ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
OLDER FICTION

Forsooth

360 pp. | Carolrhoda | November, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9781728457598 $19.99
(2) YA Calvin Conroy dreams of becoming a Broadway star, but when he falls off the stage during the middle school musical, it confirms what he's always known: he's meant to play supporting cast to his best friend, Kennedy, the true star in his life. Then Kennedy reveals she will be attending performing arts school in New York City next year, leaving him to face eighth grade without her. Calvin decides to create a film spectacular enough to convince her to stay. He enlists his neighbor Blake, an aspiring filmmaker and the only person who knows how to soothe Calvin's growing anxiety. Soon, Calvin has yet another thing to worry about--what his Catholic parents will think about his crushing on another boy. He'll have all summer in church youth choir to think about it, under the watchful eyes of the priest. Calvin's panicky narration is easy to empathize with, giving the reader a front-row seat to his anxiety. Heavier themes are balanced with lightheartedness and references that will delight any theater kid. The topic of religion, in particular--Catholicism and Judaism, as experienced via a friend's bar mitzvah--is approached with both humor and thoughtfulness. Calvin's first attempts at romance and sometimes toxic friendships result in a lot of drama, but his showstopping antics are a joy throughout.
Reviewer: Bodie Shanis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

RELATED 

OLDER FICTION

What Beauty There Is
by Anderson, Cory
OLDER FICTION

Between Perfect and Real
by Stoeve, Ray
OLDER FICTION

Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good
by Werlin, Nancy
OLDER FICTION

Home Is Not a Country
by Elhillo, Safia
OLDER FICTION

All Our Hidden Gifts
by O'Donoghue, Caroline
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?