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Rival
What if your worst enemy turned out to be the best friend you ever had?
Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.
Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.
The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. With competition day nearing, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation.
As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life?
Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.
Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.
The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. With competition day nearing, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation.
As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 15, 2011
14 people are currently reading
3680 people want to read
About the author
Sara Bennett Wealer
4 books147 followersI grew up in Manhattan, Kansas ("The Little Apple"), where I sang with the show choir and wrote for my high school newspaper. I majored in voice at the University of Kansas before deciding I had no business trying to make a living as an opera singing. I now make my living as an author, producer and copywriter. I'm represented by Holly Root at Root Literary.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
May 31, 2011
2.5 stars I liked the first half of this book quite a lot. Kathryn and Brooke used to be best friends until something drove them apart--but what was it? The story starts off in senior year, told in alternating chapters between both girls' points of view, then eventually goes back and forth between junior and senior years. This framework might sound complicated, but it actually works just fine, and the author does a good job of writing different voices for both girls' narratives. The reader gets the usual insight of several events seen from two different points of view, and I found both girls to be fairly sympathetic and interesting in the beginning.
I also enjoyed the immersion in the world of music and choir and opera. Sara Bennett Wealer has a musical background and her love and respect for music really show through her characters. I also liked some of the secondary characters, including Kathryn's parents, Brooke's brothers, Matt-the-faithful-male-best-friend, and John Moorehouse, the guy every girl in school wants to date.
About 200 pages into the book, however, the way I felt about the book started to change as the events of junior year are gradually revealed. And I realized, much to my dismay, that both Brooke and Kathryn had behaved badly--and I was beginning to really dislike both of them. By the time things heat up as the girls work towards a prestigious singing competition in their senior year, I was more than ready to say good-bye to them.
Here are just some of the things they did to each other and to people they care about:
* humiliated each other publicly
* constantly tossed another friend aside in favor of more popular friends
While we all might've felt the urge to do this kind of stuff now and again, I've never, ever been friends with anyone who would actually go through with it. I mean, she C'mon! There's just no excuse for this kind of behavior, no matter how hurt you are or what you're trying to figure out. Neither girl is so fantastically special or has gone through anything so horrible that any of this is even remotely forgivable. It's also all too easy to spot the actual villain in the book, and honestly the events leading to the break-up and the aftermath felt pretty cartoonish and forced in a way that neither the friendship nor the interest in music did. I wish all of life's failed friendships could be explained away as
Most of the singing stuff had been pushed aside and taken a back seat until the very end, too, and I would like to have seen more done with that since the whole book was building up to the big competition. I did like that the author didn't go the usual way with the whole John and Matt situation, however, and I was okay with the note it finally ended on between the two girls. Unfortunately by the time this all got resolved, I'd long stopped caring what was going to happen to either one of them.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden.
I also enjoyed the immersion in the world of music and choir and opera. Sara Bennett Wealer has a musical background and her love and respect for music really show through her characters. I also liked some of the secondary characters, including Kathryn's parents, Brooke's brothers, Matt-the-faithful-male-best-friend, and John Moorehouse, the guy every girl in school wants to date.
About 200 pages into the book, however, the way I felt about the book started to change as the events of junior year are gradually revealed. And I realized, much to my dismay, that both Brooke and Kathryn had behaved badly--and I was beginning to really dislike both of them. By the time things heat up as the girls work towards a prestigious singing competition in their senior year, I was more than ready to say good-bye to them.
Here are just some of the things they did to each other and to people they care about:
* humiliated each other publicly
* constantly tossed another friend aside in favor of more popular friends
While we all might've felt the urge to do this kind of stuff now and again, I've never, ever been friends with anyone who would actually go through with it. I mean, she C'mon! There's just no excuse for this kind of behavior, no matter how hurt you are or what you're trying to figure out. Neither girl is so fantastically special or has gone through anything so horrible that any of this is even remotely forgivable. It's also all too easy to spot the actual villain in the book, and honestly the events leading to the break-up and the aftermath felt pretty cartoonish and forced in a way that neither the friendship nor the interest in music did. I wish all of life's failed friendships could be explained away as
Most of the singing stuff had been pushed aside and taken a back seat until the very end, too, and I would like to have seen more done with that since the whole book was building up to the big competition. I did like that the author didn't go the usual way with the whole John and Matt situation, however, and I was okay with the note it finally ended on between the two girls. Unfortunately by the time this all got resolved, I'd long stopped caring what was going to happen to either one of them.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden.
April 30, 2011
I can’t exactly tell you what I expected this book to be like. It simply caught my interest a few months back when I read the synopsis. I love books about music, and the friendship/rivalry issue gave it an extra touch. So I bought it without reading many reviews – which is pretty unusual for me. I normally always try to make sure I’ll like a book before spending money on it.
So – what should or shouldn’t you expect from it?
1) You should not expect romance, swoon-worthy kisses and the like. It’s not that there are absolutely no romantic issues here, but on the main level, the story focuses on Brooke and Kathryn: their difficult friendship, their fallout, the rivalry between them and the pressure that rests on their shoulders in their final year at school. Kathryn desperately needs a scholarship to be able to go to college; Brooke wants nothing more than to go back to New York and her father. The solution of their problems: winning the prestigious Blackmore, an annual festival for young singers, which is the head start for a career in music and is accompanied by a 25,000$ check.
2) You should not expect the standard “nice girl vs. mean girl” cliché. Yes, Brooke is the popular and rich girl who dictates who is popular and who isn’t at their small-town high school. Yes, Kathryn is poor and a loner before she befriends her and becomes an outcast after things change for the worse between them. But nevertheless, it’s hard to take sides. Both girls make mistakes and are complex characters. Which sometimes made me able to relate to them so well, and sometimes made me want to strangle them for the decisions they made. But all in all, I very much appreciated this aspect of the book. Their relationship isn’t reduced to hate, it is much more layered and complicated.
3) You also shouldn’t expect an ending that ties up all loose ends. It does give closure – because an episode in their lives ends for the two girls, but their future couldn’t be more open. Not that this is a bad thing. An open future stands for chances and hope for the characters and I like it if an author gives me the possibility to imagine my own ending for them. So – hopefully – no sequel here ;) (you can never know these days).
All in all, a good read. I liked that it didn't follow any of the current trends in YA, but stood on its own. At the same time, though, it didn’t really stand out for me personally. I liked it, but I didn’t really like it. I know that my review is mostly positive, but something was missing for me. A real connection with the characters maybe: I never really warmed up to Brooke, and in the end, Kathryn did a few things that made her a lot less likeable to me. Also, I’m a little sap. Not that I want my books centred only around romance, but a little romance never hurts. Of course, all this is completely my personal taste. So I think if the book interests you, you should give it a try.
So – what should or shouldn’t you expect from it?
1) You should not expect romance, swoon-worthy kisses and the like. It’s not that there are absolutely no romantic issues here, but on the main level, the story focuses on Brooke and Kathryn: their difficult friendship, their fallout, the rivalry between them and the pressure that rests on their shoulders in their final year at school. Kathryn desperately needs a scholarship to be able to go to college; Brooke wants nothing more than to go back to New York and her father. The solution of their problems: winning the prestigious Blackmore, an annual festival for young singers, which is the head start for a career in music and is accompanied by a 25,000$ check.
2) You should not expect the standard “nice girl vs. mean girl” cliché. Yes, Brooke is the popular and rich girl who dictates who is popular and who isn’t at their small-town high school. Yes, Kathryn is poor and a loner before she befriends her and becomes an outcast after things change for the worse between them. But nevertheless, it’s hard to take sides. Both girls make mistakes and are complex characters. Which sometimes made me able to relate to them so well, and sometimes made me want to strangle them for the decisions they made. But all in all, I very much appreciated this aspect of the book. Their relationship isn’t reduced to hate, it is much more layered and complicated.
3) You also shouldn’t expect an ending that ties up all loose ends. It does give closure – because an episode in their lives ends for the two girls, but their future couldn’t be more open. Not that this is a bad thing. An open future stands for chances and hope for the characters and I like it if an author gives me the possibility to imagine my own ending for them. So – hopefully – no sequel here ;) (you can never know these days).
All in all, a good read. I liked that it didn't follow any of the current trends in YA, but stood on its own. At the same time, though, it didn’t really stand out for me personally. I liked it, but I didn’t really like it. I know that my review is mostly positive, but something was missing for me. A real connection with the characters maybe: I never really warmed up to Brooke, and in the end, Kathryn did a few things that made her a lot less likeable to me. Also, I’m a little sap. Not that I want my books centred only around romance, but a little romance never hurts. Of course, all this is completely my personal taste. So I think if the book interests you, you should give it a try.
February 5, 2011
Overall I liked it. Well what do we have?
Read Review at Bewitched Bookworms
We have two girls that couldn't be any more different, the one rich, beautiful and popular. The other one although beautiful, she's a loner has only one friend and has a very poor family. Yet, both share a passion for music and signing! They meet in Junior year and realize that although so differently they could be real and true friends.
The story is told in alternating POV which I found extremely interesting, you got into the head of both girls. At the beginning I was confused, normally you always have the "good" girl and the bitch, yet here it's not clear. Which girl I love more? Gee, I still can't answer that fully! I guess this is the best part of the book. The author manages to show both girls in a true light, with all flaws and everything. Both girl seem genuinely real and none of the girls was too perfect and too bitchy.
This is a story about two girls that could be best friends forever but lost themselves in a stupid fight in a a stupid rivalry. I really enjoyed following those girls to see what happens. Apart from the alternating POV's the Author also added the past, what happend before the girls hated each other so much and I truly loved this alternation, both girls, before and now. I think this gave the book the perfect pacing and it never felt boring!
The only complain I have is the somehow anti-climatic ending and the lack of kissing. While I do think the ending was a good ending. An end that was not bloated with happiness and perfection - a little more wouldn't have hurt. Don't get me wrong, the end was good specially since it felt so real, but I'm a girl that needs a blast and a happily ever after.
I won this book from goodreads- first reads!
Read Review at Bewitched Bookworms
We have two girls that couldn't be any more different, the one rich, beautiful and popular. The other one although beautiful, she's a loner has only one friend and has a very poor family. Yet, both share a passion for music and signing! They meet in Junior year and realize that although so differently they could be real and true friends.
The story is told in alternating POV which I found extremely interesting, you got into the head of both girls. At the beginning I was confused, normally you always have the "good" girl and the bitch, yet here it's not clear. Which girl I love more? Gee, I still can't answer that fully! I guess this is the best part of the book. The author manages to show both girls in a true light, with all flaws and everything. Both girl seem genuinely real and none of the girls was too perfect and too bitchy.
This is a story about two girls that could be best friends forever but lost themselves in a stupid fight in a a stupid rivalry. I really enjoyed following those girls to see what happens. Apart from the alternating POV's the Author also added the past, what happend before the girls hated each other so much and I truly loved this alternation, both girls, before and now. I think this gave the book the perfect pacing and it never felt boring!
The only complain I have is the somehow anti-climatic ending and the lack of kissing. While I do think the ending was a good ending. An end that was not bloated with happiness and perfection - a little more wouldn't have hurt. Don't get me wrong, the end was good specially since it felt so real, but I'm a girl that needs a blast and a happily ever after.
I won this book from goodreads- first reads!
February 15, 2011
Original post - http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/?p=1736
Wow. I did not expect to love Rival as much as I did. I was pretty hesitant about starting it because it sounded like there was going to be very little romance and kissing, and mainly just about the history between the two girls.
