Allegra

by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Allegra thinks being at a performing-arts high school will change her life and make her a better dancer. But high school is still high school, complete with cliques, competition and cruelty. Allegra's refuge comes in the form of a class she doesn't want to take--music theory, taught by a very young, very attractive male teacher. Soon all Allegra can think about is music composition--and Mr. Rochelli. But has she misunderstood his attention, or is he really her soul mate?

Genres: Young Adult, Music, Contemporary, Fiction, Canada, High School, Teen

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Shelley discovered her love for children’s literature while teaching school. This inspired her to write her own books, and she is now the author of eleven novels for teens, all published by Orca Book Publishers.

Shelley lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia. When she’s not reading or writing she can be found hiking, snowshoeing, practising yoga, Zumba dancing or hanging out with the grizzly bears at the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife.

Reviews

[CanadianReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allegra Whitman, 17, daughter of two musicians, has just transferred to a new high school for the performing and fine arts. A gifted dancer with aspirations to go professional, Allegra also has considerable musical talent. When music theory teacher, Noel Rocchelli, will not permit her to drop his course—even though she has completed equivalent course work and received certification from the National Music Academy--Allegra is initially incensed. After acing a course challenge exam—which should exempt her--she is persuaded by the young, handsome Mr. Rocchelli to stay and work on a special project: creating a conductor’s score based on a simple melody that he has composed. The teacher points out that Allegra can learn still more about music and also bring balance to her artistic life by working in a different area of the arts.

One of Allegra’s more interesting challenges in the novel is her introversion. Her mother is accepting of her daughter’s temperament—observing on one occasion to Allegra’s father: “she’s just not social.” Dad, on the other hand, is concerned enough to insist on therapy for the then ten-year-old girl. As for Allegra herself--“I never really got kids my age . . . All the drama and the things they talk about . . . well, none of it interested me. So I removed myself, I guess, and then it got so I didn’t even know how to act with them,” she later tells her teacher.

Now, at the new performing and fine arts school, Allegra (whose symptoms might qualify her for the somewhat questionable diagnosis of “social anxiety disorder”) makes fledgling attempts at friendships, one with a boy called Spencer. It doesn’t hurt to have a musician for a dad, a member of the popular band, “Loose Ends”. Allegra’s new friends come over to her home one evening for an informal chilli supper and an opportunity to watch the band rehearse, and all goes surprisingly well. But then things take a downward turn on the home front, and a ripple effect is felt in the fragile social life Allegra has been coaxing along at school. Dad’s years of touring have taken a toll on her parents’ marriage, and Allegra is devastated when her father, with whom she had been rediscovering a bond through music, moves out. Too reserved to share her distress with her new friends, Allegra shuts them out. Now unable to collaborate with her father on her special music project, she spends increasing amounts of time with the attractive Mr. Rocchelli. The two share tea and some tentative confidences, as they work together on composing the conductor’s script. Unwisely, teacher and student often meet after school when other students and staff are not around. More and more, Allegra forgets her commitment to dance for time with her teacher by whom she feels "seen" and "understood". This doesn’t go unnoticed by her new “friends”, one of whom finds “evidence” of the inappropriateness of this student-teacher relationship. School administrators and police rush in and Allegra’s life is thrown into further turmoil. I won’t say what the outcome of the police investigation is, but it isn’t quite what the reader expects. It certainly is not the career or reputation destroying experience for the teacher that it likely would be in real life.

From reading Hrdlitschka’s previous works for young adults, I know she likes to tackle “difficult" subjects— from cutting/self-mutilation in KAT’s FALL, to teenaged pregnancy in DANCING NAKED, and forced marriage within a fundamentalist religious cult in SISTER WIFE. Having an artistic central character is something of a departure for her, but her interest in Allegra’s isolation and difference from others is consistent with her earlier explorations of teenaged isolation.

ALLEGRA is an interesting read that might well be hand-sold to more mature, artistic teenaged girls. There isn’t a lot of action here, however, and the importance of music, specifically music composition, may not hold much appeal for many in the targeted age group.

