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Take a Bow

Elizabeth Eulberg (Goodreads Author)

3.89 · Rating details · 6,666 ratings · 824 reviews

Chasing fame.

Chasing love.

Chasing a future.

Emme has long lived in her best friend Sophie's shadow. She writes songs, and Sophie sings them. It's always been like this, and feels like it always will be.

Sophie will stop at nothing to be a star. Even if it means using her best friend and picking up a trophy boyfriend, Carter.

Carter is a victim of a particular Hollywood curse: ...more

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Hardcover, 278 pages

Published April 1st 2012 by Point

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Lists with This Book

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

2012 YA Contemporaries

308 books — 2,615 voters

2012 YA Contemporary Challenge!

239 books — 1,302 voters

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· 6,666 ratings · 824 reviews

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Feb 05, 2012 Mimi Valentine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gorgeous-covers, boys-i-wish-were-real, best-of-2012, 5-star, adorable-favourites, arc, pure-awesomeness, reviewed

You know those books that are so adorable, so sweet, so subtly inspiring that they make you want to hug the author and all of the people involved in publishing them? Take a Bow is one of those books!

My first thought after reading this was that I wanted to become a singer — which is completely untrue because I'm a writer-girl, and singing and I don't go together unless it involves broken windows. But Elizabeth Eulberg wrote this novel in a way that made me want to jump in and follow these four te ...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Nikki rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, reviewed, contemp, read-2012, tear-jerker, favorites, amazing

I'll just start by saying this: the book was beautiful. I've read a few Elizabeth Eulberg books before and I can say with absolute certainty that none of them could quite compare to Take A Bow.

I'll admit, I was initially skeptic about this one. Considering The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom and Prejudice I didn't actually expect much from this. If anything, I imagined this to be just as flat and lifeless. Maybe even worse, after I saw the format of the book: four different POVs.

The only thought th ...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Mesa rated it it was amazing

I found my favorite contemporary book of 2012 and my new favorite author!

You have no idea how much I love this book. It such a cute, adorable book! Take a Bow follows four unique, talented teenagers: Emme, Ethan, Sophie and Carter. I loved all characters, especially the member of Teenage Kicks: Emme, Ethan, Jack and Ben. Jack and Ben cracked me up throughout the book. It’s been a long time since a book has made me smile this much throughout the book, and even after I finished it, I had a smile o I found my favorite contemporary book of 2012 and my new favorite author!

You have no idea how much I love this book. It such a cute, adorable book! Take a Bow follows four unique, talented teenagers: Emme, Ethan, Sophie and Carter. I loved all characters, especially the member of Teenage Kicks: Emme, Ethan, Jack and Ben. Jack and Ben cracked me up throughout the book. It’s been a long time since a book has made me smile this much throughout the book, and even after I finished it, I had a smile on my face.

Carter is adorable, sweet guy. He really wants to be normal, to have normal friends, a normal life and not act all the time. Emme is a sweet girl; she’s very quick to forgive people. Ethan is kind of a reserved, quiet guy yet nice and caring. Sophie is a selfish, heartless and very manipulative. She uses Emme and Carter; she plays with their emotion. Even though she’s not my favorite, I really liked how she made the story more interesting.

Take a Bow is written in four POV. I know some people, including me, get confused when a book is written in multiple POV but I didn’t have problem with this book, I didn’t get confused ones.

I also loved how there is music in this books; it made the book more appealing. I think the characters were funny but also had depth and seemed real. I was able to relate to every single character. From the first moment I opened this book, I was smiling from ear to ear. This book went really fast for me, when I didn’t even want to finish it; it was that good.

The way Eulberg wrote this book was amazing. The writing is so beautiful. It’s another reason that I fell in LOVE with this book. Eluberg sense of humor, writing style, characters, and storyline will draw you and keep you cozy. There is NOTHING I would change about this book.

I can’t recommend this book enough! Every single person should pre-order this one; you won’t be disappointed. I have no doubt that if you are a fan of contemporary novels, music, and romance … you would adore this book. You are going to be missing a FANTASTIC book if you skip this one.

Now, I’m going to have to look for my copy of The Lonely Hearts Club (it’s somewhere in my messy bookshelf) because I’m addicted to Eulbergs writing, story and character.

Find the original review @ The Sagacity Quest
...more

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May 14, 2012 Barbara rated it it was ok

Shelves: art, music, school, writing, self-esteem, community, romance, ncbla2013

While this title is likely to appeal to fans of Fame, Glee, and High School Musical, I was disappointed in it, perhaps because I've read books that cover the same terrain better. Four teens audition for spots in the prestigious New York City High School of the Creative and Performing Arts, and once they are accepted, the storyline shifts quickly to their senior year at the school. Talented songwriter Emme is painted with a sympathetic brush since she has talent to write and sing but hides that t ...more

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Aug 22, 2017 Stephanie rated it really liked it

***Re-read September 2019 - I think I enjoy this book more each time I read it. I love it so much.
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***Re-Read in March 2018 - I loved this book just as much the second time around. Once again, I read it in a day. I just adore pretty much everything about this.
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I very recently discovered Elizabeth Eulberg and have been working my way through her books. While I’ve enjoyed all of the ones I ha ***Re-read September 2019 - I think I enjoy this book more each time I read it. I love it so much.
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***Re-Read in March 2018 - I loved this book just as much the second time around. Once again, I read it in a day. I just adore pretty much everything about this.
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I very recently discovered Elizabeth Eulberg and have been working my way through her books. While I’ve enjoyed all of the ones I have read so far (especially Better off Friends), Take a Bow has become not just my favorite Eulberg book, but one of my favorite books of the year.