Which is mostly true. I mean, that is the point of the book, I think. That there’s more to being a teenage girl than boys. There’s pressure and stress and even friendships are hard to maintain. I thought Rival did an excellent job of showing this other perspective and it really meant a lot to me. Don’t get me wrong – there’s definitely cute boys and boy drama, but it all ends back at up at Katherine and Brooke.
I loved both of the protagonists – Brooke and Katherine. There was no way for me to choose which one I wanted to root for, which one I identified with the most because there were elements of both girls that really stood out to me and I could easily relate to. Really, though, they were both realistic characters and although there were elements of their lifestyles that I couldn’t identify with/don’t know anyone who can (Brooke, for the most part), they really felt like teenage girls to me. Their mood swings, jealousy, peer pressure, pressure in general – it reminded me a lot of my own high school experiences.
Maybe it doesn’t have to be music, or money from scholarships, but there’s always something in high school that manages to put that load of pressure on you, and that’s what I liked about this book. Even though this book was specifically about the music competition and the pressure, there was a lot more to it.
I loved the ending and the progression of the storyline. I’m usually worried about flashbacks – sometimes they interrupt the flow of the story, but it really worked in Rival.
I would absolutely recommend Rival. Seriously. It’s a fantastic debut and very original for a contemporary young adult book. I can’t wait to see more from Sara Bennett Wealer!
Wow. I did not expect to love Rival as much as I did. I was pretty hesitant about starting it because it sounded like there was going to be very little romance and kissing, and mainly just about the history between the two girls.
Which is mostly true. I mean, that is the point of the book, I think. That there’s more to being a teenage girl than boys. There’s pressure and stress and even friendships are hard to maintain. I thought Rival did an excellent job of showing this other perspective and it really meant a lot to me. Don’t get me wrong – there’s definitely cute boys and boy drama, but it all ends back at up at Katherine and Brooke.
I loved both of the protagonists – Brooke and Katherine. There was no way for me to choose which one I wanted to root for, which one I identified with the most because there were elements of both girls that really stood out to me and I could easily relate to. Really, though, they were both realistic characters and although there were elements of their lifestyles that I couldn’t identify with/don’t know anyone who can (Brooke, for the most part), they really felt like teenage girls to me. Their mood swings, jealousy, peer pressure, pressure in general – it reminded me a lot of my own high school experiences.
Maybe it doesn’t have to be music, or money from scholarships, but there’s always something in high school that manages to put that load of pressure on you, and that’s what I liked about this book. Even though this book was specifically about the music competition and the pressure, there was a lot more to it.
I loved the ending and the progression of the storyline. I’m usually worried about flashbacks – sometimes they interrupt the flow of the story, but it really worked in Rival.
I would absolutely recommend Rival. Seriously. It’s a fantastic debut and very original for a contemporary young adult book. I can’t wait to see more from Sara Bennett Wealer!
April 25, 2011
My Thoughts: I did not know what I was going into as I started this. Backstabbers? Check. Hot guys?Check. Best friends turned rivals? Check. Music? Check. High school? Check. Guy best friend? Check. As you can clearly see this book had it all and was everything I was looking for. We are introduced to Kathryn and Brooke. Brooke was always Queen B and popular while Kathryn just kept to herself and was a loner. That is until Brooke befriends her and introduces her to her clique and the world of popularity. Brooke has another best friend named Chloe and soon Chloe starts to get jealous over Kathryn. Kathryn is so much different than Chloe and she really gets Brooke so her and Brooke become super close really fast.
Kathryn and Brooke are also really into music and are both great singers. They both excel in music and always feel like they are on the same level and one could easily beat the other.
Basically, we are swept away in past memories and flashback chapters than jolted right back to the present. We discover how two great friends went from best friends to bitter rivals. How they went from helping one another out with music and loving it to competing against each other in the same competition. Each wants to win the competition and knows what they will lose if they do not beat the other.
Kathryn has spent the last year getting over the horrible episode that went down between her and Brooke.I won't tell you what exactly happened, read the book to find out! Kathryn never really quite understood what happened. But she does know how she's had to suffer through major loads of embarrassment. She went right from the top to the bottom as quick as humanly possible. Brooke's crew basically tormented her the past year and she's been left to face it every day since.
Lets talk about some of the other characters for a minute. First, there is Matt. I really liked Matt. He was always there for Kathryn, to listen to her problems, to help her a long the way. Next came Brooke and Kathryn's families. Each girl had a very different family. We come to know their parents and how they operate, which roles the girls play. Than came Brooke's brothers. You could tell instantly they would be the life of the party and out to have a good time. Next was Miles, whom Kathryn dated for a while during her popularity spurt. I clearly hated him from the get go. haha. Than there was John who seemed to take an interest in Kathryn while Brooke had the hots for him. I actually really liked him. He did seem different and I came to respect him. As for Chloe and Brooke's other friends, I could tell how fake they really were, and they were just out for themselves, to stay popular and on Brooke's good side.
Honestly, I really liked both Brooke and Kathryn. Usually I would be rooting for one or the other but I actually thought they were both decent girls. They both had great personalities and were unique and lovely in their own way.
Rival was an enjoyable read. I loved the different prospectives from each girl. And how both girls made me feel as though I was experiencing life in their shoes. The flashbacks were awesome. It told the story perfectly. The plot of best friends who realized the truth and were left to deal with the aftermath of what went down was remarkable. Rival had an enjoyable voice and left me wanting to read more from Wealer. Since it wasn't a book purely based on romance, it had just the right sparkle of romance dabbled into it.
Overall: Really enjoyed it. One you should definitely read this year. Rival was a memorable experience for me and I will be recommending it to others!
Cover:Love it! I love the flowers and how the petal has fallen off. Neat cover.
What I'd Give It:
5/5 Cupcakes
princessbookie.com
Kathryn and Brooke are also really into music and are both great singers. They both excel in music and always feel like they are on the same level and one could easily beat the other.
Basically, we are swept away in past memories and flashback chapters than jolted right back to the present. We discover how two great friends went from best friends to bitter rivals. How they went from helping one another out with music and loving it to competing against each other in the same competition. Each wants to win the competition and knows what they will lose if they do not beat the other.
Kathryn has spent the last year getting over the horrible episode that went down between her and Brooke.I won't tell you what exactly happened, read the book to find out! Kathryn never really quite understood what happened. But she does know how she's had to suffer through major loads of embarrassment. She went right from the top to the bottom as quick as humanly possible. Brooke's crew basically tormented her the past year and she's been left to face it every day since.
Lets talk about some of the other characters for a minute. First, there is Matt. I really liked Matt. He was always there for Kathryn, to listen to her problems, to help her a long the way. Next came Brooke and Kathryn's families. Each girl had a very different family. We come to know their parents and how they operate, which roles the girls play. Than came Brooke's brothers. You could tell instantly they would be the life of the party and out to have a good time. Next was Miles, whom Kathryn dated for a while during her popularity spurt. I clearly hated him from the get go. haha. Than there was John who seemed to take an interest in Kathryn while Brooke had the hots for him. I actually really liked him. He did seem different and I came to respect him. As for Chloe and Brooke's other friends, I could tell how fake they really were, and they were just out for themselves, to stay popular and on Brooke's good side.
Honestly, I really liked both Brooke and Kathryn. Usually I would be rooting for one or the other but I actually thought they were both decent girls. They both had great personalities and were unique and lovely in their own way.
Rival was an enjoyable read. I loved the different prospectives from each girl. And how both girls made me feel as though I was experiencing life in their shoes. The flashbacks were awesome. It told the story perfectly. The plot of best friends who realized the truth and were left to deal with the aftermath of what went down was remarkable. Rival had an enjoyable voice and left me wanting to read more from Wealer. Since it wasn't a book purely based on romance, it had just the right sparkle of romance dabbled into it.
Overall: Really enjoyed it. One you should definitely read this year. Rival was a memorable experience for me and I will be recommending it to others!
Cover:Love it! I love the flowers and how the petal has fallen off. Neat cover.
What I'd Give It:
5/5 Cupcakes
princessbookie.com
February 3, 2011
This is one heck of a book. From the start, the book, it played on like beautiful music to my ears never letting go. It flowed on and on playing me like a guitar. Brooke and Katheryn were best friends then rivals though a misunderstanding. Will both girls learn to forgive? Or will the music that they play forever ring in their ears.
I loved the writing and the plot of this story. Ms. Wealer not only introduce us to music but she intertwine it with her writing. With each turn of the page, her writing played with the progression of music. She gave us words of music before divulging us on the story. If she said crescendo then the plot went faster and faster.
I don't like it much when the story switches from pov to pov. Ms. Wealer did a fantastic job writing both sides without making it confusing or losing any detail. Each side of the story was captured well enough just leaving a few pieces out, enough for the reader to piece together what really happen. It is excellent.
The love for music for both girls was also captured passionately. You saw both of them work hard and struggle for what they wanted. In the end they learned to see whats important. The love interest is adoring. I really wasn't expecting much with so much already going on but with the way Ms.Wealer wrote it, it flowed beautifully with everything else.
If you like music, love, and friendship read this book. I can honestly say the way the book flowed was perfect. The plot, drama, and love is all written well.
I loved the writing and the plot of this story. Ms. Wealer not only introduce us to music but she intertwine it with her writing. With each turn of the page, her writing played with the progression of music. She gave us words of music before divulging us on the story. If she said crescendo then the plot went faster and faster.
I don't like it much when the story switches from pov to pov. Ms. Wealer did a fantastic job writing both sides without making it confusing or losing any detail. Each side of the story was captured well enough just leaving a few pieces out, enough for the reader to piece together what really happen. It is excellent.
The love for music for both girls was also captured passionately. You saw both of them work hard and struggle for what they wanted. In the end they learned to see whats important. The love interest is adoring. I really wasn't expecting much with so much already going on but with the way Ms.Wealer wrote it, it flowed beautifully with everything else.
If you like music, love, and friendship read this book. I can honestly say the way the book flowed was perfect. The plot, drama, and love is all written well.
February 26, 2011
In alternating narratives, Sara Bennett Wealer tells the story of two talented teens--Kathryn and Brooke. Both girls are exceptional singers and, though they used to be very close, they have a rivalry that has spiraled out of control.
Brooke seems to have it all. She is the most popular girl in her class, she has talent, money, and people generally look to her to decide who's cool and who's not. Of course, life is not as perfect as it seems. Brooke is lonely and desperately wants her absent father's love and attention. She is surrounded by people who want to be near her so that they can be popular. None of her friends care about her passion for singing; they only care about parties and dances. Brooke finds a true friend in Kathryn during her junior year, but by their senior year their bitter enmity has completely clouded over any friendship they might have had.
Kathryn is more content in the shadows than in the limelight when it comes to being popular. That is, until she gets a taste for the spotlight when Brooke invites her to a sleepover their junior year. After that fateful night, Kathryn is kept busy with parties and activities and shows with all of her new friends. In particular, Brooke seems to want to hang out with Kathryn and talk about music. But, when Kathryn unwittingly betrays Brooke, their friendship crumbles and so does Kathryn's new popularity.
In the end, the only thing these two unlikely friends have in common is their desire to win at the Blackmore--a prestigious singing competition. And, it seems that both girls are willing to crush the other in order to win.
