Please Be My Star

Starred review from August 1, 2024
A teen strives for authenticity while battling imposter syndrome in this graphic retelling ofThe Phantom of the Opera. Eleventh grader Erika Early has just moved from Atlanta to Texas with her family, bringing with her a lot of emotional baggage. Eager for a fresh start, she chooses a striking green blazer from a thrift store to be the focal point of her signature look. When Erika joins the theater group at Gaston Valley High School, she meets Julie Karimi, a white girl with a flair for sarcasm. Julie discovers Erika's secret crush on good-looking Mexican American Christian Dominguez, and she introduces Erika to him and more of the racially diverse theater kids, including Miguel Hinojosa and Morgan Tsang. Erika and Christian discover a shared love for music and comics; the chapters reference a playlist featured at the end. After Erika writes her play for the school's One Act Stage Festival, her four new friends become her cast and crew, bringing her closer to her crush. But Erika's anxiety and obsessive behavior, including a secret she's desperate to keep hidden, threaten these new bonds. Blue-eyed, auburn-haired Erika's social anxiety is portrayed as a grayed-out doppelg�nger who voices her self-doubts and negative self-talk in black speech bubbles. Erika's struggles with mental health strike an empathetic chord that will resonate with readers. The clean, inviting art features varied panel shapes and perspectives and highlights the characters' emotional expressions. Manga-style art animates this charming story of self-discovery.(Graphic fiction. 14-18)

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Starred review from September 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Erika, clad in a plaid green blazer, wearing heavy blue glasses, and with sleepy undereyes, wants nothing more than to get to know her crush, Christian. She's arrived at a new school with few friendships and fewer social skills, so when the chance to author and direct a one-act play for theater class arises, she jumps at the opportunity to capture the heart and acting skills of her muse. There are just a few problems: she's struggling with revisions of the play, she's haunted by an alter ego manifesting her anxieties of being a creep, and she has to consistently hide her shrine to Christian in her bedroom from the other folks working on the play (including Christian). The more Erika opens up, the more she finds that her new friends share similar anxieties and struggles--and Christian might just be the most relatable. This sweet romance/coming-of-age combo incorporates a great mix of cross-cultural visual homages, including nods to manga, telenovelas, and k-pop stans. Readers will appreciate the vibrant color scheme throughout and the chapter pages with dedicated song lyrics thematic to the story. Loosely inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, Elliott thoughtfully captures the essence of being the weird kid among weird kids and finding connection not despite but because of that quirkiness.

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September 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-An ode to The Phantom of the Opera, reimagined as a modern rom-com. Erika, a junior at Gaston Valley High School, is preparing a play for her theater class when she is introduced to her crush Christian. As she directs the play with Christian as the lead and his friends as secondary characters and set/lighting crew, she begins to form her first solid friend group since moving to town. However, Erika struggles to hold it together while trying to maintain her new friendships, direct a play about romance which she has never really experienced before, and not let Christian know that not only does she have a major crush on him, but also the play is about him. Erika's alternative self-a ghastly version of herself with black attire and a pallid face-presents all of her insecurities and tells her that she's not good enough for a guy like Christian, making her second guess and question her interactions with him, even when it seems that he may have feelings for her, too. Readers will relate to this feeling of crushing on someone and not knowing if the feeling is mutual. Pop culture references to music and comics like Watchmen play a big role in the story. Playlists created are included in the back matter to enable readers to create an immersive experience. Through Erika, Elliott brings out the awkwardness and anxiety of being a teen trying to figure out love. VERDICT A dramatic comedy for teens who love theater and romance.-Kharissa Kenner

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