgery recovery book because the topic seemed light and fun, and I also love summer camp. I'm not sure why I hadn't read it before (or really heard about it) - someone mentioned it randomly somewhere, and also said it was about a drama summer camp... so my next trip to the library involved grabbing it off the shelf.

I will admit, there were a TON of references in this book I did not "get." I have seen Wicked and The Lion King (does that one even count?), so when they talke...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Liz B rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: yakids, contemporaryrealisticfiction

After abandoning the Brilliance Audio craptastic recording:

No star rating. I abandoned it because of the horrors of the reader. They hired a Broadway actress and she read like she was emoting to the 50th row. Also, imagine a small squeaky blonde (think "Popular" from Wicked) trying to voice a gay black teenage boy.

Altogether yikes.

I'm loving E. Lockhart these days, so I'll probably give the actual book a try.

After reading the book:

This review is nothing but spoilerific.

Be warned.

Arrrrrrgh. I hat...more

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May 04, 2010 Apzmarshl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Two teens from small town Ohio dream of making it big on stage. Demi is gay and black and determined to leave small town forever.....leave behind what small town expects him to be and what his parents grit their teeth and bear. Sadye (Sarah) can't wait to leave behind being a nobody, that nobody understands. So the two bestfriends audition for summer drama camp.
Once they make it to Wildewood Academy; one of them sees their dreams quickly coming to fruition while the other realizes that though t...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Kate Langtry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites, special

When I was younger, I used to read a lot of books about teenagers becoming famous. I never had a really good singing voice and I can´t act for my life but I always wanted to be part of that kind of crowd anyway. So I read a lot of books about young girls winning American-Idol-type shows or being newcomer actresses or the stars in Musicals. These novels were light reads, fun, fluffy. I expected something along those lines of "Dramarama" but that´s not what this book is at all.

I loved every page...more When I was younger, I used to read a lot of books about teenagers becoming famous. I never had a really good singing voice and I can´t act for my life but I always wanted to be part of that kind of crowd anyway. So I read a lot of books about young girls winning American-Idol-type shows or being newcomer actresses or the stars in Musicals. These novels were light reads, fun, fluffy. I expected something along those lines of "Dramarama" but that´s not what this book is at all.

I loved every page of it. Sadye was a great heroine, really likable with all her faults and big dreams. She was not like all the great talented girls in other books about Drama Camp and I loved that. Sadye is a just a girl, talented but not super talented, but she has a dream and she has an opinion. I loved how she found herself over the course of the novel and how she learned to live with her faults. I think Sadye is a great role model without being preachy and I just loved her confidence and the way she dared to question the other people around her.

Her best friend Demi... well, I didn´t really like him. I didn´t like how he dropped Sadye for other "cooler" people early on in the novel but then again this book is about changing friendships too. I was really expecting a fluffy romantic type of story, but that´s not what this is at all. It´s about losing friends, making friends and finding out who you really are and I guess Demi is just one of "those" people. You know, everyone has a friend like that once: They are your very best friend for a couple of years and then they move on.

Overall, there was no real love story here and this book was about friendship - somehow I didn´t see that coming. Not only Sadye´s and Demi´s friendship, but also Sadye´s new friends. I also really liked how realistic it was in portraying why Sadye and Demi didn´t fit in at their small town High School. The focus wasn´t on that, but it is not sugarcoating how gay teens are treated and how you´re doomed to be an outsider if you can´t fit in.

The ending was a real surprise and completely bitter-sweet. I loved it. It left a bit of a bitter taste but in a good way and it is the kind of realistic ending that makes you think about a book for days after you actually finished it. Oh, and on top of that you get a lot of insight what Drama camps are really like. For me, who has always wanted to go to one but never could for lack of talent, it was great seeing the downsides for a change instead of reading about how great and glamorous everything is. Don´t get me wrong, you get that too with "Dramarama", but it´s not all sunshine and roses and I loved that.

I´m not saying this book is really deep, no. It´s still a light, funny read but with a great message, great characters and a lot of character developement on Sadye´s side. And it is very realistic, not over the top and definitely not a fluffy romance or a happy-go-lucky teen story. I really loved it and I´m looking forward to reading more by E. Lockhart in the future. Everyone with a taste for drama and stories about friendship should give this a try. (less)

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Dec 09, 2009 Stephanie Kenner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Drama/Theatre

Sarah has always felt that she had too big of a personality for Brenton, Ohio, so when she meets Demi, a flamboyant, gay, and fabulous kindred spirit, she becomes Sadye, and the two teenagers become best of friends. They spend their summer at a Theatre camp, documenting their experiences on tape for posterity, positive that they are destined for Broadway. Throughout the summer, Sadye learns a lot about herself and about her friendship with Demi, both good and bad. She also meets a l...more

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Sep 04, 2009 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Sarah "Sayde" Paulson is stuck in small town Ohio until she decided to audition for Wildewood Academy, an elite theater boarding school summer program. At the auditions, she meets Demi her new gay, black, show tunes obsessed best friend. Miraculously, they both get into Wildewood and head off for the summer of their dreams of auditions, theater productions and real life drama of romance, friendship, and, of course, jealousy. As Demi rises to become the star of the Academy, Sayde begins to questi...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

I recently read the Frankie Landau Banks book, loved it, and wanted more so I picked up Dramarama at the library, hoping for the same kind of visceral reading experience. I was disappointed in this one it just seemed so sad. Sadye came off as petulant as well as just plain clueless. I just couldn't bring myself to have any sympathy for her, let alone really care about what happened to her. I wish the book had been more about Demi and less about Sadye, if the same book had been from Demi's perspe...more

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