Please Be My Star

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.