I loved the characters. The story is told from the 1st person POV of four students at a prestigious arts school: Emme, Ethan, Sophie, and Carter. I really enjoyed each of their perspectives. I loved Emme and how kind she was. I loved her relationship with her band members, Ben, Jack, and Ethan. Ethan came the closest to the “tortured artist” persona I was expecting for the setting, but it was never over the top. While he messed up plenty, he did really try and I loved him. Carter was the former child star who just wanted to have a normal life. He was so nice and I loved the friendship he developed with Emme. His part of the story is really focused on finding himself and while I appreciated it and did like him, he came across a little pretentious at times. I pretty much straight up hated Sophie at first, but as the book went on I started to kind of love to hate her. She could not be more different than sweet Emme and I couldn’t wait to see this mean girls get what was coming to her.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been binging on Eulberg books lately and I think the thing that keeps making me come back is the character development. All of her characters are really well developed and I become deeply invested in them. I almost start to feel like they’re real people and I wish I was part of their friendships. This year I have been really into mysteries/suspense and have not had a lot of patience for anything else. These books have made me really start to appreciate a good character-driven story again.

The only thing I didn’t really like about the book was how Carter’s chapters were formatted. Every time there was dialogue it had the character name and then a colon and then what was said. It took me a little while to figure out that’s it’s supposed to mimic a script. It didn’t work for me, though, because the rest of the text wasn’t like that. If the whole POV could have been written out like a script I think it could’ve been a really interesting narrative choice, but as it was it was just kind of distracting.

Overall, I really loved Take a Bow. I read it in a day. I loved the characters and the friendship and even the catty egomaniac. I know this review does not do justice to how much I enjoyed this book. I can’t believe how long it has taken me to discover Elizabeth Eulberg. If you are a fan of YA Contemporaries, you definitely need to check her out.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4.5 Stars ...more

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Sep 08, 2016 firmy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This. Book. Is. Absolutely. The. Best. Book. EVER!!!!!!!

This book follows four teens and each one is completely different. Emme, I can relate to her so much. She is in her best friend's shadow her whole life. So she finally speaks out. But what is so different in this book than the many others I read, is because they go to an arts high school. Their high school requires them to RE-AUDITION just to stay in school. That is a lot of pressure if you do that four times a year. ...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Nicole rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads, owned

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads. I used to sing and have big dreams of the spotlight which is part of why I entered to win this book.

I will admit that I somewhat delayed reading this book because I used do pageants and acting classes and I used to sing. Part of me didn't really want to go back to that world, but it wasn't all that I thought it would be, so no harm done. I liked that the book jumped back and forth between Emme, Sophie, Carter and Ethan for their point of view. I also r ...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Nath rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, ya, read-2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4.5/5 (A-)

Going into Take a Bow, I have to admit I wasn't too sure what to expect, because the blurb is a bit vague. Also, while I enjoyed Ms Eulberg's previous books, I had some apprehension due to the blurb because I'm not a fan of high school drama and it seems inevitable in the story... And indeed, there was some echoes of high school drama, but it definitively wasn't the focus of Take a Bow. I felt the book was more about friendships, their dreams and their journey :)

So I really, really enj 4.5/5 (A-)

Going into Take a Bow, I have to admit I wasn't too sure what to expect, because the blurb is a bit vague. Also, while I enjoyed Ms Eulberg's previous books, I had some apprehension due to the blurb because I'm not a fan of high school drama and it seems inevitable in the story... And indeed, there was some echoes of high school drama, but it definitively wasn't the focus of Take a Bow. I felt the book was more about friendships, their dreams and their journey :)

So I really, really enjoyed and loved Take a Bow :) However, to be frank, I'm having finding the right words for this review - this is my third attempt ^_^; It's hard to put it into words because as soon as I started reading Take a Bow, it just felt right and I was sucked in the story. I really liked how the book opens with the four characters awaiting for their audition to CPA. We get a brief introduction to each character, but also a feel of their personalities and their aspirations. More importantly though, it immediately sets the tone of the book and introduces the readers to the reality of their world. Then, fast-forward four years and Carter, Sophie, Ethan and Emme are about to start their senior year... and that's when the story really starts :)

Now, when I think of Take a Bow, three elements come to mind: the characters, the friendships and the setting. To me, it's the combination of the three that made Take a Bow such a winner :) I'll start with the easiest for me: the setting. I really liked that CPA was not a regular high school, because for me, it added another layer of complexity, set Take a Bow apart from most contemporary YA books and made it more interesting. Why? Because most students attending CPA are passionate about their arts, know what they want in their future and are already on the path of achieving it. Singing, writing music, dancing... these are not hobbies for them, it's their livelihoods. And I find admirable that they commit to it at such a young age. And it definitively was a commitment. Otherwise, why audition each semester simply to remain at CPA and then, audition for roles or spots in productions and showcases and actually perform? The auditions and the competition also contributed to make the characters tougher and more mature... It felt like a totally different world to me while still remaining a contemporary book and feeling real. So the setting was definitively key for me here :)

