Reviewed by Marie Robinson for TeensReadToo.com

Elizabeth has big dreams of becoming an actress. She loves everything about the theater and feels born to be a part of it. Her aunt, who has raised her, wants a more conventional life and disapproves of Elizabeth's ambitions to become an actress.

Taking place over a mere four days, Elizabeth is forced to learn a lot about herself, about her career ambitions, and about growing up. Her aunt disapproves of the lifestyle Elizabeth has adopted while working for a theater company, and has withdrawn the money she was paying for Elizabeth's room and board. This leaves Elizabeth to confront just what compromises she will make in her life to realize her dream.

The melodramatic title aside, this is a lovely book. It's set in 1946, with mentions of Automats, and with characters speaking a diction reminiscent of an earlier time. It's a detailed look into the lives of young men and women trying to find themselves by playing other characters. Elizabeth doesn't just have to stand up to her aunt, she also has to learn about the kind of love that comes along with growing up.

The characters are well drawn, and L'Engle deftly draws the reader in to the stories of the minor characters as well as the major ones. It is an example in character study, with a satisfying ending that does not feel trite or contrived. ( )

The cover was most compelling. The title of the book did not reflect the content of the book. I was disappointed with the book. I was expecting more of a romance novel but instead I got some girls dreams of aspiring to be and actress. AHS/JD

We are fortunate that L'Engle's family gave permission for this early work to be published last year. Although L'Engle had not become a full-fledged writer at the time this was written, her prose does show much promise, even in the preachy dialogue and stilted conversations. Her descriptions of the beach, the boardwalk, the theater, and the dorm are quite on the mark, however, and are what make this book interesting. This story has both heart and genuine emotion. L'Engle was telling her own story--her passion for the theater, her early romance. The ending, which is not a neat, tidy ending by any means, is very much a true to life ending. ( )

Soooooo boring, I can't even muster up the energy to berate it. Ugh. ( )

Madeleine L'Engle is my favorite author, so naturally I couldn't resist when I saw that they'd released a new novel of hers. It's a YA novel, the story of a young woman named Elizabeth who is passionate about becoming an actress despite her gaurdian aunt's disaproval. L'Engle herself worked in the theatre as a young woman, her grandaughter Lena describes the story in the book's introduction as her grandmother's love-letter to the theatre. It was a very pleasant Sunday-afternoon read. I didn't love it the way I've loved some of her other books, but I enjoyed it and I cared about the characters.

Quick read and fun in light of knowing l'Engle's own love story. Some poignant sentences worth re-reading for their insights. ( )