Drama: A Graphic Novel

I enjoyed the illustrations, they’re brightly colored and feature very expressive faces, I was just a little disappointed that a secondary character had a more compelling story than the main character does.

Middle-schooler Callie has a knack for crushing on people who aren’t quite right for her which was far less interesting to me than seeing her construct sets and props for the play, working so hard to get that cannon working. I loved her creativity, her passion for the job, and her determination, those facets of her personality were so much more appealing to me than any moment of her obsessing over whether a boy liked her or not.

One of the other kids in this story has their own arc where they are figuring out who they are and how show more to be open about it, it’s really fantastic to see acceptance and self-acceptance in more and more books, my only issue with this is that I think it would have been more affecting if it were in a book that actually came from that character’s point of view so the reader would get a first-hand feeling of what they’re experiencing.

As I made clear, I really liked Callie, but it seemed kind of a strange choice that the character who goes through the most change in the story isn’t the main character, in fact, Callie doesn’t have much of an arc at all. It left me wishing this had been two books, one truly focused on Callie, where she’s concerned with something deeper than boy drama (even if that does fit the title of the book) and then a second book from the POV of that other character. show less

Middle schooler Callie and her friends are psyched to be a part of the crew once again when their school decides to stage a spring musical. Meanwhile, Callie pines over Greg, the older brother of her friend Matt, and Matt seems to be miffed at her all the time lately. Also, Callie becomes friends with a pair of twins, Justin and Jesse, who excitedly read about the school play one day when Callie is placing flyers throughout the school.

I had previously read Telgemeier's Smile and enjoyed it enough that I picked up this book when I saw it at my library. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to stop. Unlike Smile, this is a work of fiction, but it reads as very realistic as Telgemeier has a great ear for dialogue and a sense of typical show more middle school drama. (The title works on two levels, "drama" standing in for "theater" and "drama" also referring to the flare-ups that occur among characters, especially when romantic entanglements or friendship issues arise.) The illustrations by Telgemeier really sell the emotion on each page. Fun little Easter eggs can also be spotted on various pages (such as the play posters sported on Callie's bedroom walls).

One thing I particularly like about the book is that while Callie's various crushes do make up a large part of the story, the conclusion isn't about her ending up with some guy. Instead, it focuses on her achievements while being on stage crew and her friendships. I highly recommend this book for middle schoolers or adults who work with them (and might perhaps need a little reminder of what being in middle school was like). show less

I first encountered this book at my local library book fair. I have done this fair every year since the sixth grade, and it is my absolute favorite time of the year. Not only do I get to take home an obscene amount of books for an extraordinary price (I had a friend who quite literally cleared out the YA section by 150 books and only had to pay twenty dollars), but I love seeing patrons walks home with THEIR obscene amounts of books. We get all sorts of types - the most common is the avid reader, trapped at our fiction table for hours on end because the volunteers just keep carting out more and more books. There are movies freaks, who wait for us to bring out yet another cardboard box of movies and literally pounce on it the moment it show more is set down, not even waiting politely for us to unpack the thing. I would make a comment about them missing the point of a book fair, but you know what, to each their own. I'm in no position to judge. The kindergarten teachers, who grab handfuls of ten cent children books and shove them into a crate to be pushed onto eager, messy, careless children. "Good luck, 'Pinkie Pie's Adventure'", I whisper like some sort of prayer. The scalpers, who hungrily seek out fresh blooded copies of Patterson and Clancy and pluck them from the eyes of old women to be sold at an artificial price on the likes of Ebay. The plain and simple odd ones out, with cowboy hats and more US Postal Crates than any one person has the legal right to own. And right in the middle of it is me and a few handy volunteers. Well, this year around, we had two newbies who didn't know a trade paperback from a mass market. And when we were organizing the children's section, one of them came up to me with the book and started demanding that I move it to the adult books "because gay". Those were her exact words. The one thing that condemned this book for many as I'm seeing in reviews and online was because it featured gay characters. What kind of bullshit is that? Being gay is apparently an adult topic.

It's a shame, too, because they're missing a great book that could otherwise really introduce older readers who are still kids regardless to the concept of homosexuality. The gay characters are not stereotypical despite their love of theater; the book does an excellent job as showing them as just being, well, people. They get happy, they get mad, and most importantly, being gay isn't their entire damn personality. Most fiction for kids and YA readers that deals with the concept of homosexuality seems to think that they have to keep mentioning their characters being gay, how attracted they are to other guys, and etc. This book doesn't go this route. Sure, our gay lead mentions being attracted to one of his classmates, but it's not the basis of his entire character. He takes out his best friend to shop at a theater store, he sings passionately, he makes friends...being gay is not this guy's entire reason for existence. And I love that.

The art style is okay. It gets the story across very well, but it's not something I'd spend minutes upon minutes pouring over for its effort and hidden details. Simply put, it's cute.

Overall, this is definitely worth a read. I certainly fell in love with it fast enough, and I'm sure you will, too. show less

Summary: Callie's a total theater geek, although she's happiest backstage. She's working as the set designer for her school's annual musical, and is determined to make this production the best ever. The theater department is never drama-free, especially in middle school, but the show must go on, despite contested casting decisions, unrequited crushes, new and old friendships, and practical limitations (no real cannons in the school auditorium!).