When it comes to the characters, I have to command Ms Eulberg for coming up with interesting, layered characters, but also for her writing since Take a Bow is told from four different POVs and each had a very distinct voice. Also, it was great to be privy to all four's thoughts and emotions and it definitively made the book stronger. Another kudo to Ms Eulberg for the intricate ways all four storylines connected and intersected each other :) Sometimes, when you read a book with multiple POVs, it feels a bit clunky, the change of POVs too abrupt... But in the case of Take a Bow, it flowed really well and it did feel like I was reading one book and not four stories. Oups, got a little carried away LOL. Back to the characters. I absolutely loved Carter, Emme and Ethan, they were great, real and so lovable!! I liked how Carter was so down-to-earth when it came to his fame, his acting career and his talent. He was just a nice guy, trying to figure out who was the real Carter Harrison and in no way was he spoiled or arrogant. I think it speaks very loudly of Carter's personality and the way he was raised. What I liked the most though was Carter's journey throughout the book, the growth and the maturity he gained. I liked that he realized that nobody was pushing him to be an actor, that all these years, he's misread his mother's behavior and action. She wasn't pushing him to be a superstar; she wanted him to be happy. I thought for him to walk away from acting to pursue his passion was both brave and wise. Emme, I loved Emme!! At first, she appeared to be shy and not confident, but the inner strength this girl has! I also loved her loyalty to her friends, even if someone might not have deserved it... and that part of Emme really made me connect with her. I've been in Emme's shoes where I knew I was being manipulated and used... But at the same time, it's hard to give up such a friendship that was so dear to you. Even then, Emme never stooped to the level of being mean or wanting revenge... And I loved seeing Emme coming out of her shell and gaining confidence. As for Ethan, I have to admit that I had some doubts at first. The guy definitively made some mistakes... But once you see the way he stood by Emme, always being there for her, loving her... He definitively redeemed himself. You can't help but loving him and root for him! And I believe that with Emme, he won't repeat the same mistakes. He has someone to ground him... Finally, there's Sophie. She was made to be the villain of the book and therefore is not very likable... and yes, in some ways, her character is a bit stereotypical. However, it doesn't make her character less real. What I liked is that Ms Eulberg didn't backtrack at the end, redeeming her character. Sophie is the way she is and does not change. I'm sure she did consider Emme as her best friend when she was younger, but truth is, the most important person to Sophie is herself. Even when she was dating Carter, she was already imagining their breakup - just before her launching her first release ^_^; Everything she did was to achieve superstardom and that's what mattered to her. In a way, you have to admire her determination and her will... even though she's going about it the wrong way.

Finally, the friendships. I loved, loved the many friendships in Take a Bow. The chemistry and bond between the members of Teenage Kicks is the friendship that stands out the most for me. How Ethan, Emme, Jack and Ben (by the way, Jack and Ben were great, great secondary characters!!) formed an unit and had each other's backs. The support the boys gave Emme, how everyone was happy for each other when accepted in the college of their choices, etc. Carter envied Emme for the band friendship and I did too :P I also enjoyed the budding friendship between Emme and Carter; how good a listener Emme was and her encouragements to Carter. Also, how Carter was there for Emme. Even the brittle friendship between Sophie and Emme... In this case, it felt like the two girls just grew apart and this happens so often in high school. Sometimes, you have to let go even if it's hard... I have a feeling Ms Eulberg wanted to write about friendships at different states and how they affect one's life and she did a great job. I also very much loved the romance between Emme and Ethan and I liked how Ms Eulberg focused on theirs, that she didn't feel obligated to give everyone a love story. Emme and Ethan had such a chemistry, they knew each other so well. Seriously, they were a great match and it was very heart-warming to see them finally get together :P Friends to lovers theme lovers, you're going to like this one :)

Take a Bow was almost the perfect contemporary YA for me... but it wasn't because of two things. The first is I wished we've seen a bit more of Emme's feelings towards Ethan throughout the book. I loved how it ended, the way they get together... Emme's declaration that she's had feelings for Ethan for a long time... and how she didn't need to figure them out while Ethan had a girlfriend, etc. was really perfect. However, throughout Take a Bow, we read about Ethan's feelings for Emme and understood where it came from. But I don't feel the same way for Emme. What she said definitively made sense and I know it was genuine. Perhaps she didn't want to acknowledge her feelings and therefore that's why we didn't get more... but I thought it came a little bit out of the blue ^_^; My second is wishful thinking on my part: I wanted Take a Bow to be longer. I loved everything about it, but I can't help but think that if it was longer, the book would be more completed and perhaps, we'd get more development for Emme's feelings for Ethan :P Seriously though, I think Ms Eulberg should consider writing slightly longer book :)

I really enjoyed Take a Bow and am recommending it to everyone :) It officially became one of my all-time favorite YA novels and have propelled Ms Eulberg onto my auto-buy author list :P I hope everyone who gives it a go enjoys it as much as I did :) ...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Mummy Cat Claire rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2013, read-with-heder, ya-novels

Really 3.5.

I have read one other book by Eulberg and after reading this book, I find that she writes books that equal a good sit back and enjoy kind of book.

Take a Bow was enjoyable. I liked the characters. I cared about them and I enjoyed learning about them. Each chapter is written in a different perspective...or each character has their own time. I actually found that I enjoyed Ethan's view points more than the other characters. However, my favorite character was Jack. He was so funny!

Carter ...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

“A work in progress. And the possibilities are endless. (Eulberg 242)

Truly, the above statement is the theme of Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg that makes this one contemporary novel extraordinary. It is all about musically oriented students growing up during their senior year at a performing arts school. The amazing characters learn new amazing lessons each step of the way. None of them are perfect but they are each searching for an answer to the question: What should be the next step I take in ...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Evie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, finished-copy, scholastic-canada

Review posted to: Bookish Blog as part of the Contemporary Fiction Month feature.
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"Whoever said that people don't change was full of it. That or they never had a friend who wanted to be famous."