* * *
Rival is an excellent debut for Sara Bennett Wealer. It is always a risky venture to write a book where the main characters are complex and not always sympathetic. There were points in this book where I didn't like either of the main characters, but this dislike was because the girls are presented as real people who make real mistakes and use poor judgment. It would've been much easier for Ms. Bennett Wealer to present one of the girls as "right" and the other as "wrong." It's much more difficult to make each girl complex in their own way.
In addition to the characters, I loved the format of this book. It alternated between main characters and from their junior to senior years. In all of this, I was not confused in the least by which character was speaking and when the scene was taking place. It was interesting to flip between the girls' senior year, when they hated each other, and their junior year, when they were inseparable. Through the shifting time periods, the relationship and the motives behind the girls' actions becomes much more complex and interesting.
I loved that this rivalry was based, for the most part, on singing. There were some jealous moments based on boys and beauty, but that was not the crux of the girls' conflict. That story has been played out, in my opinion. In this book, the girls are vying for something real and based on hard work and merit. This focus on singing took away from some of the catty, stereotypical competition over looks that is often portrayed in YA lit. This story was far more serious and interesting than a typical girl-hates-girl story.
This is an awesome debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from this author. I can imagine that there are several students in my classes, particularly those girls involved in chorus and one of our school's music programs that will understand the richness of this book.
Brooke seems to have it all. She is the most popular girl in her class, she has talent, money, and people generally look to her to decide who's cool and who's not. Of course, life is not as perfect as it seems. Brooke is lonely and desperately wants her absent father's love and attention. She is surrounded by people who want to be near her so that they can be popular. None of her friends care about her passion for singing; they only care about parties and dances. Brooke finds a true friend in Kathryn during her junior year, but by their senior year their bitter enmity has completely clouded over any friendship they might have had.
Kathryn is more content in the shadows than in the limelight when it comes to being popular. That is, until she gets a taste for the spotlight when Brooke invites her to a sleepover their junior year. After that fateful night, Kathryn is kept busy with parties and activities and shows with all of her new friends. In particular, Brooke seems to want to hang out with Kathryn and talk about music. But, when Kathryn unwittingly betrays Brooke, their friendship crumbles and so does Kathryn's new popularity.
In the end, the only thing these two unlikely friends have in common is their desire to win at the Blackmore--a prestigious singing competition. And, it seems that both girls are willing to crush the other in order to win.
* * *
Rival is an excellent debut for Sara Bennett Wealer. It is always a risky venture to write a book where the main characters are complex and not always sympathetic. There were points in this book where I didn't like either of the main characters, but this dislike was because the girls are presented as real people who make real mistakes and use poor judgment. It would've been much easier for Ms. Bennett Wealer to present one of the girls as "right" and the other as "wrong." It's much more difficult to make each girl complex in their own way.
In addition to the characters, I loved the format of this book. It alternated between main characters and from their junior to senior years. In all of this, I was not confused in the least by which character was speaking and when the scene was taking place. It was interesting to flip between the girls' senior year, when they hated each other, and their junior year, when they were inseparable. Through the shifting time periods, the relationship and the motives behind the girls' actions becomes much more complex and interesting.
I loved that this rivalry was based, for the most part, on singing. There were some jealous moments based on boys and beauty, but that was not the crux of the girls' conflict. That story has been played out, in my opinion. In this book, the girls are vying for something real and based on hard work and merit. This focus on singing took away from some of the catty, stereotypical competition over looks that is often portrayed in YA lit. This story was far more serious and interesting than a typical girl-hates-girl story.
This is an awesome debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from this author. I can imagine that there are several students in my classes, particularly those girls involved in chorus and one of our school's music programs that will understand the richness of this book.
December 20, 2010
The Short of It:
Rival is a story about two girls who used to be friends and now are, pretty much, bitter rivals. With realistic teen characters, great dialog, and an ending the lets both main characters shine, it is a must read for 2011.
***Rating: 4.5 stars***
The Long of It:
Brooke is the queen bee of Douglas High; she loves music and is in choir even though it isn’t “cool.” Kathryn is the social outcast, also in choir (a soprano), and she used to be Brooke’s best friend. How did these two become enemies and rivals? It all goes back to junior year and what happened at an after Homecoming party. Now Brooke makes Kathryn’s life hell. And Kathryn, well, any chance to outperform Brooke - she’ll take it. That’s one way to look at it.
Soon, the two of them will compete in the prestigious Blackmore competition. Both Kathryn and Brooke want to win, will their rivalry get the best of the, or will they find a way to mend their friendship?
Ms. Wealer does not hold punches, she starts in the middle of the story and within a couple of pages it’s clear who Brooke and Kathryn are personality wise and the lines are drawn, so to speak. Kathryn, the outcast, and Brooke, Miss Queen Bee, both felt like real teenagers. From the beginning, it was easy to see how just how much alike the two girls were despite their very opposite circumstances. Despite, not being as much as a music nut as either character, I found them both to be very relatable. In addition, the dialog, cliques, frenemies and rumor mill could be right out of an actual high school. Told from both of their points of view as they prepare for the Blackmore and with flashbacks to junior year, the book chronicles exactly how Brooke and Kathryn became friends and how they ended up rivals.
The dual points of view worked well because you get to see both sides of the friendship and exactly what happened to end it. Even though you, as the reader, know more than either Brooke or Kathryn, you don’t have the whole picture either, because Ms. Wealer keeps certain details hidden until late in the book. It’s a pretty brilliant plan because you want to know the details, the hows and whys of Brooke and Kathryn’s rivalry - at least I did, but maybe I’m just nosy. And when “the reason” was finally revealed, I wanted to shake both girls and then sit them down and make them tell each other exactly what they were thinking when everything changed.
Ms. Wealer also did a terrific job of showing just how Brooke and Kathryn’s friendship and rivalry affected them and those around them. Nowhere is this more evident than with Brooke and Kathryn’s best friends: Chloe and Matt. Matt is on the geeky side and it’s hinted at that Kathryn is his only friend, but he would do just about anything for her- he’s exactly the type of guy you want on your side. Kathryn doesn’t really know just how good of a friend he is until she almost loses his friendship. Chloe, on the other hand, is all about being part of the popular group; she’s the master manipulator who twists situations so that she always comes out on top. Brooke shoved her aside when Kathryn came on the scene and Chloe turned her jealousy into revenge of the highest order. I wondered, a lot, why Brooke would be friends with someone like Chloe and could only come up with that Chloe wanted to be best friends with Brooke so much that Brooke gave in.
I really enjoyed reading Rival. The first section flew by quickly and by that point, I was invested in the story and the characters that I had to read to the end. And the ending! This ending just blew me away. All throughout the story, the girls are training and preparing for the Blackmore and I just knew that it would play a big part at the end. I was rooting for Kathryn and Brooke equally, knowing how badly they both wanted the victory. The end result could have gone a lot of different ways, but Ms. Wealer found a way to let both Brooke and Kathryn shine. Each of their separate story lines were tied up beautifully and the overarching line ended with just enough answers and few questions too - which is really all you can ask for in an ending.
Rival is a must read for 2011.
Rival is a story about two girls who used to be friends and now are, pretty much, bitter rivals. With realistic teen characters, great dialog, and an ending the lets both main characters shine, it is a must read for 2011.
***Rating: 4.5 stars***
The Long of It:
Brooke is the queen bee of Douglas High; she loves music and is in choir even though it isn’t “cool.” Kathryn is the social outcast, also in choir (a soprano), and she used to be Brooke’s best friend. How did these two become enemies and rivals? It all goes back to junior year and what happened at an after Homecoming party. Now Brooke makes Kathryn’s life hell. And Kathryn, well, any chance to outperform Brooke - she’ll take it. That’s one way to look at it.
Soon, the two of them will compete in the prestigious Blackmore competition. Both Kathryn and Brooke want to win, will their rivalry get the best of the, or will they find a way to mend their friendship?
Ms. Wealer does not hold punches, she starts in the middle of the story and within a couple of pages it’s clear who Brooke and Kathryn are personality wise and the lines are drawn, so to speak. Kathryn, the outcast, and Brooke, Miss Queen Bee, both felt like real teenagers. From the beginning, it was easy to see how just how much alike the two girls were despite their very opposite circumstances. Despite, not being as much as a music nut as either character, I found them both to be very relatable. In addition, the dialog, cliques, frenemies and rumor mill could be right out of an actual high school. Told from both of their points of view as they prepare for the Blackmore and with flashbacks to junior year, the book chronicles exactly how Brooke and Kathryn became friends and how they ended up rivals.
The dual points of view worked well because you get to see both sides of the friendship and exactly what happened to end it. Even though you, as the reader, know more than either Brooke or Kathryn, you don’t have the whole picture either, because Ms. Wealer keeps certain details hidden until late in the book. It’s a pretty brilliant plan because you want to know the details, the hows and whys of Brooke and Kathryn’s rivalry - at least I did, but maybe I’m just nosy. And when “the reason” was finally revealed, I wanted to shake both girls and then sit them down and make them tell each other exactly what they were thinking when everything changed.
Ms. Wealer also did a terrific job of showing just how Brooke and Kathryn’s friendship and rivalry affected them and those around them. Nowhere is this more evident than with Brooke and Kathryn’s best friends: Chloe and Matt. Matt is on the geeky side and it’s hinted at that Kathryn is his only friend, but he would do just about anything for her- he’s exactly the type of guy you want on your side. Kathryn doesn’t really know just how good of a friend he is until she almost loses his friendship. Chloe, on the other hand, is all about being part of the popular group; she’s the master manipulator who twists situations so that she always comes out on top. Brooke shoved her aside when Kathryn came on the scene and Chloe turned her jealousy into revenge of the highest order. I wondered, a lot, why Brooke would be friends with someone like Chloe and could only come up with that Chloe wanted to be best friends with Brooke so much that Brooke gave in.
I really enjoyed reading Rival. The first section flew by quickly and by that point, I was invested in the story and the characters that I had to read to the end. And the ending! This ending just blew me away. All throughout the story, the girls are training and preparing for the Blackmore and I just knew that it would play a big part at the end. I was rooting for Kathryn and Brooke equally, knowing how badly they both wanted the victory. The end result could have gone a lot of different ways, but Ms. Wealer found a way to let both Brooke and Kathryn shine. Each of their separate story lines were tied up beautifully and the overarching line ended with just enough answers and few questions too - which is really all you can ask for in an ending.
Rival is a must read for 2011.
February 25, 2011
No matter which side of the fence you’re on, the grass always appears greener on the other side.
For Kathryn Pease, her one-time best friend Brooke Dempsey has everything. She’s popular, confident and stylish. She has money. She lived in New York. She’s been to the Met. She wouldn’t be stuck in Minnesota after high school. For someone like Brooke there are endless possibilities. Brooke isn’t hanging all her hopes on winning the Blackmore competition like she is.
For Brooke, Kathryn is the lucky one. She is beautiful and petite. Her voice is flawless. She has a father who loves her and a family who acts like a family should. She doesn’t have two brothers who put her down. There is no way Kathryn could want out of Minnesota as badly as she does. And most of all she doesn’t have to disguise who she is or justify her passion for music to anyone. Kathryn doesn’t need to win the Blackmore competition like she does.
As these two former best-friends get ready for the biggest competition of their lives will they let their personal rivalry get in the way of their success?
***
Rival is a beautifully written, bittersweet story about two girls who are friends-turned-enemies, both with the same appreciation for and love of music, and each who envies something the other has.
