Look Both Ways

Cherry (For Real) will delight theater fans with this novel about a girl who seems to lack her family’s knack for performance. Brooklyn Shepard, 17, lives in the shadow of her mother, a famous Broadway star, but she plans to hone her own talents at a prestigious summer-stock program. Yet even there, Brooklyn is surrounded by skilled peers who idolize her mother, and she can’t shake her insecurities about whether she deserves to be in the program, wondering whether her mother pulled strings to get her in. Soon, Brooklyn discovers that her place in the theater world might be as a musician, and she begins developing feelings for Zoe, her summer roommate (who has a boyfriend). Cherry’s writing is smooth, and her characters are bright and full of humor. She explores Brooklyn’s struggles with self-esteem and uncertainty about her sexuality with a sensitivity and openness that gives the story notable depth and should expand its audience beyond those who dream of the stage. Ages 12–up. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary. (June)