Review: My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff

May 2, 2011 by shanyn

Title: My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies
Hardcover, 320 pages
Author: Allen Zadoff
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: May 10, 2011
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon

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Book Summary:
High school sophomore Adam Zeigler, who lost his father to a sudden accident two years ago, thinks the best way to live life is behind the spotlight. As a member of the theater crew, he believes he’s achieved it all when he wins the coveted job of spotlight operator. But that was before a young actress, Summer, appeared in his view. Instantly smitten, Adam is determined to win her over. But to do so, he’ll have to defy his best friend and break the golden rule of his school: techies and actors don’t mix.

Set against the backdrop of a high school production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Zadoff’s latest is a bromance, a love story, and theater story in one. The politics of love and high school collide as Adam struggles to find the courage to step out of the shadows and into the light.

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Review:
I have already read Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a feel good kind of book, with friendships and relationships and life – so I was expecting that from My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies… and I got it! Hooray.

I really like Allen Zadoff’s writing style. I started this book late one night, looking for a book where I could read a few chapters before bed – and I actually ended up having to force myself to stop reading halfway through a chapter because I kept getting sucked in. And it wasn’t because there are huge action scenes with swords and werewolf creatures – I just really like the way Zadoff writes.

It was fun to read from Adam Ziegler’s point of view as a “techie” for a show rather than an actor – instead of instantly fitting in, we got to watch Adam walk the line between techie and actor, which is quite an interesting dynamic.

The last third of the book is really what hit home for me. I really really loved one of the last scenes of the book especially.

I would have liked for some of the characters to go a little deeper – Zadoff started to go there, but we mostly just get to skim the surface of most of them. Which ultimately ends up being okay; it just meant that I didn’t care quite as much for some of them as I could have by the end.

A charming, lovable read, Allen Zadoff has enchanted me again with My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies!

Buy: Amazon

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