Their friendship is doomed from the start as each girl, for very different reasons, cannot be honest with the other, which leads to some rather unfortunate misunderstandings and ultimately to its collapse.
Each chapter alternates between Brooke’s and Kathryn’s perspective and also between the present and the events that led up to the breakdown of their friendship. Readers get the opportunity to see both sides and may find that assigning blame isn’t quite so easy.
Rival is quite a surprise and so much more than just a “mean girls” story. It is far more richly developed than it would seem based on the title and description.
This is not merely a snarky, one-upmanship that escalates into a showdown with one man standing. Author Sara Bennett Wealer has given her characters much more depth and complexity than is typical in this type of story, allowing readers to feel compassion for both the underdog and the bully.
But, it is still in keeping with other stories in this genre and tremendously entertaining. It’s got jealousy, diabolical pranks, a complete social freeze-out, a herd of A-Lister followers ready, willing and able to do whatever the Queen B says, and the requisite lovable geeky friend waiting in the wings ready to pick up the pieces.
Even in a month with so many great releases, Rival is a debut that you will not want to miss. Author Sara Bennett Wealer is an exceptional writer and one to keep on your watch list!
On a personal note:
I was completely surprised by this book. I was expecting something so totally different. I was thinking catfights and major sabotage. But this story was so much better. Sadder, yes. Better, oh absolutely.
I immediately went in expecting to hate Brooke – the rich, popular girl. Isn’t her character always the one to be hated? But I actually thought she had the most growth and became the better of the two. Still. Tough to choose.
I loved that the author used musical/operatic terms to loosely divide the sections of the story, leading up to the crescendo and finally to the resolution. So clever.
And I am so glad that this story didn’t end up being one that revolved only around the musical competition or end up being about some boy.
My favorite phrase from this book – I just had to include it as it’s just so wicked:
The human voice, it turns out, just isn’t that strong. Human hatred, on the other hand, is.
For Kathryn Pease, her one-time best friend Brooke Dempsey has everything. She’s popular, confident and stylish. She has money. She lived in New York. She’s been to the Met. She wouldn’t be stuck in Minnesota after high school. For someone like Brooke there are endless possibilities. Brooke isn’t hanging all her hopes on winning the Blackmore competition like she is.
For Brooke, Kathryn is the lucky one. She is beautiful and petite. Her voice is flawless. She has a father who loves her and a family who acts like a family should. She doesn’t have two brothers who put her down. There is no way Kathryn could want out of Minnesota as badly as she does. And most of all she doesn’t have to disguise who she is or justify her passion for music to anyone. Kathryn doesn’t need to win the Blackmore competition like she does.
As these two former best-friends get ready for the biggest competition of their lives will they let their personal rivalry get in the way of their success?
***
Rival is a beautifully written, bittersweet story about two girls who are friends-turned-enemies, both with the same appreciation for and love of music, and each who envies something the other has.
Their friendship is doomed from the start as each girl, for very different reasons, cannot be honest with the other, which leads to some rather unfortunate misunderstandings and ultimately to its collapse.
Each chapter alternates between Brooke’s and Kathryn’s perspective and also between the present and the events that led up to the breakdown of their friendship. Readers get the opportunity to see both sides and may find that assigning blame isn’t quite so easy.
Rival is quite a surprise and so much more than just a “mean girls” story. It is far more richly developed than it would seem based on the title and description.
This is not merely a snarky, one-upmanship that escalates into a showdown with one man standing. Author Sara Bennett Wealer has given her characters much more depth and complexity than is typical in this type of story, allowing readers to feel compassion for both the underdog and the bully.
But, it is still in keeping with other stories in this genre and tremendously entertaining. It’s got jealousy, diabolical pranks, a complete social freeze-out, a herd of A-Lister followers ready, willing and able to do whatever the Queen B says, and the requisite lovable geeky friend waiting in the wings ready to pick up the pieces.
Even in a month with so many great releases, Rival is a debut that you will not want to miss. Author Sara Bennett Wealer is an exceptional writer and one to keep on your watch list!
On a personal note:
I was completely surprised by this book. I was expecting something so totally different. I was thinking catfights and major sabotage. But this story was so much better. Sadder, yes. Better, oh absolutely.
I immediately went in expecting to hate Brooke – the rich, popular girl. Isn’t her character always the one to be hated? But I actually thought she had the most growth and became the better of the two. Still. Tough to choose.
I loved that the author used musical/operatic terms to loosely divide the sections of the story, leading up to the crescendo and finally to the resolution. So clever.
And I am so glad that this story didn’t end up being one that revolved only around the musical competition or end up being about some boy.
My favorite phrase from this book – I just had to include it as it’s just so wicked:
The human voice, it turns out, just isn’t that strong. Human hatred, on the other hand, is.
February 8, 2017
Loved it.
I loved the girls. I hated the girls. I wanted to know the girls more and more. I liked that they had hobbies outside of music, how their lives don't revolve around guys or popularity or shopping, etc. That there are secrets and mystery. We are only privvy to some of the facts as Wealer weaves the story from the past to the present.
Rival kept me up until 4 am this morning, until I finally gave in to my stomach and had to go to sleep. Later, at 8 am, I was rudely awoken and despite being exhausted I read right up to its charming conclusion that satisfied me.
Blargghh I'm not in a writing mood. So here are some check points:
+ Music. Plain and simple. That is what drew me to this book at first, but music is not the focal point which I am grateful for. I loved the definitions of musical terms that come with the switch from past to present, or present to past and that I recognised most of them. I love that the music aspects of it come so easy, and that the girls Brooke and Kathryn are not defined by their freaky love of music.
+ The ending. I think by the end of it I wanted Brooke to win, because she seemed to have come out of this a little bit better. I liked that the book ENDS with music, as is expected. Lots of contemporary books end with a romantic scene between the main character and her love interest, but not this one.
+ Brooke. I loved her insecurities and her resulting jealousy and possessiveness. At first I thought she was just this cold-hearted creature, but with the use of Wealer's perspective changes, we see this is not the case. That perhaps Brooke is a little more complex than that.
I did like Kathryn, too. At first I was rooting for her. I just didn't like the stuff she does later on...
+ The fact that the girls have hobbies apart from music. Brooke has her swimming and Queen B status. Kathryn has AP English, studying, journalism, reading. They couldn't be more different, but it is through music that they bond.
+ The book is so pretty!
+ I really liked how the flashbacks and perspectives were dealt with in this book. Some others found it confusing, but I found it very well planned out and it made me want to keep on reading to find out why things were so.
+ Glee. Come on.
- To be honest, I have a minor biff or too. The image quality for the page number looks surprisingly unprofessional. I don't know...it looks a tad choppy/pixelated. And the second was in some parts the teen talk seemed a bit forced or unnatural. There were a few occasions where a replacement for a swear seemed really awkward. (it's around the party scene somewhere, can't remember) I remember after reading the last page, I wanted so much for there to be some sort of an epilogue. Not a cheesy one, but just something that really ties it all together. But when I went back to that last paragraph, I thought back to myself Actually, I like it. I'm still very satisfied with how it ended.
Still, Rival definitely takes one of the top spots for my 2011 reads so far, and I can't wait to read more of Wealer's work! I have complete faith in her! :)
*PS. Everytime I look at the spine of Rival, I think of Sisters Red (Jackson Peirce) and vice versa. Anyone else see it or is it just me?
Review to be continued and polished!
I loved the girls. I hated the girls. I wanted to know the girls more and more. I liked that they had hobbies outside of music, how their lives don't revolve around guys or popularity or shopping, etc. That there are secrets and mystery. We are only privvy to some of the facts as Wealer weaves the story from the past to the present.
Rival kept me up until 4 am this morning, until I finally gave in to my stomach and had to go to sleep. Later, at 8 am, I was rudely awoken and despite being exhausted I read right up to its charming conclusion that satisfied me.
Blargghh I'm not in a writing mood. So here are some check points:
+ Music. Plain and simple. That is what drew me to this book at first, but music is not the focal point which I am grateful for. I loved the definitions of musical terms that come with the switch from past to present, or present to past and that I recognised most of them. I love that the music aspects of it come so easy, and that the girls Brooke and Kathryn are not defined by their freaky love of music.
+ The ending. I think by the end of it I wanted Brooke to win, because she seemed to have come out of this a little bit better. I liked that the book ENDS with music, as is expected. Lots of contemporary books end with a romantic scene between the main character and her love interest, but not this one.
+ Brooke. I loved her insecurities and her resulting jealousy and possessiveness. At first I thought she was just this cold-hearted creature, but with the use of Wealer's perspective changes, we see this is not the case. That perhaps Brooke is a little more complex than that.
I did like Kathryn, too. At first I was rooting for her. I just didn't like the stuff she does later on...
+ The fact that the girls have hobbies apart from music. Brooke has her swimming and Queen B status. Kathryn has AP English, studying, journalism, reading. They couldn't be more different, but it is through music that they bond.
+ The book is so pretty!
+ I really liked how the flashbacks and perspectives were dealt with in this book. Some others found it confusing, but I found it very well planned out and it made me want to keep on reading to find out why things were so.
+ Glee. Come on.
- To be honest, I have a minor biff or too. The image quality for the page number looks surprisingly unprofessional. I don't know...it looks a tad choppy/pixelated. And the second was in some parts the teen talk seemed a bit forced or unnatural. There were a few occasions where a replacement for a swear seemed really awkward. (it's around the party scene somewhere, can't remember) I remember after reading the last page, I wanted so much for there to be some sort of an epilogue. Not a cheesy one, but just something that really ties it all together. But when I went back to that last paragraph, I thought back to myself Actually, I like it. I'm still very satisfied with how it ended.
Still, Rival definitely takes one of the top spots for my 2011 reads so far, and I can't wait to read more of Wealer's work! I have complete faith in her! :)
*PS. Everytime I look at the spine of Rival, I think of Sisters Red (Jackson Peirce) and vice versa. Anyone else see it or is it just me?
Review to be continued and polished!
Read
August 18, 2014Dissonance: a harsh sounding of notes that produces a feeling of tension and unrest
When I opened my copy of Rival, this piece of text hit me like a shocking opening note sung forte in a quiet auditorium. I could already feel the pressure, the tension, the ruthless rivalry rushing adrenaline-fast through my system, and I knew I was in for a dramatic competition of a story.
Rival took no time in proving me right. In alternating present and flashback sections, it immediately drags readers into the conflict between Brooke and Kathryn, spotlighting their tumultuous history as well as their current frigid feelings. Sara Bennett Wealer builds biting acrimony with characters' dialogue and by naming each section after a musical term meant to convey tension. From many authors, a plot based so heavily on social status and high school rivalries could have seemed trivial and silly, but Wealer keeps her conflict serious, never letting it slip into the land of cheap teen movies with cheesy cliques and overdone drama.
One reason this book's competition works so well is the way Wealer manipulates music to create a competition infused with passion. The characters' love of singing elucidates each one's willingness to do anything to win the Blackmore, giving their distrust a more compelling cause than typical high school drama. More importantly, though, their shared talent threatens to draw the two girls together as they are the only two people who understand each other's dedication to singing. Even at the height of their hatred, readers can see that Rival does not feature the stereotypical rivalry; it unfolds a relationship that still has so much potential, despite all that went wrong. Music allows Wealer to show that Brooke and Kathryn's shattered friendship is deeper than something out of an average tale of teenage attacks.
