Rival

By Sara Bennett Wealer

Brooke
I don't like Kathryn Pease. I could pretend everything's fine between us. I could be nice to her face, then trash her behind her back. But I think it's better to be honest. I don't like Kathryn, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

Kathryn
I saw a commercial where singers used their voices to shatter glass, but the whole thing is pretty much a myth. The human voice isn't that strong.

Human hatred is. Anybody who doubts that should feel the hate waves coming off of Brooke Dempsey. But I don't shatter; I'm not made of glass. Anyway, the parts that break aren't on the outside.

Brooke and Kathryn used to be best friends . . . until the night when Brooke ruthlessly turned on Kathryn in front of everyone. Suddenly Kathryn was an outcast and Brooke was Queen B. Now, as they prepare to face off one last time, each girl must come to terms with the fact that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9780062069672

Sara Bennett Wealer

Sara Bennett Wealer grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (the "Little Apple"), where she sang with the show choir and wrote for her high school newspaper. She majored in voice at the University of Kansas before deciding she had no business trying to become an opera singer. Sara now lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two daughters, and she still sings when her schedule allows.

Book preview

SENIOR YEAR

Dissonance: a harsh sounding of notes that produces a feeling of tension and unrest

KATHRYN

I SAW AN OLD COMMERCIAL once where famous singers used their voices to shatter glass. So I looked into it last year for a project in physics class, and it didn’t take much of a Google search to find out the whole thing is pretty much a myth. Theoretically, the sound waves created by vibrating vocal cords could break a crystal goblet if they resonated long enough at just the right pitch, but finding and holding a note like that is incredibly difficult. The human voice, it turns out, just isn’t that strong.

Human hatred, on the other hand, is. Anybody who doubts that should stand where I am right now and feel the hate waves coming off of Brooke Dempsey.

We’re halfway through the second day of senior year, and both of us are in the back row of the Honors Choir; me in the soprano section, Brooke nine spots over with the altos. Even with all those people between us, even with our folders up, our eyes on Mr. Anderson, and our voices busy on a really hard Bach cantata, I feel a steady ping coming off of Brooke like the signal from a giant antenna. It’s like this every time we’re in the same room—she’s tracking me, I’m tracking her. The Defense Department would kill to have radar this good.

Watch it, people! Mr. Anderson shouts as the tempo picks up, the beats get more complex, and people start hunching over their music as if that will make the notes easier to sing. For a few measures I can hear Brooke’s deep voice above everybody else’s. I start using my pencil to beat time against my folder and she homes in even tighter. The waves coming from her direction are like a battering ram; I swear I can feel them against the entire length of my body. But I don’t shatter; I’m not made of glass. Anyway, the parts that break aren’t on the outside.

Stop, stop, stop! Mr. Anderson shouts, flapping his arms. The Bach has gotten the best of us and people start to look worried, because those of us who have been in the choir for a few years know what’s coming next. I asked you to study the repertoire over the summer, folks, he says. Give me a quintet. Down front, now. Steve Edwards, baritone. Tenor, Matt McWalter. Brooke, you’re our alto. Once I hear Brooke’s name I know mine will be called, too. Mr. Anderson only calls people for quintets if he thinks they’re slacking or if they’re really, really good. Brooke and I get called when he wants to demonstrate how a piece should be done; we get called because we’re the two best singers at our school.

Great, comes a voice from behind, and I turn to see Matt, my best friend, trudging down the risers after me. I smile apologetically, but secretly I’m glad he’s in the quintet, too. Matt isn’t just my best friend, he’s pretty much my only friend—the one person to stick by me after Brooke started this cold war by punching me in front of half the student body after last year’s Homecoming dance.

