Review: Dramarama by E. Lockhart

Dec 2, 2010 by shanyn

Title: Dramarama
Paperback, 320 pages
Author: E. Lockhart
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: May 20, 2008
Source: Library
Buy: Amazon

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Book Summary:
Two theater-mad, self-inventedfabulositon Ohio teenagers. One boy, one girl. One gay, one straight. One black, one white. And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP. It’s a season of hormones, gold lame, hissy fits, jazz hands, song and dance, true love,and unitards that will determine their future–and test their friendship.

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

I will admit, there were a TON of references in this book I did not “get.” I have seen Wicked and The Lion King (does that one even count?), so when they talked about anything else… Fiddler on the Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, even Cabaret – I had no idea what the songs sounded like or how the scenes played out. This didn’t bother me too much unless it was an extended scene with them discussing musicals and plays – obviously the plot of the book is based on the camp experience, so I still understood what was going on in the big picture… but it probably would have been a little more fun for me if I could have imagined the songs they were singing while they played the piano, etc.

But really, that was all okay.

I should maybe mention here that I was actually in a musical in high school – School House Rock, Live! I was the lead, which sounds fancy except it was a lead that didn’t have any solos, so it’s not something I’m trying to brag about. But it does explain why I loved to hear about their rehearsals and all of the other stuff they did at the camp.

There is even some identity solving situations in this book, which gives it a little more depth than you’d first think. These mostly happen with the boy character – the girl character (who is telling the story for us) actually got on my nerves a little bit, and didn’t learn nearly as much as the male did.

So, you love drama? Or summer camp? Watch a lot of Broadway shows? I think you’d like Dramarama. It should be easy to find as it has been out a few years, and it’s lots of fun if you’re into this kind of stuff.

Buy: Amazon

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