Welcome to the New York City High School of Creative and Performing Arts, a place where talents thrive and dreams come true. That is, of course, if you work really hard, all the while managing not to crack under the insane pressure. Having a genuine talent for music (or any other form of art) also helps a lot, although it's not the only quality you'll need to possess in order to make a name for yourself. You'll also need persistence, confidence, and diligence. Most importantly, though, you need to believe in your dreams, keep your eyes on the goal and push through! Oh, and beware, some people will stop at nothing to become famous, even if it means hurting others in the process...

Extremely well written, clever, and delightful, Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg is an outstanding book. A book with a beating heart and exhilarating spirit, and one so ridiculously enjoyable it will have you totally immersed in its plot within minutes (bah! SECONDS!) from the moment you start reading. Elizabeth Eulberg deserves a standing ovation for the way she managed to write a novel from four (yup, got that right, 4!) different points of view, without ever making it confusing or awkward. In fact, she really did an excellent job on that front! All four voices are original, authentic, vibrant and compelling. Each of the characters has a story to tell (and not only Emme, Sophie, Ethan and Carter, but also the absolutely hilarious supporting characters, Ben and Jack), they're all friends (at one point or another in the story), they all have distinctive voices and unique personalities. Each one of them is a talented student, passionate about music and/or art, and they all share one common goal: going big, or going home. Their lives intertwine with each other, and Eulbeg did a magnificent job capturing the dynamics of their relationships, and how their decisions and actions affected one another. It was outrageously good. Eulberg's characters are all phenomenal to begin with. They are so real and full of life, it's almost too easy to connect with them, cheer and feel for them. You kind of feel like you've known them your whole life, and you end up living through all the little victories and heartaches with them. I think that's what I loved about this book, its ability to pull me in and get me emotionally involved. It was remarkable!

I loved the premise, too. To be perfectly honest, I did not expect to be so fascinated by a book about a bunch of kids trying to become famous. I was sceptical. I'm not big on Glee and all the musical talent shows, I don't hate them - they just don't interest me all that much. I was prepared to lower my expectations, keep my mind open and, at the very least, try to get through this book without being disappointed. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I actually loved this book so much better than most of the paranormal or dystopian books I've read so far. It blew my mind, really. I won't even try to deny that. It was glamorous and inspirational, sparkly, charming, funny, entertaining, sweet! The chemistry between all the characters was crackling with intensity and emotions. I was amazed. Most importantly, though, this book was also quite deep and meaningful, it carried some profound messages about life, friendship, the importance of pursuing your dreams and never giving up. And, above all, being yourself and not conforming to other people's expectations. Take a Bow was all that and more. I loved how fun and entertaining it was, although the incredible complexity and depth of it is what ultimately made this book for me.

I strongly recommend reading this one, it's worth every penny you'll spend on it. ...more

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Jul 13, 2014 Zoe rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary

I don't give out 4 stars easily. It takes a lot to impress me with a book (mostly because I'm picky and I know what I want). However, I went into Take a Bow with high expectations due to some extraordinary reviews, and I'll admit I was genuinely impressed with what Elizabeth Eulberg managed to pull off.

Take a Bow follows 4 very different people through their journey at the School of Creative and Performing Arts in New York. This prestigious school is not your typical high school - it's essen ...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Mitch rated it liked it

This wasn't an easy read and contemporary isn't usually my thing, but I wanted a change of pace after my last couple of books and hopefully I've kept this review fairly objective. Anyway, yeah, I had some problems reading this; it's a fairly interesting concept but the execution needs work.

The book’s from an ensemble first person point of view, and each narrator (Sophie, Emme, Ethan, and Carter) alternates chapters, though that's not the problem. At least for me, it was pretty easy to tell who' This wasn't an easy read and contemporary isn't usually my thing, but I wanted a change of pace after my last couple of books and hopefully I've kept this review fairly objective. Anyway, yeah, I had some problems reading this; it's a fairly interesting concept but the execution needs work.

The book’s from an ensemble first person point of view, and each narrator (Sophie, Emme, Ethan, and Carter) alternates chapters, though that's not the problem. At least for me, it was pretty easy to tell who's narrating which chapter - even without looking at the chapter headings - Carter's are written with a lot of the dialogue in script form, Emme's is the most nervous, Sophie's is incredibly b-y, and Ethan's are judgmental and self-loating. The first four chapters are each of the four characters setting up their expectations before high school, the last four are them reflecting at graduation, and the rest takes place during senior year. All good right? Except at various points during the narration, these narrators would reflect back on events during the other three years of high school, and the only warning is a little line like 'I remember back during...' A little italics or spacing or something would've been really helpful.

Beyond that, I really liked only one character, found another one merely OK, the third boring, and absolutely hated the last one (if you're wondering, in order that'd be Ethan, Emme, Carter, and Sophie). I guess that’s mostly intentional, because Ethan and Emme got the best plot of the four, and I can relate to a guy who acts like a jerk but realizes his mistake (yeah, done it too…). I can also more or less understand a girl who hangs on to a best friend who treats her badly. And I can understand adding in a rather clichéd character going through the I feel empty despite my success and want to find myself by doing something else thing to fill out a couple more pages. What I don’t understand is Eulberg’s choice to write from Sophie’s POV. This could’ve been interesting because the other characters don’t have a good opinion of her and she could’ve explained her attitude better, but no, just like everyone says she really is a b-, and who wants to read the opinions of a complete b- with delusions of grandeur? By the time I got to her last rant, I was more than ready to be done with her character.