To my mind, there are some other problems with the book, too--its premise, for starters. Why would a teacher insist a student take a course when she clearly already has the credentials? There’s some suggestion that the music theory class won’t run without more warm bodies. . . but even so. . . the idea strains credibility. Another problem is that the new friends Allegra makes become malicious rather too suddenly. It is difficult to know exactly what their motivations are in reporting on Allegra: concern? retaliation at being shut out by her? It isn’t clear. Additionally, although Allegra is a dancer, she is seldom shown in the dance class. As for her passion for dance? I couldn't see any.

Some will no doubt be uncomfortable with Hrdlitschka’s exploration of an “inappropriate” relationship between student and teacher. However, I recall some years back Garret Freymann-Weyr, an American writer of young adult novels, wrote a complex, emotionally sensitive book called STAY WITH ME in which a sixteen year old has a friendship with and sexual interest in a 31-year-old man. While one might approach that book and Hrdlitschka’s with some wariness, expecting the creepiness of a LOLITA perhaps, the relationships depicted are actually not predatory. In reading ALLEGRA, I believed: yes, this could happen. I have to say I admire Hrdlitschka for taking on the challenge.

I recommend ALLEGRA, with some reservations, for high school and public libraries. Rating: 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Orca Publishers for providing me with an advance reading copy of the novel.

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to ALLEGRA by the summary, which promised both music and dance. Allegra Whitman transferred to a performing-arts high school to focus on dance -- her parents are both musicians, but she doesn't want to follow in their footsteps. But the school requirements mean she has to take music theory.

ALLEGRA deals with several thorny subjects. One subplot involves her parents' unhappy marriage. But the biggest thorny subject is that of student-teacher relationships. Allegra develops a crush on her music theory teacher Mr. Rochelli. He's young, attractive, challenges her, and respects her abilities. It's no wonder she crushes. When they start working on a composition together, he does act unprofessionally by treating her as a fellow professional rather than a student. They meet after school, use first names, et al. But I think Shelley Hrdlitschka does draw a clear line between Mr. Rochelli being a bit too chummy and actually returning Allegra's affections.

Part of the reason Allegra is drawn to her teacher is that she's quite introverted and has trouble making friends. Some kids at her new school do reach out, most notably fellow music theory student Spencer. Still, a few friendly overtures don't make it simple for Allegra to develop lasting friendships. My problem with the friends plotline is that all her prospective friends drop out of the story completely after one of them brings Mr. Rochelli and Allegra's relationship to the attention of the administration. They're totally demonized. I get that Allegra would feel that way, but . . . I just felt like they weren't the worst. Trying to help someone you think is in a bad situation is a good thing.

The few dance scenes in ALLEGRA are beautifully described, but this is mostly a music book. Allegra's composition consumes her life and her relationships. It is very wish fulfillment that her composition is brilliant, but the book does try to ground it by first establishing that she's very familiar with music theory and performance. And some of my favorite musicians started writing wonderful songs even younger than seventeen. What really crosses it over into unbelievable territory is that she's also talented enough as a dancer to consider going professional.

ALLEGRA is a quick read despite the difficult subjects it tackles. I think it will be of most interest to readers who enjoy books about musicians and dancers. Hrdlitschka does a wonderful job of writing about a teacher-student relationship in a realistic, rational way. There is drama in ALLEGRA, but little hysteria and no fear-mongering. Allegra can be frustration, but that's pretty average for a seventeen-year-old girl. ALLEGRA isn't, however, the best choice for someone looking for a really exciting read. It's fairly low key.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fair, but not great. Wooden characters and lite drama.

[Erica Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 7.5/10

When I first started this book, wholeheartedly thought I’d hate it, simply because of the Main Character’s attitude, but once I really got into it I actually liked it. Certain parts hit home for me so I personally loved how her emotions and thoughts were written during that moment. The ending was kinda eh, didn’t care for it. I was kinda hoping for more of a love story that what it actually was but it was still good!

[Stefanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't tell if Allegra was supposed to be autistic or if Hrdlitschka just couldn't handle writing relationships, but either way, I spent most of my time here cringing. Every interaction Allegra had with anyone was painful.

I also think the teacher behaved extremely inappropriately, and it made me feel gross that the overwhelming message is that Allegra did something wrong.

