Review: As If On Cue by Marisa Kanter

Thank you to Simon Teen for my copy. All thoughts are my own.

It is no secret I love the theatre. I was a bit of a shy theatre kid in high school, not wanting to be boxed into one “group.” I guess I was a little too influenced by Troy Bolton. But this book reminded me so much of how awesome it was to be a theatre kid. Theatre kids are fiercely protective and creative. They understand found family very quickly and will do anything to protect their own.

The main character in As If On Cue is Jewish and after a castmate makes anti-semitic remarks, the cast steps up. It reminded me a lot of the people I’ve met throughout my years in theatre. People who are willing to stand up for what is right, even when it isn’t easy, and also take the time to educate for the greater good.

It’s a YA novel so it’s got a great angsty romance and plenty of laugh out loud moments. A perfect book for back to school!

Synopsis:

“Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…”

What I Liked:

The Ode to High School Theatre—I have done some amazing shows in my time as a working actor, but the memories I have of high school theatre are truly some of the best. It all felt so high stakes at the time and this book perfectly captures how “life or death” fall and spring productions felt!
The Characters—I really liked Natalie and Reid, plus all the side characters. It felt like a well rounded cast (ba dum dum) with interesting arcs for each of them.
The Dialogue—The banter was so good! This follows a light enemies to lovers trope, which I always feel like works well in YA before the characters have totally matured.

What Didn’t Work:

Act I Pacing—The first act was really slow and I wasn’t quite sure where things were going to go. Once we broke into act 2, I was all in.

Content Warnings:

Anti semitism, microaggressions

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: N/A, it’s YA Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Read It If You Like:

To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han and Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson