Review: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

From the fantastic author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice comes a story of all the drama and comedy of four friends who grow into themselves at a performing arts high school.


Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

My Review:Take a Bow was an adorable and sweet read.  I loved reading the stories of the four characters at a performing arts school.  I also enjoyed the way the book ended.  

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

One character in the story was Emme.  Her story was interwoven with the stories of all the other characters.  She was a very sweet character, and she seemed to care more about others than herself.  I was surprised that she was blind to Ethan's love for so long.  I enjoyed how they started a relationship at the end of the novel.  I loved reading about how supportive Emme was of Carter when he told her he didn't really like acting.  A really awesome scene was near the end when Emme told off Sophie for how Sophie had been treating her.

Another character in the novel was Sophie.  I was not a fan of Sophie, but I don't think she's really supposed to be likeable.  She only cares about herself and her fame.  She is only dating Carter so she can be in tabloids and get seen with him at events.  Despite my dislike of her, I still enjoyed reading Sophie's POV.  I was glad when Emme made it into the Showcase over Sophie.  I think Sophie should have allowed Emme to accompany her at the Freshman Show.

A third character was Carter.  He was a child actor and Sophie's boyfriend.  I loved watching him discover his passion for art.  I also liked his mom.  He assumed she would not be happy that he wanted to stop acting, but she was okay with it.  I also enjoyed watching his friendship with Emme develop.

Finally, the fourth POV character in this novel was Ethan.  He was in the same band as Emme, and he had loved her for the past few years.  Unfortunately for him, she had thought he only wanted to be her friend, not her boyfriend.  He made bad decisions, like cheating on his girlfriend, but overall, he was a good guy.  His love for Emme shown through the pages.  I was happy when she finally realized that she loved him too.

If you want to read a fun contemporary YA, read this book.

Katie