VIOLA IN THE SPOTLIGHT (ADRIANA TRIGIANI)

Note*** This is a Young Adult novel but is also suited to adults.

Viola in the Spotlight is the follow up to the fun and humorousViola in Reel Life.

Viola is fifteen-years-old and her summer is just beginning. She is extremely happy to be back in New York with her family and best friends. She had been away at boarding school for her freshman year. Soon she finds out that her home buddies aren't going to be around during summer vacation and her best bud, Andrew, is acting strangely toward her and she doesn't know why. Things are not off to a good start when her friend Caitlin talks Viola into lying for her so she can sneak off with her secret British boyfriend, Maurice. Viola knows it's wrong but Caitlin is a good friend, but at the same time, she knows she should be talking Caitlin into telling her parents but she doesn't. Viola doesn't know what she's going to do for summer vacation now that all her friends are going to be busy but then she lucks out and her Grandmother gets her an intern job at the theatre.

The one thing in this novel that I really liked was the fact that Adriana focused on the 'friendships' between the kids rather than 'romance' which is what you usually find in Young Adult novels. The focus on Andrew, Caitlin, her school friends and how their friendships work is a refreshing change from the norm. Just like in real life, teenagers think more of their friendships than they do their parents and what their friends think and do is very important to them.

The great character development, the setting, and the relationships make this an intriguing and engrossing read. There are plenty of surprises in this novel and Viola must make some decisions that may change her life, or will they? Another great aspect of this novel is the fact that Viola is really a regular ordinary teenager and Adriana has her dealing with everyday situations. I can't wait for the third book in this series to see what Viola and her friends are up to next. Well done!

April 21, 2011