3.5 stars
Elise Dembowski has always been painfully uncool at school, and spends an entire summer pretty much studying up on how to become popular, spending much of her savings in the process on a new wardrobe, without any success at all. Things may in fact have gotten even worse for her. In a moment of despair, she cuts herself pretty deeply, and while bleeding, calls a school mate, who naturally freaks out and has paramedics sent to Elise’s house. After this event, Elise’s divorced parents are extremely protective and worried about her, while Elise is pretty much seen as an even bigger freak at school.
Her life starts changing for the better, when one night, wandering aimlessly near her mother’s house, she comes across an underground dance club, where she is taken under the wing of some of the regulars, and seems to hit it off with ‘Charm’, the DJ (His full DJ name is DJ This Charming Man – I honestly can’t be bothered to look up what his given name was, it is eventually revealed). The slightly older girls who come there to dance seem to accept her for exactly who she is and ‘Charm’ is all too happy showing her some of the technical aspects of DJ-ing. On the dance floor, she is able to let go and finds a lot of release. She manages to convince her musician father to get her some mixing equipment and starts teaching herself to DJ, with helpful assistance from ‘Charm’. When she actually gets to try it out herself at the club, she discovers her true passion.
Full review on my blog.
This sounds like a book worth reading. I wasn’t popular, but after a half hearted attempt in 7th grade, I wasn’t interested either. Bless my geeky friends and 3 amazing theater teachers.