With such messed up characters, the only thing that saved this book was the plot and setting. I’m sure not all of us remember fondly high school generally or everyone making plans of what to do after graduation, which colleges to apply to, anxiously waiting acceptance letters, and then having to pick and choose specifically, but at least it’s all captured honestly and entertainingly here. Kind of like a nostalgic trip to the not the distant past down memory lane. Or maybe it’s because I went to a super competitive cutthroat high school too and I can relate…

Overall, I can’t say I regret taking the time to read this book, but I can't give more than 3 stars to a book that I couldn't stand a quarter of the time either. ...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Amy rated it it was amazing

I'm a huge fan of Elizabeth's books so I went into this with really high expectations- they were blown away! I absolutely adored this book!!!

As with Elizabeth's prior books Take a Bow captures the teenage years perfectly. This book is the story of four students in a performing arts high school. I wasn't a performer in high school but the majority of my friends were in choir or theater so much of the competition and drama that takes place in the book was very familiar to me. The joy, the passion, ...more

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Mar 03, 2018 Olivia Gaughan rated it it was amazing

I loved the author’s writing style and storyline! I thought one character was a little annoying but it was a quick and easy read.

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Dec 30, 2011 Jo rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As a vocal performance major, this book really kind of spoke to me. Or, rather, shrieked at the top of its lungs at me. Unfortunately, the volume of its delivery (and all the other thinking going on in my head) made the message unclear. For me, reading this book was kind of like standing next to the Amtrak engine in Union Station at rush hour when the trains aren't running on schedule: The Amtrak engine is hissing and clacking and thrumming and sometimes groaning, and the other passengers are al As a vocal performance major, this book really kind of spoke to me. Or, rather, shrieked at the top of its lungs at me. Unfortunately, the volume of its delivery (and all the other thinking going on in my head) made the message unclear. For me, reading this book was kind of like standing next to the Amtrak engine in Union Station at rush hour when the trains aren't running on schedule: The Amtrak engine is hissing and clacking and thrumming and sometimes groaning, and the other passengers are all talking one their phones or to each other, and you're standing on the platform thinking, "Is this the train I want? Is it? Did they move it? Where do I need to be?!?" And then the announcement comes on: "Attention Metra BNSF commuters: Your 5:32 train … (echo distortion) … arrival of equipment. Metra commuters for the 5:32: Your train is now –(Amtrak engine noise)– logize for this inconvenience."

Translation: "You there! Reading the book! Your singing "career" … (mixed messages) … even though you have almost no training! You are studying to si –(Hey, look. Carter's changing careers. Sophie's such a bitch.) –lly really difficult." Okay, so did you just tell me to take heart, my train's just delayed, if Emme can sing, so can I? Or did you just tell me to pull my head out of my behind and haul over to track 2 or my journey will involve a lot more waiting around and getting frustrated if I don't figure out that I'm on the wrong path and switch like Carter? (Part of this concern is the idea that there's whole schools full of kids doing what I'm trying to do for years more than I've been doing it.)

Obviously, this is both engaging ("It's like it's speaking to me!") and frustrating ("If only it weren't speaking Farsi…"). And it's freaking me out ("Why did it start throwing sharp objects at me!?") But I also liked this book because I can totally identify with the characters. Well, not Sophie. But I hate to be spotlighted, even though people tell me how talented I am (Emme); I over-think and over-criticize myself, thus damaging my confidence and making me want to do stupid stuff (Ethan); and I sometimes think I should just give it all up to do what I really enjoy doing (Carter). (Unfortunately for me, I really enjoy reading. Show me a job – that I'll actually get – where I get paid to read, and I'll give you a percentage every paycheck I get from said job for the rest of my life.)

But being able to identify with the characters is only important because they all change. (Or at least all the characters I identify with do.) Each of the three I liked learned some important lesson about themselves or coping or life or others or some combination thereof by the end of the book. I don't mind giving a spoiler now and then (I have learned to give ample warning ever since the incident with my sister and The Sixth Sense.), but telling you everybody's lesson is more than I can bear. So I won't. Suffice it to say there are lessons learned.

On a different note, I will say that I'm not sure how the whole Ethan-and-Emme thing will work out; Ethan has his psychotic-obsessive-jealous-killer/suicidal-boyfriend moments that made me a little uncomfortable. (I'm thinking specifically of his "No one will ever care for her as much I do" moment on page 256, but it's certainly not the only spot that made me worry.) But overall, I found the characters engaging, and their development both believable in plotting and valuable as lessons for myself. (Not that I'll pay any attention; that would be, like, smart, or something.) And now I'll end. Oh, except to note that I read a proof copy that someone added to my workplace's book exchange/mini-library. (Abrupt ending engaged in 3… 2… 1…) Bye. ...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Jenny rated it really liked it

Take a Bow is a short but surprisingly emotional read, thrusting into the midst of a creative and performing arts school as four very different students try to find their way through their classes, their futures, and their individual relationships. The fact that there are four first-person point of views packed into an under three-hundred page story may cause some readers to balk initially–questioning whether or not there will be enough time to adequately connect to each character before reachin Take a Bow is a short but surprisingly emotional read, thrusting into the midst of a creative and performing arts school as four very different students try to find their way through their classes, their futures, and their individual relationships. The fact that there are four first-person point of views packed into an under three-hundred page story may cause some readers to balk initially–questioning whether or not there will be enough time to adequately connect to each character before reaching the last page–but Ms. Eulberg does an extremely impressive job of layering each character and giving them the means to pull a strong, visceral response from us however brief our sojourn into their heads and hearts. Watching as the relationships change between the four narrators as well as the side characters is entertainment at its finest, each one of them flawed and in various stages of recognizing those flaws so they may get out of their own way and grab onto the future that’s waiting just beyond their self-constructed walls.