However, the real reason why all of Wealer's expertly-crafted drama works so well is that she strips it down so readers can see the emotions, inner thoughts, and true personalities of her two lead characters. In doing this, the author defies stereotypes and shows that each girl is not quite what she seems. At first, it appears that Brooke is the villain, the popular girl who convinced the entire school to turn on poor, victimized Kathryn, but through illuminating flashbacks, readers soon learn that the social-climbing soprano is no angel either. Because Wealer broke away from the cliché of the queen bee stomping on a girl of a lower caste, her tale of high school drama never feels like something that has been done before.
With an absorbing and deeply-rooted rivalry, Wealer tells a tale that gets everything right, from the thrill of a musical competition to the emotional impact of lost friendship. Faster-paced than a song sung presto and as satisfying as a perfectly-placed resolution, Rival is not be be missed.
This review originally appeared at www.foreverliterary.blogspot.com
When I opened my copy of Rival, this piece of text hit me like a shocking opening note sung forte in a quiet auditorium. I could already feel the pressure, the tension, the ruthless rivalry rushing adrenaline-fast through my system, and I knew I was in for a dramatic competition of a story.
Rival took no time in proving me right. In alternating present and flashback sections, it immediately drags readers into the conflict between Brooke and Kathryn, spotlighting their tumultuous history as well as their current frigid feelings. Sara Bennett Wealer builds biting acrimony with characters' dialogue and by naming each section after a musical term meant to convey tension. From many authors, a plot based so heavily on social status and high school rivalries could have seemed trivial and silly, but Wealer keeps her conflict serious, never letting it slip into the land of cheap teen movies with cheesy cliques and overdone drama.
One reason this book's competition works so well is the way Wealer manipulates music to create a competition infused with passion. The characters' love of singing elucidates each one's willingness to do anything to win the Blackmore, giving their distrust a more compelling cause than typical high school drama. More importantly, though, their shared talent threatens to draw the two girls together as they are the only two people who understand each other's dedication to singing. Even at the height of their hatred, readers can see that Rival does not feature the stereotypical rivalry; it unfolds a relationship that still has so much potential, despite all that went wrong. Music allows Wealer to show that Brooke and Kathryn's shattered friendship is deeper than something out of an average tale of teenage attacks.
However, the real reason why all of Wealer's expertly-crafted drama works so well is that she strips it down so readers can see the emotions, inner thoughts, and true personalities of her two lead characters. In doing this, the author defies stereotypes and shows that each girl is not quite what she seems. At first, it appears that Brooke is the villain, the popular girl who convinced the entire school to turn on poor, victimized Kathryn, but through illuminating flashbacks, readers soon learn that the social-climbing soprano is no angel either. Because Wealer broke away from the cliché of the queen bee stomping on a girl of a lower caste, her tale of high school drama never feels like something that has been done before.
With an absorbing and deeply-rooted rivalry, Wealer tells a tale that gets everything right, from the thrill of a musical competition to the emotional impact of lost friendship. Faster-paced than a song sung presto and as satisfying as a perfectly-placed resolution, Rival is not be be missed.
This review originally appeared at www.foreverliterary.blogspot.com
December 7, 2010
Music is the core of Kathryn and Brooke’s friendship throughout high school. Through the teenage drama that often severs even the closest of friendships, music keeps the two girls together. Kathryn is known as a “loner”; Brooke, the wealthy and popular “it” type of girl. What would someone so popular want to have anything to do with one from the bottom of the high school food chain? Such a difference in lifestyles has a major influence on the decisions and choices that Brook and Kathryn make throughout their high school years.
A large portion of Kathryn and Brooke’s friendship revolves around jealousy. Brooke yearns for the loving and hospitable family Kathryn has and enjoys the time spent at their comfy and lived in home. Such is the opposite of Brooke’s often empty upscale house and distant divorced parents. To Brooke, Kathryn serves as a break from the uptight lifestyle often associated with wealth. On the contrary, Kathryn envies Brooke’s affluence and popularity compared with her own financial struggles.
As time progresses, Kathryn and Brooke begin preparing for the annual Blackmore Festival, a vocal competition with a huge monetary reward. Both girls enter with hopes of enhancing their futures; Kathryn, for financial assistance with college right around the corner; Brooke, to pursue her professional music career. Since there is only one winner of the Blackmore Festival, it is inevitable that Brooke and Kathryn will be faced against each other at one point. Rivalry, accompanied by an incident that takes place during junior year, officially destroys the friendship between Kathryn and Brooke. The music that once kept the two girls together now tears them apart. As a last resort, Kathryn returns to her trusting friend Matt, who she unknowingly ditches and replaces with Brooke at the beginning of the novel. As her sole friend once more, Matt helps Kathryn to better understand who her real friends are
Sara Wealer writes this novel in an alternating perspective between Kathryn and Brooke throughout their junior and senior years of high school. I thought this was particularly annoying and confusing, considering that the storyline is basically cut up and fed to the reader in randomized chronology. Without the proper background information I found it hard to piece matters together and form conclusions. On the bright side, I thought that Wealer’s friendship ideals were very realistic and that Kathryn’s financial struggles for college rang true to many high school students in the same situation as her. In the long run, if this story had been written in chronological order, I personally would have enjoyed it better. Rival is a quick read for those seeking a storyline that captures the dynamics of a good friendship and the struggles involved.
This review appears on www.readergirls.blogspot.com
A large portion of Kathryn and Brooke’s friendship revolves around jealousy. Brooke yearns for the loving and hospitable family Kathryn has and enjoys the time spent at their comfy and lived in home. Such is the opposite of Brooke’s often empty upscale house and distant divorced parents. To Brooke, Kathryn serves as a break from the uptight lifestyle often associated with wealth. On the contrary, Kathryn envies Brooke’s affluence and popularity compared with her own financial struggles.
As time progresses, Kathryn and Brooke begin preparing for the annual Blackmore Festival, a vocal competition with a huge monetary reward. Both girls enter with hopes of enhancing their futures; Kathryn, for financial assistance with college right around the corner; Brooke, to pursue her professional music career. Since there is only one winner of the Blackmore Festival, it is inevitable that Brooke and Kathryn will be faced against each other at one point. Rivalry, accompanied by an incident that takes place during junior year, officially destroys the friendship between Kathryn and Brooke. The music that once kept the two girls together now tears them apart. As a last resort, Kathryn returns to her trusting friend Matt, who she unknowingly ditches and replaces with Brooke at the beginning of the novel. As her sole friend once more, Matt helps Kathryn to better understand who her real friends are
Sara Wealer writes this novel in an alternating perspective between Kathryn and Brooke throughout their junior and senior years of high school. I thought this was particularly annoying and confusing, considering that the storyline is basically cut up and fed to the reader in randomized chronology. Without the proper background information I found it hard to piece matters together and form conclusions. On the bright side, I thought that Wealer’s friendship ideals were very realistic and that Kathryn’s financial struggles for college rang true to many high school students in the same situation as her. In the long run, if this story had been written in chronological order, I personally would have enjoyed it better. Rival is a quick read for those seeking a storyline that captures the dynamics of a good friendship and the struggles involved.
This review appears on www.readergirls.blogspot.com
February 26, 2011
I read this for the debut author challenge. I was in the mood to read a contemperary realistic fiction novel. I've been going pretty heavy on the fantasy and dysotopian here lately. So I went onto The Story Siren's blog to see what new debut novels were coming out in the month of February in the YA genre. Most of the ones listed were fantasy... Rival was one of the few realistic novels on the list.
I was immediately turned off and intrigued (at the same time if that's possible) by the synopsis and I'll get into why a little later in this review.
So basically this novel is the story of two girls in their senior year... who happen to be arch rivals. They are both deeply involved in the school choir and are competitive with each other. Brooke is the school's "teen queen". She's the popular one who everyone wants to be in the graces of. Kathryn is more of the pretty, quite, shy type. So how is it that two girls on complete opposite spectrums of the high school world could become rivals? Well the storyline is full of flashbacks that take you back to their junior year when the girls first met and give you the entire back story... all while you are experiencing their current dilemas of their senior year.
So like I said before, the synopsis gave me conflicting feelings for this book. I was turned off by the choir, "Glee", type storyline. I was not involved in choir in highschool and my school did not have a big choir program. I was concerned that I would not be able to relate with that part of the storyline. Then I was also pretty sure that as a 28 year old woman, I would not be interested at all in the catty-ness of teenage girls being "rivals". But on the other hand, I at one time too was a teenage girl... and I've dealt with my share of catty-ness coming from other females. I've always kind of related myself to the "Kathryn" type of girl. So I was intrigued to see the inner workings and thoughts behind the actions of the Brooke character... the epitome of the "mean girl".
I was pleasantly suprised by this book. I always go into the debut author novels feeling like they are a crap shoot. I was very happy with this one. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes as the girls argued. I actually related to a lot of what they went through. I sympathized with the characters and found myself fully invested in the book very quickly. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of YA or realistic contemperary fiction!
I was immediately turned off and intrigued (at the same time if that's possible) by the synopsis and I'll get into why a little later in this review.
So basically this novel is the story of two girls in their senior year... who happen to be arch rivals. They are both deeply involved in the school choir and are competitive with each other. Brooke is the school's "teen queen". She's the popular one who everyone wants to be in the graces of. Kathryn is more of the pretty, quite, shy type. So how is it that two girls on complete opposite spectrums of the high school world could become rivals? Well the storyline is full of flashbacks that take you back to their junior year when the girls first met and give you the entire back story... all while you are experiencing their current dilemas of their senior year.
So like I said before, the synopsis gave me conflicting feelings for this book. I was turned off by the choir, "Glee", type storyline. I was not involved in choir in highschool and my school did not have a big choir program. I was concerned that I would not be able to relate with that part of the storyline. Then I was also pretty sure that as a 28 year old woman, I would not be interested at all in the catty-ness of teenage girls being "rivals". But on the other hand, I at one time too was a teenage girl... and I've dealt with my share of catty-ness coming from other females. I've always kind of related myself to the "Kathryn" type of girl. So I was intrigued to see the inner workings and thoughts behind the actions of the Brooke character... the epitome of the "mean girl".
I was pleasantly suprised by this book. I always go into the debut author novels feeling like they are a crap shoot. I was very happy with this one. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes as the girls argued. I actually related to a lot of what they went through. I sympathized with the characters and found myself fully invested in the book very quickly. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of YA or realistic contemperary fiction!
October 23, 2015
Personal Response- “Rival” by Sara Bennett Wealer is a great book in my opinion. I feel that people would be able to relate to this book in many different ways. Friends go through these things, just like Brooke and Kathryn did. This book was a lot of fun to read and I would read it again.
Plot- The beginning starts off with Brooke, a student who attends Douglas High School. She wants to become a singer, and goes to Honors Choir too. Brooke’s biggest rival is Kathryn. Kathryn also attends Douglas High School and is also in Honors Choir. She is in the same class as Brooke. Kathryn also wants to become a singer. There is a competition for singers called the Blackmore. It’s a competition where a large group of singers from all over go and try to win the top prize, 250,000.00 dollars. Brooke and Kathryn are both trying to win this, and through their journey of high school, they endure many roadblocks that cause them to become rivals. Who will win the Blackmore? Will they be friends afterwards? Read to find out!