For a minute, while everybody gets situated, she and I almost brush up against each other; the nearness of her makes my skin tingle as my nose fills with her green tea and chlorine scent. Laura Lindner, a second soprano, steps between us as we line up bass, tenor, alto, SII, and SI, but I can still see Brooke out of the corner of my eye—that regal profile with the nose just this side of too big, the sun-streaked hair, the icy blue eyes. Brooke is beautiful in a way that’s hard to describe, like the perfect parts of other people have been reassembled, slightly imperfectly, into a girl who looks like she’d be just as at home in a Greek forum as she is in the hallways of William O. Douglas High School. She towers over the rest of us while we get our music ready.

Folders up! Mr. Anderson commands. The pianist plays the introduction, we launch into the piece, and then something rare happens: Just for a moment, I forget about Brooke. The music is beautiful and challenging and fun to sing. I stare at the back wall, past Mr. Anderson’s conducting arm, allowing the notes to spool from memory out of my throat.

Nice, nice…, he tells the group when we’re finished. But most of you have too much vibrato. Try singing it like Kathryn just did, with a nice, straight tone.

Pleased with the compliment and still lost in the music, I turn to smile at Matt, but I catch Brooke’s eye instead. She grimaces as if to say, You’ve got to be kidding me, then snickers and elbows Laura, who laughs, too. Nobody else notices, and I know from experience that pointing it out—getting upset—would only make me look bad. After that humiliating Homecoming punch, I looked into my bathroom mirror to find a purpling welt across my left cheekbone. These days when Brooke strikes, there’s nothing to show where the blow landed; she’s become an expert at leaving no marks.

I guess you could say that Brooke Dempsey and I are rivals. That’s not entirely accurate, though, because if you look it up in the dictionary rival means one that equals or almost equals another. If anything, Brooke and I are complete opposites. Her voice is deep and rich, mine is high and airy. She’s imposing and confident, I’m small and…not. Socially we’re on different planets altogether, the biggest difference being that Brooke is ridiculously popular.

Why, then, should somebody like her care enough to hate somebody like me?

It’s a long story.

BROOKE

I DON’T LIKE KATHRYN PEASE. That doesn’t make me evil or anything. I’m just not one of those people who thinks everybody has to go around being nice to everybody else all the time. I could pretend everything’s fine between us. I could be nice to her face, then trash her behind her back. But I think it’s better to be honest. I don’t like Kathryn, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Unfortunately for her, if I don’t like somebody you can bet nobody else does, either. My best friend Chloe says it’s a power thing—people pay attention to who’s on my bad side because they don’t want to end up there, too. But I think that’s only part of it. Kathryn does a pretty good job turning people off all by herself.

Take right now, for example. We’re down front in Honors Choir. In one of Anderson’s quintets, which are really no big deal. But from the way Kathryn’s going after it you would think this was the Met. She’s singing way too loud. Even has the music memorized. When we’re done, Anderson starts gushing about her nice, straight tone, and she looks over at me—right at me—with this bitchy little smile on her face.

Ow! whispers Laura Lindner when I elbow her in the arm. What’s the deal?

I’d have a nice, straight tone, too, I whisper, if I had a nice, straight stick up my ass.

Laura laughs. Kathryn looks away. And she doesn’t look at me again for the rest of the rehearsal. Choir would be my favorite class if it wasn’t for her.

I know. Choir. It sounds lame. And if you were Chloe, that’s exactly what you’d say. You can do whatever you want, Brooke. You’re a Dempsey! So how come you’re wasting your time with the music freaks?

But she has no idea. None of the people we hang out with have any idea how big a deal music really is at our school. You’d think they would have gotten a hint when the Honors Choir performed at the White House—not one of those trips where you get to go if you sell enough popcorn, but a real concert set up by the First Lady and broadcast on public television. Or when two years in a row, somebody from William O. Douglas won the Blackmore Young Artists’ Festival, which is one of the biggest voice competitions in the country and just happens to take place at Baldwin University, right up the road. But it doesn’t have anything to do with sports or getting wasted or hooking up, so music might as well be knitting or ballroom dancing as far as they’re concerned.