[Erica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel horrible ! I couldn't bring myself to finish this book. The synopsis is a lie , well from what I've read so far . I only made it to chapter 14 and that's as far as I'll go.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me ONE day to read because I wanted to watch Allegra and Noels relationship blossom🥺 but I do feel it didn’t get the ending it deserved although it was very realistic

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love any movie or book that has to do with music or dancing, so I was really eager to get into this one. And the summary hinted about a relationship between Allegra and her super cute teacher, which is a really popular storyline, so it sounded like a promising story. When I got through it, though, it just seemed to be missing something.

Allegra finally has the chance to attend dance school, something she's been begging her musician parents to allow her to do for forever. But even though she's finally at a performing arts school, high school is high school and Allegra just can't seem to connect with the people her age. So when she's given a composing project with the young new teacher, Allegra finds herself getting lost in the world of composing music with him. Allegra, though, doesn't know if her growing feelings for her teacher are reciprocated, or if it's just the music that's creating the magic.

I liked the book enough when it started, but it seemed like Allegra's story never really picked up and went anywhere. I liked how Allegra's character was so passionate about dancing and how she had a hard time connecting with people her age. But when she decided to go into some sort of depression or lack of passion period of her life, I just got annoyed with her. And it happens more than once throughout the book. Then, the whole thing with her teacher wasn't even as central to the story as I thought it would be. Yeah, it was a huge part of the story, but the whole romance story wasn't really what i wanted it to turn out to be. Allegra just seemed like a silly girl with a crush. And it seemed like there were three possible relationships for her, which I wasn't too big of a fan of.

I thought it was cool how Allegra was putting her heart and soul into the song she was composing, but it was described as this amazing piece that every single person who listened to it could feel the emotion behind it and was absolutely floored by it. Could a song written by an 17-year-old really be that amazing? I don't know. But the way every single person in the book raved about the song was a bit too much for my taste. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice aspect to Allegra's character to have her challenge herself and compose an entire song, but I could have done without the exaggerated amazingness of it.

Overall, Allegra was just an okay book. I really wanted more than what I got, especially with the whole performing arts aspect. She barely described the dance parts and only focused on her out of this world composition. And the "romance" wasn't really all that I was expecting. This was still a quick, fun read, I just wanted more from the story when I was done with it.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this certainly isn't my relationship with a teacher. Love relationship. Student and teacher. We all have heard these stories on the internet, on the news, on tv, etc.

Now there's a book on it. A fiction book, right under the shelf Fiction.

First of all, all readers should understand the following things: 1) The teacher is very young, 2) Allegra is almost an adult in the eyes of the law, and 3) This book is FICTION. Although the book is indeed fiction, it does hit some factors of a student-teacher relationship (Don't ask why I know).

Allegra likes him because he's more mature, he understands her better, and he cares out of everyone in the world. (Is this turning into a freaky review for you? Sorry, guys but this is the truths of the book. Allegra even list them out). Not to mention that hawt young music teacher is very attractive, which is why Allegra likes him.

Okay. Onto the book. Allegra is actually a pretty good book, once you let all of the factors go. Even though I'll probably never see my teachers the same way before I read this book, it's still a pretty damn good book. (I'm just kidding. I don't see my teachers in a different way after reading this. I think). Allegra is like music. Stunningly beautiful, with deep dark and light emotions. Like all music when played with the heart.

What more can you think about when there's a hot teacher that's making Allegra blush furiously? Well, apparently Allegra is still going on and thinking about how horrible her life is. Boo-hoo, we all have terrible lives. Because we are biased, opinionated people. We only care for ourselves until we realize that there's someone out there worth more than you. And in this book, it happens.

The ending is driving me crazy. I wish, wish, wish, and wish the author (I don't know how to pronounced the last name) would write a short chapter or epilogue. I don't like it when stand-alone books leave off without a solid conclusion. Yes, as you guess, this book is one of those "Maybe this, maybe that" books.

And Allegra? She's a learner. But I won't tell her characteristics. Many of them are already listed in the synopsis. I'm not joking.

Rating; Four out of Five

-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com

[Seanean · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...