Characterization- Brooke and Kathryn are the main characters in this book. Brooke and Kathryn are total opposites. Brooke, is a child from a wealthy family. She has no father figure ever since her’s went to New York to become a movie star. Brooke has two brothers and many friends. She was one of the most popular girls at Douglas. Brooke’s best friend was Chloe. She was all about purring Brooke out there and helped Brooke become homecoming queen. She was invited to all the parties and had no problem with guys liking her. Kathryn on the other hand, is not very popular. She has one close friend, Matt. Matt was there for her 24/7. Kathryn had no siblings and she did homework in her spare time. Kathryn rarely went to parties and hung out with people, other than Matt. They both had one thing in common, they both wanted to win the Blackmore.
Recommendation- I would highly recommend “Rival” to females ages 12 and up. Males most likely wouldn’t like this book because it’s main focus is on music and a rivalry between two women. This book is full of detail and is a little confusing due to the switching of characters throughout the book. This book is also relatable, which makes it that much more interesting. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Plot- The beginning starts off with Brooke, a student who attends Douglas High School. She wants to become a singer, and goes to Honors Choir too. Brooke’s biggest rival is Kathryn. Kathryn also attends Douglas High School and is also in Honors Choir. She is in the same class as Brooke. Kathryn also wants to become a singer. There is a competition for singers called the Blackmore. It’s a competition where a large group of singers from all over go and try to win the top prize, 250,000.00 dollars. Brooke and Kathryn are both trying to win this, and through their journey of high school, they endure many roadblocks that cause them to become rivals. Who will win the Blackmore? Will they be friends afterwards? Read to find out!
Characterization- Brooke and Kathryn are the main characters in this book. Brooke and Kathryn are total opposites. Brooke, is a child from a wealthy family. She has no father figure ever since her’s went to New York to become a movie star. Brooke has two brothers and many friends. She was one of the most popular girls at Douglas. Brooke’s best friend was Chloe. She was all about purring Brooke out there and helped Brooke become homecoming queen. She was invited to all the parties and had no problem with guys liking her. Kathryn on the other hand, is not very popular. She has one close friend, Matt. Matt was there for her 24/7. Kathryn had no siblings and she did homework in her spare time. Kathryn rarely went to parties and hung out with people, other than Matt. They both had one thing in common, they both wanted to win the Blackmore.
Recommendation- I would highly recommend “Rival” to females ages 12 and up. Males most likely wouldn’t like this book because it’s main focus is on music and a rivalry between two women. This book is full of detail and is a little confusing due to the switching of characters throughout the book. This book is also relatable, which makes it that much more interesting. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
January 1, 2011
Kathryn and Brooke are fierce rivals in their senior year of high school. They both sing in choir and are shoe-ins to win the prestigious Blackmore Young Artsists award. Oh yeah, and they hate each other. But it wasn't always like this. During their junior year, they had been inseparable at times. Then something terrible happened and the hatred has been thick ever since. As the stress of the upcoming contest gets heavier, both girls begin to re-evaluate what is truly important to them.
Two books in a row with piano covers! Perhaps this is my subconscious telling me to start playing the piano again. Hmmm.
This was a sweet little book about two rivaling high school girls. Sara Bennett Wealer clearly makes one girl out to be better than the other, in everything from singing to being a good person. Yet both stories (the chapters alternate between Kathryn and Brooke) are equally compelling. There is a little bit of everything for the reader to identify with. The popular crowd, the choir geeks, the hottest guy in school, the cool best friend that's been there forever. Kathryn and Brooke are well developed characters, as are Kathryn's best friend Matt and Brooke's best friend Chloe. I always like seeing clever secondary characters, because it ends up rounding out the story a lot more than if the only finished characters are the main ones. And with an ending that I don't think any reader will see coming, Rival is a perfect mix of melody and harmony.
Two books in a row with piano covers! Perhaps this is my subconscious telling me to start playing the piano again. Hmmm.
This was a sweet little book about two rivaling high school girls. Sara Bennett Wealer clearly makes one girl out to be better than the other, in everything from singing to being a good person. Yet both stories (the chapters alternate between Kathryn and Brooke) are equally compelling. There is a little bit of everything for the reader to identify with. The popular crowd, the choir geeks, the hottest guy in school, the cool best friend that's been there forever. Kathryn and Brooke are well developed characters, as are Kathryn's best friend Matt and Brooke's best friend Chloe. I always like seeing clever secondary characters, because it ends up rounding out the story a lot more than if the only finished characters are the main ones. And with an ending that I don't think any reader will see coming, Rival is a perfect mix of melody and harmony.
September 8, 2011
I read this as a part of the YA book club's Fall Reading Challenge, to fulfill the book with an artistic teen requirement.
A quick synopsis: Brooke and Kathryn were friends. They are the two best singers in their school's choir, and are both devoted to their music. But that was before...Now, Brooke hates Kathryn, and Brooke has no qualms about using her popularity to make Kathryn suffer.
Things I liked:
This book was very honest. I expected a black and white, predictable story of cool girl versus loser, and was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the characters and the complexities of their relationships. The cool girl (Brooke) wasn't perfect, but neither was the less-cool overachiever (Kathryn).
The author did an excellent job of making the whole scenario, choir girls in high school, very real.
The writing was great, it really pulled me into Brooke and Kathryn's story.
Things I didn't love:
Neither of the main characters were very awesome which, although real and honest, left me feeling disconnected from the story.
Although I appreciated the unexpected plot twists, I didn't feel very satisfied at the end of the story. There were certain things I wished that the author had addressed before wrapping it up.
All in all, a fun YA contemporary. Not my favorite, but definitely worth reading.
A quick synopsis: Brooke and Kathryn were friends. They are the two best singers in their school's choir, and are both devoted to their music. But that was before...Now, Brooke hates Kathryn, and Brooke has no qualms about using her popularity to make Kathryn suffer.
Things I liked:
This book was very honest. I expected a black and white, predictable story of cool girl versus loser, and was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the characters and the complexities of their relationships. The cool girl (Brooke) wasn't perfect, but neither was the less-cool overachiever (Kathryn).
The author did an excellent job of making the whole scenario, choir girls in high school, very real.
The writing was great, it really pulled me into Brooke and Kathryn's story.
Things I didn't love:
Neither of the main characters were very awesome which, although real and honest, left me feeling disconnected from the story.
Although I appreciated the unexpected plot twists, I didn't feel very satisfied at the end of the story. There were certain things I wished that the author had addressed before wrapping it up.
All in all, a fun YA contemporary. Not my favorite, but definitely worth reading.
December 29, 2010
Rival is filled with rivalry, which is a given, gossip, lying, romance, and more! Told in varying points of view, Rival tells the story of Kathryn, a shy, quiet teen, and Brooke, a rich, popular teen. These teen girls come from different worlds but are brought together by their love of music.
I initially thought this book would be focused more on music and singing than anything else, which made me not too thrilled to read it. However, I quickly realized that the music competition and rivalry was second nature to the teens outside lives. I started this book one morning and finished it by the next because I just couldn’t put it down. Rival allows readers to see that there is more to life than just what you see on the surface. The plot was fast paced and I continually wanted to learn more of the secrets each of the teen girls slowly revealed.
A mysterious, suspenseful read, Rival is a great readalike for teens that have enjoyed teen series books such as Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars and Cecily von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl.
I initially thought this book would be focused more on music and singing than anything else, which made me not too thrilled to read it. However, I quickly realized that the music competition and rivalry was second nature to the teens outside lives. I started this book one morning and finished it by the next because I just couldn’t put it down. Rival allows readers to see that there is more to life than just what you see on the surface. The plot was fast paced and I continually wanted to learn more of the secrets each of the teen girls slowly revealed.
A mysterious, suspenseful read, Rival is a great readalike for teens that have enjoyed teen series books such as Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars and Cecily von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl.
May 20, 2011
Beautifully written, Wealer has brought us a novel quite different from what's out there. The passion for the music is so amazing. Rival has brought me back to a time that I miss, a time that only the glory that music can bring.
Brooke Dempsey seems to have it easy. She seems to have it all. She has all the friends you can imagine. She has the looks, money, and any guy she wants. She also had the ability to bring down Kathryn and ruin her name throughout the school all because she has the power. And because she could.
But why did this happen?
They used to be best friends.
They both have killer amazing singing voices and are up against each other to receive a scholarship.
Kathryn needs that money. Why can't Brooke just leave her alone? What is she still hiding? Only time will tell.
Brooke Dempsey seems to have it easy. She seems to have it all. She has all the friends you can imagine. She has the looks, money, and any guy she wants. She also had the ability to bring down Kathryn and ruin her name throughout the school all because she has the power. And because she could.
But why did this happen?
They used to be best friends.
They both have killer amazing singing voices and are up against each other to receive a scholarship.
Kathryn needs that money. Why can't Brooke just leave her alone? What is she still hiding? Only time will tell.
December 29, 2011
First off, the cover. I love the cover, and it's not just any random flower, it's a red flower, a red lily <3 I love the fonts in the book, the elegance and those swilry things. The set out, the design....gorgeous, so beautiful.
The story, the writing, the book in general? Amazing! I loved it! I mean, wow. WOW (but the writing is easy so it might not give you the feeling of satisfaction). Everything clicked and came together at the end. Just-Just, WOW!! My new favourite book! The themes :D the characters! Ahhh, I love them! I feel like Brooke and Kathryn are my two best friends! And the writing! Switching from past to present constantly, and being able to write in both very well! This is definitely a teen book, it was love, laughs, modern themes, and many things teens can relate to. Drama too, of course :)
I-I'm speechle-just-ahck, go read it!!!!!
The story, the writing, the book in general? Amazing! I loved it! I mean, wow. WOW (but the writing is easy so it might not give you the feeling of satisfaction). Everything clicked and came together at the end. Just-Just, WOW!! My new favourite book! The themes :D the characters! Ahhh, I love them! I feel like Brooke and Kathryn are my two best friends! And the writing! Switching from past to present constantly, and being able to write in both very well! This is definitely a teen book, it was love, laughs, modern themes, and many things teens can relate to. Drama too, of course :)
I-I'm speechle-just-ahck, go read it!!!!!
June 6, 2011
I first found this book while I was looking for a good book to read in a bookstore near our house. I saw the cover and it's kinda interesting. Read the prologue and it's just fantastic. As a teenager, I could actually relate to Kathryn, because she's like, good in singing, but she also wants to fit in. Then she met Brooke, who's like, the most popular a-lister in school and boom, for their love of music, they clicked. They became friends, but of course, friends have fights. They fought for a boy, who I think is not even worth of their love. Anyways, I think I'm spoiling so I better say one word to summarize all of this. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. Read it!
May 17, 2013
This book was absolutely amazing, and it was different from any other book I red so far. "Rival" is about these two girls; Brooke and Kathryn who are seniors and are enemies since homecoming of Junior year. The story is told in present time, but there are chapters where it goes back to junior year.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in music,because music plays a big role in this book.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in music,because music plays a big role in this book.
March 14, 2011
I was disappointed in this one...the beginning was very dated (lolcats, sigh) and the dialogue was often forced, and by the end the characters had made decisions that were not fitting to their personalities. It got to the point where I was confused as to who was who when reading from their own POV.
May 17, 2013
Although the ending was not what I expected, I really enjoyed this book. "Rival" is about two girls named Kaythryn and Brooke who used to be best friends but are now enemies. They are both after one goal and that's the choir competition which is a huge shot for a college scholarship.