Review: This book was super, super cute. And what's better, not saccharine cute, either, but believably, relatably, teenage-angst-riddenly cute. I thought this book was very relatable, in a way that was a nice blend of "sweetly nostalgic" and "ye gods, I'm glad I never have to go to middle school show more again." I was not really a theater person as a teen (can't act, and really can't sing, although I have some stage cred from dance), so I can't speak directly to that aspect of the story, but the "oh god I think he likes me do you think he likes me I think he does but if he likes me why hasn't he asked me to the dance"-type angsting feels pretty universal. Telgemeier does a great job of handling that angle of things, and a diverse cast of characters with an equally diverse set of relationships, with a nice emotional maturity. (Maybe actually a little too much maturity? My main problem with this book was that I thought the characters read as high-school-aged rather than middle-school; maybe I was just a late bloomer but I don't remember so many relationship woes in 7th grade.) In any case, though, this is a great read, sweet but down-to-earth and accessible to teens without talking down to them. I also love Telgemeier's art - colorful and expressive and cute and a great match to the tone of her story. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Definitely recommended, particularly to theater nerds (and former theater nerds), but also to anyone who is in the mood for a lighthearted and enjoyable read. show less

THEATRE! (I say in my most posh, aristocratic voice). Coincidently, I read this graphic novel and am now writing this review as I wait backstage in a theatre for rehearsals to start for a play that I am working on.

This was a feel-good story that brought back many nostalgic memories when I was in middle school, just like the characters, working on various productions.

The author captured the magic and camaraderie in the theatre, and I am delighted with the portrayals of the challenges and successes of the many characters that are part of the production crew or, aka, the backstage talent.

The romance was sweet and very comedic. I remember the days of light crushes that felt like my world would end if we couldn't be together. Innocent, show more tween romance was wonderfully intertwined into the story, and I didn't feel that it took away from the focus of these characters trying to produce an amazing play.

Identity, feelings, and attraction are explored in this graphic novel and were enjoyable even for me, a grown adult jaded with the world. This story was sweet, colorful, funny and brought all the feels and love for theatre.

This is a must-read for any theatre enthusiast, regardless if you are backstage or mainstage as an actor. show less

tween graphic novel (7th/8th grade theater kids; homosexuality--crushes, no sex). Telgemeier's previous graphix have been super popular with the pre-tweens (3rd/4th grades and up) which makes this title a little trickier to recommend without some reservations.
If your child is younger than 11 (and possibly even if he/she is older than that), it is possible (though less likely, if your family has been paying attention to the news at all this year) that he/she'll have some questions about the subject content. On the other hand, if she's going into middle school (or is already in middle school), these are issues that he/she's going to be encounter, and I think this book (a) makes those conversations easier and (b) allows awkward, struggling show more tweens and middleschoolers--and let's face it, we were all at least a little bit awkward at that age--to become more comfortable with themselves and their classmates/friends.
So I would definitely recommend for kids (especially if they are 11 years and up), but would like to warn parents up front that this is different from the other Telgemeier books, and that if they are uncomfortable with homosexuality they might not like it and they might not want their child reading it. But even then I would probably still recommend everyone (parents as well as kids) read it anyway, for the sake of easing the awkward difficulty of middle school for everyone. show less

Drama by Raina Telgemeier is a middle-grade graphic novel published by Scholastic. It is a charming and sometimes bitterly realistic story of the middle school drama that occurs at the age when kids start to develop romantic feelings.

Drama includes all the different "types" of kids who can be found at every school (popular kids, mean kids, geeky kids, average kids, outgoing kids, shy kids, etc.) Raina's characters are realistic and very identifiable to readers. Moreover, they are all smart and each have something special to offer the world. This book teaches readers that the drama that people cause because of our differences isn't worth anyone's time. It shows us how the drama can get in the way of being happy, of being one's self, and show more of putting on an amazing play!

Drama has gotten some controversial attention because it explores homosexual feelings and relationships. One of the characters is openly gay, with another who isn't quite ready to share his sexual orientation with others. To these ignorant and archaic people who rip this book from the hands of their kids, I roll my eyes and say it's 2014! Equality and inclusivity for all! It's so important that we teach children to be open and accepting of others, and not pass on hatred and fear to the next generation.

I LOVE that while the characters' sexual orientation plays a major role in the story, it isn't an all-defining, single character trait. We are so much MORE than the colour of our skin, our gender and our sexual orientation. And in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. We're all humans and we should be accepting.

Sweet, funny, and down-to-earth, Raina Telgemeier is an amazing YA author. I adore Drama and her other graphic novel, Smile. Readers can recognize these characters and can reflect on the drama they have going in their own schools and in their own lives. We see how drama is only temporary, and that it's easier to move on rather than cling to the problem. Ultimately, this book shares important messages about acceptance and about establishing healthy relationships with others, regardless of our differences.

Drama is an incredibly inspiring and entirely wonderful book!

5 Stars show less