Music, however, is my life.

It’s also the one place where I can’t get rid of Kathryn.

She and I have other things that we’re good at, of course. I swim. She writes for the school newspaper. But music is our main focus. Some days the only thing that keeps us from ripping each other apart is the fact that we’re different voice types, which means we don’t usually go up for the same parts.

We’ve always known, though, that that was going to change.

The bell rings, and while we’re putting away our folders Anderson picks up two yellow envelopes from the podium.

People! he shouts. Don’t forget the pool party at Brooke’s after school. One last hurrah before we start the contest season! And speaking of contests—Brooke, can I see you for a moment? Kathryn, you too.

We both head down to the front of the room, but Kathryn hangs back a little. It’s like she thinks I’ll bite or something.

You’ve been waiting for these, I believe? says Anderson as he gives one envelope to me, the other one to her.

She thanks him. Puts the envelope into her bag, and hurries out of the room. I see her take it out when she’s halfway down the hall. She opens it and reads while she walks, her dark ponytail swinging.

I wait until I get home to open mine.

Congratulations. You have been selected to participate in the 50th Anniversary Blackmore Young Artists’ Festival.

I sit on my bed and open the pamphlet that came with the letter. I read the section about the contest history—how Ian Buxton Blackmore came to Lake Champion after a highly successful opera career and started the contest to get our singers into the elite music world. I scan the list of past winners—they end up at Juilliard, at Peabody, in Europe singing with major orchestras. I imagine my own name on that list. This is what I’ve been working for ever since we moved to Minnesota.

And it’s going to be my ticket out of here.

Finally, I flip to the contest rules, even though I’ve been to every Blackmore for the past seven years and I know everything by heart. There’s only one first prize in the vocal division, so different voice types don’t matter. It’s sopranos against tenors. Baritones against altos. Altos against sopranos. Me against Kathryn.

The letter has a link to an online registration form. I grab my laptop and fill it out, listing all the voice teachers I’ve had. Especially the ones in New York, which is a big deal since not many singers from here can afford training like that. Just to be safe, I rip out the snail mail entry and fill that out, too. Then I walk to the post office and send it priority with delivery tracking. This way, I know that the entry is on its way—that I am on my way. For the past two years, somebody from our school has won the Blackmore. This year is my turn. All I have to do is keep Kathryn in her place, which should be easy when you consider who I am, and who she is.

But I learned a long time ago that you can’t assume anything when it comes to her.

I learned it the hard way.

KATHRYN

A WHOLE HALF HOUR YOU’VE been out in the sun and it hasn’t burned a hole in you yet. Guess the rumors aren’t true.

Matt lies back in a lawn chair, folds his arms behind his head, and sighs contentedly. We’ve claimed a spot near the fence that separates Brooke’s yard from her neighbors’, a perfect place for watching the pool party while remaining fairly inconspicuous. From here, it looks like one of the movies Matt and I rent every Saturday night. Pretty girls lounge alongside the pool, paying just enough attention to the guys in the water to let the guys know it’s worth the effort of showing off, while the less attractive people huddle around the food table. Meanwhile, the serious sun worshippers are using this opportunity to catch the last of the day’s rays.

But while Matt’s basking, I’m stewing. The word rumor has set off a loop in my brain—a buzzing blip that repeats, over and over: Brooke. What is she saying about me now?

What rumors? I say.

That you’re a vampire. Everybody’s talking about it. The joke is only partly funny, and he seems to sense that because he follows up with, Well, not everybody. Just me, myself, and I. We’d do anything to get your nose out of those books.

He looks pointedly at my hands, which clutch a dog-eared copy of Waiting for Godot. I look down and realize I’ve been rolling the pages back as I read them; the cover is streaked with creases and will probably never lie flat again.