I would recommend this book to Freshman and up because it's an easy book to understand.
I would recommend this book to Freshman and up because it's an easy book to understand.
January 3, 2011
just finished it and full review to come. Friendships and music , beautiful story
April 7, 2011
On page 82 I said to myself "I know exactly what will happen in this book". And I was right. There were a few good parts though.
February 20, 2018
Personal Opinion:
I absolutely hated this book. It was way too girly and the suspense was terrible. The book never gave you a straight answer throughout, and only at the end revealed SOME information. Overall, this book was cheesy and dumb.
Plot Summary:
Kathryn and Brooke were both friends until a falling out when they were Juniors. Now Seniors, as a prestigious competition looms in their future the tension builds. Brooke cannot stand Kathryn, and etc. More drama and stuff happens as Kathryn suspects Brooke and other girls are going to pull off a prank, and on her. Suddenly the two ex-friends realize that their enemies are truly still their best friends, and in the end, its all rainbows and hugs.(Puke).
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy girly novels. This book is fiction and filled with drama. This book will not answer questions until the end, leaving everything "up in the air".
I absolutely hated this book. It was way too girly and the suspense was terrible. The book never gave you a straight answer throughout, and only at the end revealed SOME information. Overall, this book was cheesy and dumb.
Plot Summary:
Kathryn and Brooke were both friends until a falling out when they were Juniors. Now Seniors, as a prestigious competition looms in their future the tension builds. Brooke cannot stand Kathryn, and etc. More drama and stuff happens as Kathryn suspects Brooke and other girls are going to pull off a prank, and on her. Suddenly the two ex-friends realize that their enemies are truly still their best friends, and in the end, its all rainbows and hugs.(Puke).
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy girly novels. This book is fiction and filled with drama. This book will not answer questions until the end, leaving everything "up in the air".
Read
October 31, 2013High school is where memories are made, be they good or bad. Whether you’re popular or an outcast, you remember that time of your life. Sara Bennett Wealer’s debut novel, Rival, recaptures high school through the eyes of two girls who couldn’t be more different...or more alike. Kathryn and Brooke are two seniors competing for the same prestigious music scholarship. Kathryn is a soprano with a light, airy voice, while Brooke is an alto, her sound rich and deep. Brooke is rich and one of the most popular girls at school while Kathryn is poor and a social outcast. Their love of music should bring these two girls together in the ultimate friendship, but instead, they’re bitter rivals.
The novel flips between “current day” (senior year) and flashbacks of junior year when everything went wrong. This isn’t done in an annoying way, however. Each year is focused on from both points of view for quite a few chapters before flipping back again. Rival is so tightly written that readers want to know what happened junior year to make Kathryn and Brooke such bitter rivals. They keep alluding to something, so by the time you find out, you’re just dying to know. Wealer did a spectacular job building suspense and keeping the story feeling natural.
Rivals focuses on relationships, but not the romantic kind. While there’s a brush of romance thrown in, it’s very blink-and-you-miss-it. While boy drama is involved, the male species is not the focal point of this novel: The relationship between the two rivals is. It’s refreshing to read a book with this type of outlook. There’s so much more to life than boys, but you’d never know it perusing today’s YA market. Friendship and rivalry is very much a part of our daily life, especially in high school. At one point, Kathryn and Brooke were on the point of being friends. If what went down junior year hadn’t gotten in the way, they would have most likely been best friends. They’re so obsessed with music and have so much in common, but it’s all overlooked due to their intense dislike of one another.
The relationship between the girls is another place where Wealer got it right. Because she chose to write from the POV of both characters, readers get a multi-faceted look at them as human beings. If we had read the book from just one perspective, we’d be looking through the flawed eyes of that one character. The remaining girl would automatically be a villain. It’s amazing to see the same situation through two pairs of eyes. For example, at one point, Kathryn gets complimented on her singing and smiles at one of her choir friends, but Brooke thinks she’s being smug and going, “So there!” at her to rub it in. In another instance, Kathryn thinks Brooke’s homecoming platform revolves around her and the fact that her family is poor, but Kathryn’s circumstances never crossed Brooke’s mind when putting everything together. It’s just amazing to see the way both girls become flawed, individual characters, neither right nor wrong. There are times when I really detest Brooke’s character, but others when Kathryn is out of line as well. Ultimately, I cared for them both and wanted to know how everything ultimately turns out for them.
Harper’s art department also got it right: Rival’s design will make all the other books on the shelf jealous. I love the bright, eye-catching red. That is one gorgeous flower. I also love the significance of the one petal pulled away from the rest, alluding to the fractured relationship between two girls. Even better, the piano on the cover hints at the fact that the novel revolves around the world of music. I also love the fonts used on both the cover and inside chapter headers. In addition, each chapter details what girl’s POV we’re reading, with a curl at the end that reminds me strongly of a music note. There’s a beautiful curl at the bottom of each page where the number is as well.
The last thing I want to point out that I love about Rival is the fact that it’s centered around the arts. With so many programs being cut these days, it’s refreshing to see an author focus on such students. Not only that, the high school choir is really good and constantly in competitions. Singers are regularly nominated for prestigious prizes such as the prestigious Blackmore scholarship Kathryn and Brooke are competing for. In addition, they don’t focus on modern-day pop hits the way the students in Glee do. Instead, they listen to musicals, study Stephen Sondheim, and sing hard opera songs. These are some truly talented students and, music lover that I am, I adore the way Wealer gave us a glimpse into the world of pre-professional singers.
I’m so happy with how much music is in the media right now. Love it or hate it, Glee is a phenomenon in and of itself that has paved the road for more music-centered TV shows. Rival will hopefully be popular with teens as well. Fellow 2011 debut author Jessica Martinez will release Virtuosity, focused on rivalry in the world of orchestra students, this time a boy and girl competing in the prestigious Guarneri competition. If you enjoyed Rival, I think you’ll want to read this as well. I know I do! In fact, Martinez released cover art this week and it is hot, hot, HOT!
The novel flips between “current day” (senior year) and flashbacks of junior year when everything went wrong. This isn’t done in an annoying way, however. Each year is focused on from both points of view for quite a few chapters before flipping back again. Rival is so tightly written that readers want to know what happened junior year to make Kathryn and Brooke such bitter rivals. They keep alluding to something, so by the time you find out, you’re just dying to know. Wealer did a spectacular job building suspense and keeping the story feeling natural.
Rivals focuses on relationships, but not the romantic kind. While there’s a brush of romance thrown in, it’s very blink-and-you-miss-it. While boy drama is involved, the male species is not the focal point of this novel: The relationship between the two rivals is. It’s refreshing to read a book with this type of outlook. There’s so much more to life than boys, but you’d never know it perusing today’s YA market. Friendship and rivalry is very much a part of our daily life, especially in high school. At one point, Kathryn and Brooke were on the point of being friends. If what went down junior year hadn’t gotten in the way, they would have most likely been best friends. They’re so obsessed with music and have so much in common, but it’s all overlooked due to their intense dislike of one another.
The relationship between the girls is another place where Wealer got it right. Because she chose to write from the POV of both characters, readers get a multi-faceted look at them as human beings. If we had read the book from just one perspective, we’d be looking through the flawed eyes of that one character. The remaining girl would automatically be a villain. It’s amazing to see the same situation through two pairs of eyes. For example, at one point, Kathryn gets complimented on her singing and smiles at one of her choir friends, but Brooke thinks she’s being smug and going, “So there!” at her to rub it in. In another instance, Kathryn thinks Brooke’s homecoming platform revolves around her and the fact that her family is poor, but Kathryn’s circumstances never crossed Brooke’s mind when putting everything together. It’s just amazing to see the way both girls become flawed, individual characters, neither right nor wrong. There are times when I really detest Brooke’s character, but others when Kathryn is out of line as well. Ultimately, I cared for them both and wanted to know how everything ultimately turns out for them.
Harper’s art department also got it right: Rival’s design will make all the other books on the shelf jealous. I love the bright, eye-catching red. That is one gorgeous flower. I also love the significance of the one petal pulled away from the rest, alluding to the fractured relationship between two girls. Even better, the piano on the cover hints at the fact that the novel revolves around the world of music. I also love the fonts used on both the cover and inside chapter headers. In addition, each chapter details what girl’s POV we’re reading, with a curl at the end that reminds me strongly of a music note. There’s a beautiful curl at the bottom of each page where the number is as well.
The last thing I want to point out that I love about Rival is the fact that it’s centered around the arts. With so many programs being cut these days, it’s refreshing to see an author focus on such students. Not only that, the high school choir is really good and constantly in competitions. Singers are regularly nominated for prestigious prizes such as the prestigious Blackmore scholarship Kathryn and Brooke are competing for. In addition, they don’t focus on modern-day pop hits the way the students in Glee do. Instead, they listen to musicals, study Stephen Sondheim, and sing hard opera songs. These are some truly talented students and, music lover that I am, I adore the way Wealer gave us a glimpse into the world of pre-professional singers.
I’m so happy with how much music is in the media right now. Love it or hate it, Glee is a phenomenon in and of itself that has paved the road for more music-centered TV shows. Rival will hopefully be popular with teens as well. Fellow 2011 debut author Jessica Martinez will release Virtuosity, focused on rivalry in the world of orchestra students, this time a boy and girl competing in the prestigious Guarneri competition. If you enjoyed Rival, I think you’ll want to read this as well. I know I do! In fact, Martinez released cover art this week and it is hot, hot, HOT!
February 2, 2019
I feel like this is a book I might have gotten more out of back when I was a teen; it captures the insecurities and petty jealousies of those years quite well. But now, I mostly just wanted to shake the main characters and tell them how idiotic they were being.
August 31, 2011
I received this book when I attended the author event our public library hosted for Sara Bennett Wealer. I didn’t know much about her debut book, Rival, until I had heard they were having the event. I am not disappointed at all and after reading it I feel very lucky that I got this book for free and signed by Sara herself.
Now onto the book…where to start…
It’s so hard to decide where to start with this review. I absolutely loved this book. The way Sara set up the story was genius! Instead of regular chapters each new ”chapter” was set in a different point of view. The chapter titles were simply the name “Brooke” or “Kathryn” to indicate who’s view you were reading. Sara switched between seeing what Brooke was thinking and feeling to what Kathryn was thinking and feeling. It was awesome to see the difference in how people can perceive things, how when someone says something or something happens two people can view it differently. I also enjoyed the sections that she went back and forth between Senior Year and Junior Year.
You see, during their Junior Year of High School the girls become very good friends. They found out that they had the passion of music and singing in common and that brought them together. Brooke is a very popular girl, one that everyone pays attention to. If she really likes someone, that person becomes popular, but if she decides to dislike you everyone takes note and will treat you bad. Kathryn, on the other hand, is more of a loner. She has one friend, Matt, and they’ve been friends since grade school. When she befriends Brooke her world changes and she starts to become popular and well-known. With popularity being so new, Kathryn starts to abuse it and become a different person. When Brooke confides in Kathryn with a family secrete, and Kathryn ends up telling a few of the other girls, things go very wrong. Brooke ends up confronting Kathryn in front of a huge group of people and we get the climax of the story.