Allegra is 17 and a new student at a performing arts high school that she's wanted to attend for years. With parents who are both musicians, she was brought up to follow in their footsteps, even though all she really wants to do is dance.

She lives for dancing and dancing lives in her.

Unfortunately, though Allegra has mastered most elements of musical theory, her new school requires that her class schedule be "balanced" so she has to take a theory course instead of just pure dance classes. As a compromise, her teacher offers her the chance to transpose a simple melody into a full orchestration for credit, rather than repeat work she's already done.

In finding her musical voice, Allegra also finds her personality, which had previously been hidden in social anxiety and panic attacks.

She also finds love.

Final thoughts: While this started off very well, it veered into very uncomfortable territory. While never stated outright, Allegra seems to have mild Asperger Syndrome. She has a very difficult time with crowds and with relating to peers. She also has intense obsessions with her projects like her musical composition and her dancing. She doesn't know how to be like all the kids around her and she fixates on her slightly older teacher to an extreme. The ending feels oddly placed and unreal, especially in this day and age. About halfway through, I almost put it down, fearing that I knew where the story was heading. And while it didn't go exactly where I thought it would, it got too close for comfort.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allegra’s parents are musicians, so her life has been filled with music. She has chosen to be a dancer and is now enrolled in a high school for the performing arts. Because of her prior training, she tests out of the music theory class, but is assigned an enrichment assignment by the teacher. As the work together on the project and her parents’ marriage falls apart, Allegra develops feelings for the young teacher.
This is really the story of a girl learning about relationships, with her peers, her parents, and her teacher. Although some will find the story predictable, there’s certainly a tension that kept me turning pages. The characters seem realistic and Allegra is a sympathetic character that even when she is making stupid moves. There’s enough music to keep the band/choir kids interested, but not so much that it narrows the appeal. Nothing objectionable for younger students here, but the situations are more likely to appeal to high school students.
I was surprised to find that I really liked this book. It's not Pulitzer quality or even Printz Award, but the story kept me interested until the very end. As the story drew to a close, it was very predictable, but the ending contained a bit of a twist (no spoiler!) that kept this book from being just OK.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's that? Why, it's everything I enjoy in student/teacher stories: a romantic crush based on the fact that the young single teacher is just so Caring and Invested in his students (especially the ones with unique musical talent that genuinely impress him), and also prone to innocent tactile affection, that adolescent girls mistake it for love.

Unfortunately, I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to waste any time with her dumb and immature classmates, and I definitely didn't want to watch her stupid parents' marriage fall apart (suck it up and be awesome in the background). I didn't even really want to find out if the ending was going to be a cautionary tale or a downer or that rare and perfect unicorn of "you are not crazy, come back after graduation for payoff."

Spoiler alert on said ending: it's mainly the downer kind. I'm 90% certain the feelings were all in Allegra's head, but that doesn't stop her peers from being life-ruiners so the ending is unsatisfying despite how hard the author worked to make it okay (it's apparently cool that he resigned from teaching, as now he's able to follow his true passion as a working musician, and working on this piece with her now that ~Noel's~ gone magically fixed her parents' marriage).

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Note: I won an ARC of Allegra through a LibraryThing contest. ***

I decided to read Allegra to spice up my reading selection a bit, and it is quick and fun read. The story captured my attention, even though I found the characters to be a bit annoying at times- especially Allegra. She seemed a bit shallow and anal at times, with a bit of an attitude that often led to overly dramatic behavior.

The passion and dedication that Allegra had when it came to her music-theory project was inspiring though. She put everything she had and then some into her and Noel's composition, she was even willing to let her passion for dancing slide a bit to finish the music that was said to be both beautiful and moving.

Overall, I liked the book and would read it again. The writing style felt more like it would be for younger teens, depending on what your preference for reading. I give it a 3 star instead of 4, because I really did find some of the characters behaviors to be a tad bit irritating.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allegra has recently switched schools and is excited to complete her senior year at a prestigious performing arts high school. She is a dancer and wants to take as many dance classes as possible. When she’s assigned to take a music theory class, so attempts to get out of it but is ultimately forced to take it. However, when she tests out of the class, her teacher gives her a challenge - to write a composition to a melody that he’s created.

When she and Mr. Rocchelli begin working on the piece more collaboratively, she forms a deep bond with him that she’s never felt with anyone of her own age. Is it because she’s always related more to adults, or is it something deeper?

Hrdlitschka does a great job with this delicate situation and accurately describes the crushes that teens get on caring adults. Her portrait of Mr. Rocchelli is great as well - thoughtful, tender and energetic. Allegra’s parents are secondary characters, but the father really comes alive in his moving scenes with his daughter.

[Jennifer Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as part of studying books for teens being presented as hi-lo fiction. Interestingly, the writing level did not seem very hi-lo to me but I found the story very engaging and maybe that's enough to pull in a reluctant/struggling reader. While the main character, Allegra, comes from a home that her fellow artistic students consider ideal, her personal struggles with anxiety and social skills make her life less than ideal, as does the fragile state of her parents' marriage. And the sensitive subject of a student-teacher boundary being dangerously close to being crossed is handled very well by the author. I think there's a lot for students of all backgrounds to relate to in this story.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

FINALLY finished it. Can't believe I read a 268-page book in a week. Longest time I've ever taken for a rather short book. Ugh. ><

Moving on to the story itself.

It was a nice read. However, I found some of Allegra's actions and choices overly unrealistic. If a friend told you that she was concerned about you, would you just shut her off so rudely like that? I understand that some people do, but it's not very sensitive, to say the least. The parts about dancing and music were quite good.

Overall, a quick little book to pass the time (not in my case due to my international-exam-year life *rolls eyes*)

[Stephanie]

Allegra is a story about a dedicated dancer and musician whose parents fame has shaped her life, making her fear that they are the only reason she is accepted. Her social anxiety and talent both contribute to an inappropriate connection with a teacher. The book makes her passion for music come alive in a way that musically inclined teens will respond to. The secondary characters were not as fleshed out as I would have liked but Allegra is expressed beautifully from her analytic mind to her irrational hormones.

[Darlene Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent depiction of an introverted, creative and talented teenager who gets lost in her love of music. Allegra is very real, so real you want to shake her and say, "wake up", as she destroys friendships, family relationships and perhaps the life of the one person she really cares about. The author obviously knows about teenage angst, music and family relationships. Even though I'm no longer a teenager, and haven't been for some time, all those thoughts and feelings returned as if it were yesterday. Most young women will relate to this well written book. I highly recommend it.

[Khairun Atika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was a quick read! I enjoyed the book, though. Its exploration of a performing arts school was narrowed to music composition and dancing. The focus was definitely on the passion between the lead characters, as they bond emotionally through music composition. It explores how music evokes emotions you cannot understand in you, which I find is a universal notion. We can all relate to that, right? Then you will definitely relate to this book :)

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story isn't really anything new in terms of the plot, but I still enjoyed it. Just like with her novel Sister Wife, I found writing Hrdlitschka entertainment and attention grabbing. Her books are quick reads for me with interesting and provocative topics. Great author for a reluctant teen reader.

[Ellen Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style wasn't necessarily my favorite, but I related to Allegra's awkwardness and appreciate that she isn't at all a stereotypical teenage girl. I especially appreciated the ending-there is a promise of possibility while some of the resolution is left up to my imagination. I finished the book and savored the feeling of hope that lingered as the last words resonated. Nicely done.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allegra will appeal to dancers and music-lovers, as well as any teen who has felt overwhelmed by the complexity of dealing with family, friends, and romantic troubles. A layered, complex novel that does not shy away from difficult subject matter.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come!

* Received as an ARC for School Library Journal review.

[Robot_girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay book, and was a pretty simple, straight forward read. What most appealed to me was the descriptions of music.

[Connie Thill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading how musicians can get carried away in their work. It inspired me to play more piano!

[Chelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easy to get through, but kind of boring. I feel like the first half of the book could have been compressed to two or three chapters. I didn't relate or care much about any of the characters.

[Cosmé · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read on Alaska Cruise 2016

[AyathmaB · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line was interesting and different to most I have read.