I know. This is a study-free zone. I close the book and roll it even tighter. But I already have a paper due in AP English. And Sunday I’m singing for that scholarship committee from Cincinnati, which is a long shot because they don’t have a lot of money this year, but my mom set it up, which means I have to do it, and that means I’m going to lose prep time for Human Anatomy….

Whoa there, Glaurung! Matt thrusts out his arms, making a cross like a knight warding off a dragon. "Now you’re stressing me out."

Ugh, I moan. I’m sorry. I unroll the book, stash it under my thigh, and try to push aside the feeling that I should be doing something productive all of the time.

See? I knew you needed a break. He sits up and reaches around to pat himself on the back. Good on me for forcing you out today. Ow!

Wincing, he pulls back his T-shirt to reveal a burn blooming along his neckline. I laugh. Who’s the vampire now? Without me to drag around, you’d be holed up in World of Warfare.

So we’re both pathetic. He drapes a towel gingerly over his shoulders. I vote we change that. Come with me to the pool?

I freeze. Just coming to the party was a big step. I haven’t seen Brooke yet, but I can just imagine her finding and following me with that superstrong radar.

I’m fine right here, I say. Thanks.

Another pointed look. After ten years, I can almost read Matt’s mind. The trouble is that he can read mine, too, and whereas I’ve had to learn my skill, he’s had his from the start—ever since the first day of second-grade Sunday school, when he came to where I’d huddled into a corner, sat down next to me, and didn’t say a word. He biked over to our house the next afternoon, and though I told my mom I didn’t want to play, secretly I was glad somebody wanted to be my friend. We rode our bikes up and down the sidewalk, Matt chattering question after question whether I answered or not. He would just pretend that I had, and most of the time his pretend answers were exactly what I would have said anyway.

Eventually I started to open up and we’ve been best friends ever since. I helped him keep up his grades when ADHD combined with a raging sci-fi and fantasy obsession put him in the principal’s office more hours than he ever spent in class, and he helped me bear the infinitely awkward contradiction of being an overachiever who loathes the spotlight. One Sunday, the teacher taught us the song about letting your little light shine. Everybody loved the part where you sing hide it under a bushel, and then shout NO! Especially Matt, who would get right in my face and scream NO! as loud as he could. After that, whenever he caught me being reclusive he would sing the bushel song. It was his way of pulling me out, telling me not to take myself too seriously.

These days he just gets right to the point.

You’ve got to get over this thing with Brooke, Kath. It’s been a year.

But it’s Brooke. I study his face, trying to read whether he senses something about her that I’ve missed. Matt is a scarily accurate judge of character, especially after years of refereeing online fandoms and meeting total strangers at sci-fi conventions. You remember how bad it got.

He smiles. Those comforting brown eyes crinkle at the edges, one of them nearly hidden under a flop of long hair.

Time has passed and people change, he says. We’ll all be going to college anyway. I seriously doubt she’s still thinking about what happened last year.

I want to believe he’s right, but I’m not so sure. I don’t feel like I’ve changed all that much.

Obviously you weren’t watching in choir today, I say. And then there’s this. I pull my book out and hold up the yellow envelope I’ve been using to mark my place. Peeking out of the frayed opening is a pamphlet I’ve read three times now, six if you count all of the times I went over the section on prize money. A twenty-five-thousand-dollar check for first place; my jaw clenches when I think about my parents and how worried they’ve been about my college savings.

You made it to the Blackmore? He leans over and wraps a sunburned arm around my shoulder. That’s awesome! Why didn’t you tell me?

I didn’t tell anybody.

Not even your mom and dad? They’re going to freak.

Exactly. I put the envelope back into the book. Once they know I’m in, they’re going to put all their hopes on it. The prize money is more than any of the scholarships I’ve applied for. Plus, it’s one hundred and fifty dollars just for the entry. I don’t have that kind of money.

You can scrape up fifty bucks, right?

Yes…

Then I’ll tell my parents it’s an emergency and we’ll put the rest on my credit card. Now, what’s your real reason?