Emme and Ethan are perhaps the two characters with whom we spend the most time, their relationship consisting of deep friendship (and unrequited love on Ethan’s part) the most emotional of the four threads woven together to create this beautiful patchwork of a story. Emme is endearingly naïve and a genuinely good person, always the first to help any of her friends should they need it, and utterly unsuspecting of any type of subterfuge or petty jealousy to the extent that we often want nothing more than to reach in and force her eyes open wide so she can see what everyone else around her already does. Her eyes do eventually open much to our immense relief, and once they’re open they remain blissfully clear and she never allows her vision to be clouded by a manipulative farce of a friend again. She goes from a meek, quiet young woman content to her place in the shadows to a strong and confident young woman who’s still plagued by nerves, but who no longer allows herself or those around her to stand in her way.

Ethan has our hearts from the opening pages, his feelings for Emme as obvious to us as Emme is oblivious, and we immediately enter into a love/hate relationship with him—loving his protectiveness of Emme while simultaneously hating that he protects her even from himself. His flaws are probably the darkest and most numerous, his self-destructive behavior a burden he bears not alone, but rather one he unintentionally shares with Emme and those who most care for him, weighing all of us down until our toes brush bottom and he begins to push off and drag us all back toward the surface. Despite his behavior, he is nothing if not worthy of redemption and affection, his clear love for Emme something painful and stunning at the same time as we honestly have no idea as to whether her feelings for him can be what he so desperately wants them to be.

Ethan and Emme are definitely the strongest of the four narrators, our time spent with Carter and Sophie not quite as complex or interesting as the maelstrom of emotions constantly swirling around the other two. Carter’s chapters are written in script-like form, something a bit jarring given the other three perspectives have no such clear distinction, and while we understand why it’s done that way given Carter’s entire life has been scripted for him, it seems just a touch out of place. Overall however, Ms. Eulberg has written a story rich with intriguing relationships where all the beauty and pain that accompanies change is laid before us in glorious detail.

Rating: 4/5 ...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Ceitidh rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, received-won, 2012

Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads

Definitely a Must-Read!!

This is the first book by Elizabeth Eulberg I read, and I must say that she absolutely made me fall for her writing as soon as I opened the book to the first page. Here I add another contemporary author to my top list. Take a Bow is a meaningful and and highly compelling story that, whether you are a contemporary fan or not, is definitely a must-read!

Truth be told, I wasn't expecting to love this book SO much. Don't take me wrong. Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads

Definitely a Must-Read!!

This is the first book by Elizabeth Eulberg I read, and I must say that she absolutely made me fall for her writing as soon as I opened the book to the first page. Here I add another contemporary author to my top list. Take a Bow is a meaningful and and highly compelling story that, whether you are a contemporary fan or not, is definitely a must-read!

Truth be told, I wasn't expecting to love this book SO much. Don't take me wrong. I already loved the premise before even turning to the first page, especially since I love music! (I used to study singing) and I am currently a student at the Fine Arts faculty myself. But truth is, Take a Bow wowed me in such a way that it took me by surprised. Now I am pretty sure that Take a Bow will probably remain as one of my favourite 2012 contemporary reads!

Told from four different points of view, Eulberg narrates the story of two girls and two boys' senior year at a performing art school. I really love how Eulberg approached these four different points of views and the way she entangled them to develop the story of these students. I also love the use of first person narration. I think it makes the story very dynamic as well as it gives a stronger taste of the characters’ experience. Emma, Ethan, Carter and Sophie have to go through a lot more than just auditions. Actually, I could name an extended list of topic and themes that Eulberg knitted around the characters' life but I denied myself to give anything away! Just rest assured that Take a Bow is so much more that an engaging, fun and fast-paced read. You HAVE to read it!

Who would believe that in 278 pages (divided by four since there are four different POV) characters could be so well developed? Well, believe it because one of the brightest things about this book is the characters. Emma is probably the character with the kindest heart I have ever read. She is also beautiful and different, but her selflessness and naïveté are certainly the two things that make her even more special. Ethan, Oh Ethan! He is the incarnation of every girl's rock/metal idol! (Dear Tuomas Holopainen, I just found your fictional You), Carter is another admirable character that, regardless being already a popular actor with an account filled with millions, is still searching for what makes him really happy. Sophie in the other hand is the bad mean girl who will claw her way to the top no matter what she has to do, no matter who she has to hurt. Those are the four main character whose live we follow, but there are other characters as well that are as extraordinary as the main characters. Take a Bow is definitely a book you don't want to miss!

Take a Bow is filled with beautiful messages. It is a meaningful story about dreams, hard work, love, friendship, betrayal, fame, and the ups and down of life. This contemporary novel will certainly be a precious addition to everyone's shelf. If you haven't read this book yet, what are you waiting for?
...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Katie rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporaries, scholastic

Similar Books: Withering Tights by Louise Rennison, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody, Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff that Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams

I'm a huge fan of books (and movies/TV shows) that deal with people trying to "make it" in the entertainment industry. This interest has led to me watching movies like "Fame," eating up every last bit. I also really liked Elizabeth Eulberg's previous novel, Prom & Prejudice, so I was excited to see her writing about one of my favor Similar Books: Withering Tights by Louise Rennison, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody, Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff that Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams

I'm a huge fan of books (and movies/TV shows) that deal with people trying to "make it" in the entertainment industry. This interest has led to me watching movies like "Fame," eating up every last bit. I also really liked Elizabeth Eulberg's previous novel, Prom & Prejudice, so I was excited to see her writing about one of my favorite topics!

This is a short little book that I read in one sitting. It's told from four different perspectives, and it's super fast-paced. The four main characters couldn't be any more different. You've got Carter, the former child star who is now a regular on a daytime soap and trying to decide if he's actually still interested in acting. Then there's Sophie, who is determined to graduate high school with a recording contract, and she'll do whatever it takes to reach her dreams - including using her friends and boyfriend to get ahead. Emme is the soft-spoken songwriter that grows a lot during the book, and Ethan must deal with a lot of inner-demons before he can ever become successful.

Emme is really the main protagonist of the story, and she propels the plot. She was a good MC, though I thought maybe her character development was a little too extreme. She and Ethan are best friends, but it's clear at the beginning that Ethan is more talented. However, as the story progresses, Emme begins to overshadow him. I didn't like that her talent made him less talented, and she ended up becoming the better songwriter. Also, he was a little too dependent on her, like his world revolved around her - a little too much girl power for me.

But other than that, I really liked this book! Sophie is ruthless, and I loved to hate her. And her friendship with Emme was really interesting. I liked watching Emme make excuses for Sophie until she just couldn't take it anymore. I think this sort of frenemy relationship is one that a lot of girls deal with at some point in their lives (if not always), so I think that's a really relatable topic.

Then you've got the music aspect, which was wonderful. Honestly, that's what I loved the most. I liked when Emme and Ethan would talk about songwriting, when Sophie would dream about getting a Grammy. This book reminded me A LOT of the movie "Fame," with the overwhelming pressure these kids have to face. I kept wondering if it was all worth it for them, and the different characters come to different conclusions, which I loved.

This is my favorite Elizabeth Eulberg book so far, and I can't wait to read more by her! ...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Katelyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own

Normally I give myself a day or two after I've finished reading a book to let it all sink in before I start to write up my review, but not so much with this one. I couldn't wait to create the post for this title. I think it's safe to say that if I were asked to pick my top five favorite authors, Elizabeth Eulberg would without a doubt be one of those writers. I can't even really pinpoint why that is exactly, or what makes her writing stand out better than the others, but there's no denying that Normally I give myself a day or two after I've finished reading a book to let it all sink in before I start to write up my review, but not so much with this one. I couldn't wait to create the post for this title. I think it's safe to say that if I were asked to pick my top five favorite authors, Elizabeth Eulberg would without a doubt be one of those writers. I can't even really pinpoint why that is exactly, or what makes her writing stand out better than the others, but there's no denying that it does. I think if Eulberg ever decides to pack it up and stop writing, we'll all be denied a fantastic talent that does not come along very often. Her books are all so different and unique and yet they always have the same warmth and magnetism that draws readers in to the pages.

When I opened this book up I knew that I would like it. I've yet to find one of her novels anything less that wonderful, but each and every time, including this one I'm still surprised by how much I enjoy myself while reading her work. I had flown through more than half of the book and didn't even realize that I had skipped a meal and neglected pretty much everything else that was going on around me at the time. But it didn't matter, finishing the story and seeing what happened to these lovely characters was all that was important. So I managed to read this one cover to cover in two sittings. If I had started this one on the weekend I wouldn't have gotten up for anything, but with work, I couldn't avoid having to put in my eight hours at the office.

Emme, Ethan, Carter, Ben, Jack, they were all fantastic! The band...oh I just loved the band! Each of these characters have their own unique personality and bring something great to the table, but all together they create this wonderful story that I can only thank Eulberg for sharing with her readers. Even though I wish she was one of those authors that churned out a book every couple of months, I understand that part of the genius in her writing is that it's not rushed, it flows from page to page and grips the reader with it's intensity and has us invested in these character's futures as if they're not fictional characters, but our very own real life friends and family.

After meeting Eulberg at a book festival a few years ago and getting the chance to hear her speak about herself and her journey through publishing, there's no doubt in my mind that when I open up one of her books, she's put her whole heart into each and every word and character. There are bits and pieces throughout the story that other authors might have left out or felt wasn't necessary to the story, but in truth, that's what makes Eulberg's writing wonderful (or at least one of the things) and different. It's the little details and twists that she throws into her work that not only engage the readers, but leave them only hoping that the story won't end anytime soon. ...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Justin rated it it was amazing

Take a Bow really makes me wish I didn't have a rating system. I would give this book more than five stars without ever having a second thought. Elizabeth has written a Contemporary novel that embodies everything I love to see in a Contemporary, and more. It's such a cute and thoughtful story. I honestly think it's a perfect story for any type of reader.

I love how Elizabeth wrote these characters, you follow the four characters which you see mentioned in the excerpt (Emme, Sophie, Ethan and Cart Take a Bow really makes me wish I didn't have a rating system. I would give this book more than five stars without ever having a second thought. Elizabeth has written a Contemporary novel that embodies everything I love to see in a Contemporary, and more. It's such a cute and thoughtful story. I honestly think it's a perfect story for any type of reader.