Rival starts during Senior Year, after the huge climax has happened. You aren’t sure exactly what happened between Brooke and Kathryn but you know it must have been pretty bad. I couldn’t stop reading, I needed to know what was going to happen. Plus, I could understand where both of the girls were coming from. First I started out not sure of how I felt about Brooke, then during the flash backs I was irritated with Kathryn and her attitude when she became popular…but I could still understand why she was acting the way she was. I know some people ended the book really liking one or the other but I couldn’t help but like both of them. I understood what they were feeling and I’ve seen the way the lack of communication can really dwindle a relationship. There were several problems that if the girls would have just explained how they were feeling then things would have turned out differently. For example, there were times that Brooke was feeling a certain way that if she would have just sat down and told Kathryn things would have been better. Instead Brooke would just assume that Kathryn should know what she was thinking and feeling. We all know what people say about assuming right?! Yep, it makes an ass out of you and me and that’s exactly what happened.
I loved how Brooke really grew and changed at the end of the book, how she figured out that some of the people she was surrounding herself with weren’t the best people. They were the types of girls that thrived on making others miserable. I was happy that Kathryn ended up standing out just being herself with a really awesome guy. I loved the side character of Matt, Kathryn’s best friend. Matt’s that guy in high school that was your best friend that you never wanted to be anything else because he was sort of nerdy but when you grow and mature you realize that he’s the one you want as a partner in life. I liked him a lot and he made his friendship to Kathryn known even after she put him through some bad things while she was being selfish.
I really could go on forever about this book! If you like Young Adult books, if you enjoy a uniquely written book you just can’t put down, you really need to invest your time and money into this book! It was fabulous and I’m looking forward to the next book Sara publishes. I might have to wait a while but I know that I’ll jump right on it as soon as it’s out!
P.S. I also loved how each section started out with a musical term and definition that would relate to that next part that you read. For example: Bellicoso: to be performed in an aggressive, warlike fashion this was right before the section going back to Junior Year and the climax of the story. Brilliant people, just brilliant!!
Now onto the book…where to start…
It’s so hard to decide where to start with this review. I absolutely loved this book. The way Sara set up the story was genius! Instead of regular chapters each new ”chapter” was set in a different point of view. The chapter titles were simply the name “Brooke” or “Kathryn” to indicate who’s view you were reading. Sara switched between seeing what Brooke was thinking and feeling to what Kathryn was thinking and feeling. It was awesome to see the difference in how people can perceive things, how when someone says something or something happens two people can view it differently. I also enjoyed the sections that she went back and forth between Senior Year and Junior Year.
You see, during their Junior Year of High School the girls become very good friends. They found out that they had the passion of music and singing in common and that brought them together. Brooke is a very popular girl, one that everyone pays attention to. If she really likes someone, that person becomes popular, but if she decides to dislike you everyone takes note and will treat you bad. Kathryn, on the other hand, is more of a loner. She has one friend, Matt, and they’ve been friends since grade school. When she befriends Brooke her world changes and she starts to become popular and well-known. With popularity being so new, Kathryn starts to abuse it and become a different person. When Brooke confides in Kathryn with a family secrete, and Kathryn ends up telling a few of the other girls, things go very wrong. Brooke ends up confronting Kathryn in front of a huge group of people and we get the climax of the story.
Rival starts during Senior Year, after the huge climax has happened. You aren’t sure exactly what happened between Brooke and Kathryn but you know it must have been pretty bad. I couldn’t stop reading, I needed to know what was going to happen. Plus, I could understand where both of the girls were coming from. First I started out not sure of how I felt about Brooke, then during the flash backs I was irritated with Kathryn and her attitude when she became popular…but I could still understand why she was acting the way she was. I know some people ended the book really liking one or the other but I couldn’t help but like both of them. I understood what they were feeling and I’ve seen the way the lack of communication can really dwindle a relationship. There were several problems that if the girls would have just explained how they were feeling then things would have turned out differently. For example, there were times that Brooke was feeling a certain way that if she would have just sat down and told Kathryn things would have been better. Instead Brooke would just assume that Kathryn should know what she was thinking and feeling. We all know what people say about assuming right?! Yep, it makes an ass out of you and me and that’s exactly what happened.
I loved how Brooke really grew and changed at the end of the book, how she figured out that some of the people she was surrounding herself with weren’t the best people. They were the types of girls that thrived on making others miserable. I was happy that Kathryn ended up standing out just being herself with a really awesome guy. I loved the side character of Matt, Kathryn’s best friend. Matt’s that guy in high school that was your best friend that you never wanted to be anything else because he was sort of nerdy but when you grow and mature you realize that he’s the one you want as a partner in life. I liked him a lot and he made his friendship to Kathryn known even after she put him through some bad things while she was being selfish.
I really could go on forever about this book! If you like Young Adult books, if you enjoy a uniquely written book you just can’t put down, you really need to invest your time and money into this book! It was fabulous and I’m looking forward to the next book Sara publishes. I might have to wait a while but I know that I’ll jump right on it as soon as it’s out!
P.S. I also loved how each section started out with a musical term and definition that would relate to that next part that you read. For example: Bellicoso: to be performed in an aggressive, warlike fashion this was right before the section going back to Junior Year and the climax of the story. Brilliant people, just brilliant!!
February 17, 2015
Originally posted on my blog, Denim-Jacket Librarian Dishes
There were definitely two reasons I had in mind when I chose to pick up Rival; the cover is absolutely gorgeous and the summary brought back a lot of memories. Fortunately, my times in high school choir were some of the best times I had, and though my best friend and I were competitive, it was definitely not to the extent of Brooke and Kathryn. I had to know what would turn two girls against each other in such a way when both shared such a love of music and performing. What I got from the story was much deeper than a music competition between two former best friends turned heated rivals.
Kathryn and Brooke couldn't be more opposite when it comes to their lives. Kathryn has been more of a wallflower within their high school, active while at the same time not within the spotlight. She focuses on her schoolwork and music in order to help ease the financial burdens placed on her family. On the other hand, Brooke has always been within the limelight at high school, mostly due to her older brothers' presence. But there is an authority that resonates from her that has the entire school in awe of her, though not for what she is most proud of, namely music. If not for music and then a slumber party during their junior year, it's doubtful that their paths would have really crossed, leading to their friendship.
It is when that friendship extends to Brooke's long-time best friend, Chloe, that things begin to weaken due to Kathryn's acceptance into the "A-list" circle and not spending as much time with just Brooke. As Chloe seems to monopolize more of Kathryn's time, Brooke begins to question her relationship with Kathryn. Their strained friendship ultimately culminates in Kathryn doing "something very bad" to Brooke which then leads to a punch in the face in front of the entire A-list at school. And with that punch, Brooke has sent Kathryn back to the outskirts of the student body.
Now, here is where readers might start complaining about how both girls did fairly rotten things to each other, but you have to remember, these are teenage girls. They do stupid things because they are teenagers and they don't know how to handle certain actions, slights, or behaviors. Who didn't want to belong with the "A-list," the popular crowd in high school? Kathryn was just one of those few that wanted to belong, and when she got the chance she did what she could to stay there. Brooke could have explained her feelings to Kathryn about a lot of things or at least tried to be more open, but she chose to go the silent route until it built up so much she exploded. I'm not trying to condone Kathryn's actions or Brooke's inaction rather I'm putting into perspective the reality that Wealer has created, and I do believe she has captured a part of high school life.
What I really liked about both characters is that they possess honest and real voices, each seeing the greener grass on the other side of the fence even after their friendship falls apart. Kathryn and Brooke see what they lack within the other's life and cannot understand why that goodness isn't appreciated, such as Kathryn's loving parents or Brooke's freedom in socializing. But when it comes to music there is no question about how much it means to either of them, and both girls do not hold back in choir.
Readers will definitely see Wealer's own love of music woven into the story, and that was what really drew me to Rival in the first place. The use of musical terminology definitions to set up the tone of the story was a nice opening to each part whether from senior year or junior year. While reading, I couldn't help feeling that if Brooke and Kathryn had just started talking while in choir during their junior year, just the two of them, a lot of heartache and hurt might have been avoided in the long run. With their love of music, one would assume that Brooke might have approached Kathryn to initiate conversation, but perhaps even the high school socialite lacked courage in that regard.
Overall, Wealer delivered a great story of the trials that can occur with relationships in high school through characters that felt real and also managed to grow throughout the story. I think most readers would enjoy Rival, and readers who have a musical background, especially while in high school, will hopefully appreciate the nostalgia as I did.
There were definitely two reasons I had in mind when I chose to pick up Rival; the cover is absolutely gorgeous and the summary brought back a lot of memories. Fortunately, my times in high school choir were some of the best times I had, and though my best friend and I were competitive, it was definitely not to the extent of Brooke and Kathryn. I had to know what would turn two girls against each other in such a way when both shared such a love of music and performing. What I got from the story was much deeper than a music competition between two former best friends turned heated rivals.
Kathryn and Brooke couldn't be more opposite when it comes to their lives. Kathryn has been more of a wallflower within their high school, active while at the same time not within the spotlight. She focuses on her schoolwork and music in order to help ease the financial burdens placed on her family. On the other hand, Brooke has always been within the limelight at high school, mostly due to her older brothers' presence. But there is an authority that resonates from her that has the entire school in awe of her, though not for what she is most proud of, namely music. If not for music and then a slumber party during their junior year, it's doubtful that their paths would have really crossed, leading to their friendship.
It is when that friendship extends to Brooke's long-time best friend, Chloe, that things begin to weaken due to Kathryn's acceptance into the "A-list" circle and not spending as much time with just Brooke. As Chloe seems to monopolize more of Kathryn's time, Brooke begins to question her relationship with Kathryn. Their strained friendship ultimately culminates in Kathryn doing "something very bad" to Brooke which then leads to a punch in the face in front of the entire A-list at school. And with that punch, Brooke has sent Kathryn back to the outskirts of the student body.
Now, here is where readers might start complaining about how both girls did fairly rotten things to each other, but you have to remember, these are teenage girls. They do stupid things because they are teenagers and they don't know how to handle certain actions, slights, or behaviors. Who didn't want to belong with the "A-list," the popular crowd in high school? Kathryn was just one of those few that wanted to belong, and when she got the chance she did what she could to stay there. Brooke could have explained her feelings to Kathryn about a lot of things or at least tried to be more open, but she chose to go the silent route until it built up so much she exploded. I'm not trying to condone Kathryn's actions or Brooke's inaction rather I'm putting into perspective the reality that Wealer has created, and I do believe she has captured a part of high school life.
What I really liked about both characters is that they possess honest and real voices, each seeing the greener grass on the other side of the fence even after their friendship falls apart. Kathryn and Brooke see what they lack within the other's life and cannot understand why that goodness isn't appreciated, such as Kathryn's loving parents or Brooke's freedom in socializing. But when it comes to music there is no question about how much it means to either of them, and both girls do not hold back in choir.
Readers will definitely see Wealer's own love of music woven into the story, and that was what really drew me to Rival in the first place. The use of musical terminology definitions to set up the tone of the story was a nice opening to each part whether from senior year or junior year. While reading, I couldn't help feeling that if Brooke and Kathryn had just started talking while in choir during their junior year, just the two of them, a lot of heartache and hurt might have been avoided in the long run. With their love of music, one would assume that Brooke might have approached Kathryn to initiate conversation, but perhaps even the high school socialite lacked courage in that regard.
Overall, Wealer delivered a great story of the trials that can occur with relationships in high school through characters that felt real and also managed to grow throughout the story. I think most readers would enjoy Rival, and readers who have a musical background, especially while in high school, will hopefully appreciate the nostalgia as I did.
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