I love how Elizabeth wrote these characters, you follow the four characters which you see mentioned in the excerpt (Emme, Sophie, Ethan and Carter). The reason I enjoy the way Elizabeth wrote the characters is that each chapter focuses on one of the four characters. You will see them cross over into each others chapters obviously, but it's really nice to get to see the different situations through each of the characters eyes and see how they all react different. I really became attached to these characters, especially Carter and Emme these two characters were by far my favorite. I loved that they came from completely different backgrounds, but in the end they ended up having the same goals.

I don't think I will ever be able to bring my self to like Sophie and Ethan though. Just not a fan of either character... Ethan does redeem himself somewhat throughout the book, but there are just certain things I can't look past that doesn't allow me to like him as a character. When it comes down to it though, all of the characters are written extremely well regardless of how I felt about them. Having well written characters, and making them seem really helps to make a wonderful story and Elizabeth was able to accomplish that in a spectacular way in Take a Bow.

I just can't get over how wonderful of a story this was, of course it's one I would recommend to everyone. I really hope you all will take the time to read this book, it's a stunning Contemporary written by an extremely talented author. This book deserves much more praise than I could possibly give in this one review. But I hope I am at least able to persuade you to read this book once it's released, and continue to spread the word about it. I feel like a say this a lot in my positive reviews, but it really is well worth it.

This review is directly from my blog. You can see the original post here: http://www.justinsbookblog.com/2012/0... ...more

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Aug 19, 2012 jacqueline rated it liked it

I really wanted to like this book because I am a performer (flutist) and am always on the look out for a good musician book, although I've really yet to find a completely realistic and relatable one. (Although Eulberg's Prom and Prejudice was almost there.)

The characters were hard to connect with, and I probably rolled my eyes several times.

Also, why are the composing students basically only writing songs for singers and rock bands? Perhaps they should be labeled Singer-Songwriter students ins ...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Michele C rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, favorite-books-of-2012

If you haven't read anything by Elizabeth Eulberg yet...I highly suggest you stop reading this review and go to your nearest library or bookstore and pick up one of her books!

Her books are not only well written and interesting,but they also contain important messages. For these reasons, her books have qucikly become some of my favorite Young- Adult Contemporary novels ever.

Her latest novel, Take A Bow has to be my favorite of her three books. It follows four very different high schools (Emme,So ...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Ng Xin rated it it was ok

I really liked Elizabeth's first book, The Lonely Hearts' Club, so every time I see her books I'm alway super-enthusiastic to read them! Take A Bow wasn't really anything spectacular, though, only a very predictable story about a group of students all competing to perform in a concert, realize their dreams, etc. (Initially it's nice reading about their auditions/senior year, but as it progresses it gets rather dull and lengthy.)!While I picked up the book knowing that the plot would be vaguely c ...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Jasmine rated it it was ok

For some reason, I just couldn't get into this book. And, I really, really wanted to like it. I LOVED The Lonely Hearts Club The Lonely Hearts Club- Elizaebth Eulberg really nailed everything in that one-but Take a Bow was unfortunately a disappointment.The characters are stereotypical and two dimensional in a very annoying way, and quite frankly it is a predictable read. Predictable is not necessarily a bad thing, but this novel is the boring sort of predictable... In all, the setting of a perf ...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Pauline Destinugrainy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, young-adult, english, favorite, novel, fiction

Yang suka dengan If I Stay dan Where She Went pasti suka dengan yang satu ini.
Pengen deh dengerin lagunya Ethan buat Emme :)

Adegan yang paling saya suka pas mau tampil di gig terakhir mereka pas natalan

We put our arms around each other and Jack leans in for what’s supposed to be a pep talk, but he usually ends up insulting each of us.
“Okay, our last Christmas gig. Ethan’s sober, so that’s an improvement over last year…. Red is going to rock her guitar solo, although try to not make the rest of

...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Kathy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2012

Take a Bow is told from 4 different points of view. Emme, Sophie, Ethan and Carter alternate the narrating of the story. They are attending a prestigious New York performing arts school together. There are also some wonderful secondary characters written into this story who you can't help but love or hate.

This was a fast paced one sitting read for me, once I started I didn't stop. This is my 3rd Elizabeth Eulberg book and I'll definitely be reading her next book as well. I like her characters, ...more

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Jan 13, 2017 Darby rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017

"Here I thought she was an ally, but now that she's attempting to be a singer, she's becoming part of my competition." Sophie is SUCH a toxic person! I've known too many people who see the world the way she does, and they're always stressed out and miserable. She was so petty and manipulative, I just wanted to smack her. Not getting exactly what she wanted when she wanted it turned this ambitious girl into a hate filled diva.

Anyway aside from this Queen B-word, it was a cute, sweet break away f ...more

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Jun 23, 2014 Daphne M. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I liked this book a lot, but I didn't feel like there was much in the way of resolution for Sophie's storyline. I mean (view spoiler) And Sophie is just Sophie. She didn't really grow to me in the way that I sort of hoped that she would. Other than that, I liked this book very much, and enjoyed reading it. ...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Tiff at Mostly YA Lit rated it really liked it

Couldn't stop reading this one. Eulberg really knows her music, and the characters were fun and true. I felt that Sophie was a little one-note, but other than that, I was really excited about the premise to the book, and I felt that it delivered.

My only wish is that Eulberg would give us a few more details on the kissing! =) ...more

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About Elizabeth Eulberg

Elizabeth Eulberg

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The short and sweet version:
Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to college at Syracuse University and making a career in the New York City book biz. Now a full-time writer, she is the author of The Lonely Hearts Club, Prom & Prejudice, Take a Bow, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, Better Off Friends, We Can Work it Out, Just Another Girl, Past Perfec ...more