Well… I hesitate. Lately I’ve harbored this fantasy of not competing—of finding the money I need someplace else and avoiding what is bound to turn into a musical showdown between Brooke and me.

"So we’re back to her again, says Matt. He squeezes my shoulder and then stands. I really think you’d be surprised, Kath. Brooke probably doesn’t even care anymore."

He holds out his hand, yet I can’t seem to get up. I lower my eyes, tilt my head, and let the right corner of my mouth creep into a half smile. We call this the Matt Melter™, and it can be used for many purposes, such as convincing him to let me have the last of the onion soup dip during our weekend movie nights. Usually I only use the Matt Melter™ for good, but today calls for desperate measures.

Studious cat iz studious, I say. I can haz hall pass?

Don’t try to lolspeak your way out of this one, he laughs. And turn off the Matt Melter. It won’t work, either.

You forgot the tee em, I pout.

"And you forgot about my superatomic powers of persuasion. Seriously.

Reviews for Rival

[mamelotti-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book highly. There were some parts that I felt were a little slow, but this was definitely a book that kept me turning the pages.

[socango · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I guess I wanted a different ending.

[kmjanek · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

RecommendedThe reader is first introduced to Kathryn and then to Brooke, both talented high school singers and who are getting ready to compete in the Blackmore Festival in their small Minnesota town. The Blackmore Festival is known to start successful singing careers. Kathryn comes from a loving family, although they have a hard time making ends meet financially, so Kathryn has to work extra hard at school and singing so that she can earn scholarships for college. Brooke, on the other hand, has parents who are divorced, and she gets everything she wants. She’s very popular at school but, she works hard to try and please her dad. It is clear in both characters that they have a passion for singing and they are both very talented.The reader is led to believe that Brooke is just the typical popular mean girl. She and her followers have a slumber party to select a new girl for their group. Kathryn gets invited to the slumber party. Kathryn and Brooke actually hit it off and a true friendship is started based on their love of music. As they get closer, jealously creeps in to Brooke’s old circle of friends. Parties, boys and alcohol trigger an event that will tear Brooke and Kathryn’s friendship apart. Brooke and her circle of friends turn on Kathryn, making her Senior year miserable. However, Brooke’s friends also do not understand her dedication to music and accuse her of being a music geek.The story alternates between Brooke and Kathryn each telling their side of the story. Each girl has secrets, hopes for a singing career, and a strong desire to win the Blackmore Festival. Mistakes were made on both sides and as the true nature of all the interwoven relationships is revealed, the reader understands the choices both girls made.I think the setting, the characters, the competition, the rivalry, high school cliques and relationships are all very realistic. High school can be a struggle for those who are bullied. I had a difficult time getting into the story at first. After a while, it did turn out to be a fast paced story. I was rooting for both characters. The ending leaves the reader satisfied.I think this book is a good choice for both school and public libraries. The story sends a powerful message about friendships and standing up for what you believe in. I would suggest it for casual reading. The story does touch on drinking and sex, which may be objectionable for younger readers. I would say it’s realistic for 11th and 12th graders to have experiences like the characters in the story. This would be a good book to put on display with other bullying prevention books.

[djlibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kathryn and Brooke couldn't be more opposite when it comes to their lives. Kathryn has been more of a wallflower within their high school, active while at the same time not within the spotlight. She focuses on her schoolwork and music in order to help ease the financial burdens placed on her family. On the other hand, Brooke has always been within the limelight at high school, mostly due to her older brothers' presence. But there is an authority that resonates from her that has the entire school in awe of her, though not for what she is most proud of, namely music. If not for music and then a slumber party during their junior year, it's doubtful that their paths would have really crossed, leading to their friendship.It is when that friendship extends to Brooke's long-time best friend, Chloe, that things begin to weaken due to Kathryn's acceptance into the "A-list" circle and not spending as much time with just Brooke. As Chloe seems to monopolize more of Kathryn's time, Brooke begins to question her relationship with Kathryn. Their strained friendship ultimately culminates in Kathryn doing "something very bad" to Brooke which then leads to a punch in the face in front of the entire A-list at school. And with that punch, Brooke has sent Kathryn back to the outskirts of the student body. Now, here is where readers might start complaining about how both girls did fairly rotten things to each other, but you have to remember, these are teenage girls. They do stupid things because they are teenagers and they don't know how to handle certain actions, slights, or behaviors. Who didn't want to belong with the "A-list," the popular crowd in high school? Kathryn was just one of those few that wanted to belong, and when she got the chance she did what she could to stay there. Brooke could have explained her feelings to Kathryn about a lot of things or at least tried to be more open, but she chose to go the silent route until it built up so much she exploded. I'm not trying to condone Kathryn's actions or Brooke's inaction rather I'm putting into perspective the reality that Wealer has created, and I do believe she has captured a part of high school life. What I really liked about both characters is that they possess honest and real voices, each seeing the greener grass on the other side of the fence even after their friendship falls apart. Kathryn and Brooke see what they lack within the other's life and cannot understand why that goodness isn't appreciated, such as Kathryn's loving parents or Brooke's freedom in socializing. But when it comes to music there is no question about how much it means to either of them, and both girls do not hold back in choir. Readers will definitely see Wealer's own love of music woven into the story, and that was what really drew me to Rival in the first place. The use of musical terminology definitions to set up the tone of the story was a nice opening to each part whether from senior year or junior year. While reading, I couldn't help feeling that if Brooke and Kathryn had just started talking while in choir during their junior year, just the two of them, a lot of heartache and hurt might have been avoided in the long run. With their love of music, one would assume that Brooke might have approached Kathryn to initiate conversation, but perhaps even the high school socialite lacked courage in that regard. Overall, Wealer delivered a great story of the trials that can occur with relationships in high school through characters that felt real and also managed to grow throughout the story. I think most readers would enjoy Rival, and readers who have a musical background, especially while in high school, will hopefully appreciate the nostalgia as I did.

[mrsboswellbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stage left, Brooke Dempsey. Brooke is pretty, popular, has money and a killer alto voice, to boot. She is the "It" girl that most others worship. If you end up on her radar, you better hope it's because she likes you.Stage right, Kathryn Pease. Kathryn is a loner, with little money in her college savings account and amazing soprano voice. She's never been on anyone's radar... that is, until Brooke and her friend, Chloe, decide to throw a slumber party.Kathryn and Brooke become quick friends through their love for music. As Kathryn is sucked into Brooke's world, she's quickly thrown into the world of popularity and parties. She soon realizes it's not all she dreamed it would be, and Brooke learns that not everyone keeps your secrets.With their friendship suddenly ending in betrayal, Kathryn and Brooke find themselves in a fierce battle. The stakes, the prestigious Blackmore competition. Which girl will reach her dream of becoming a professional singer?This book sent me right back to high school. The scheming, betraying, lies, secrets, rumors... I felt like I was walking the halls of my school again. I ultimately felt like I could relate with both characters. When I was a freshman I practically tried it all. Varsity cheerleading, soccer, volleyball, track. I quickly made friends with a lot of upperclassmen due to having four older siblings. I feel like in this sense, I was walking in Brooke's shoes. I wasn't popular, per se, but I was noticed. Classmates would ask about senior boys or if I knew certain people on the athletic teams. My sophomore year I moved to a new state and a much larger high school. This is where I fell into Kathryn's shoes. I practically gave up all athletics and mostly kept to myself. I wasn't very popular and it was hard to make friends. Through out this entire book, I felt like I was transported right back to those days with my fellow classmates.It was intriguing to read about how the two girls became best friends through their love of music and wanted to help each other succeed in that department, to becoming bitter rivals and competing against each other for the ultimate prize. The drama was very believable. I felt bad for Kathryn who really only wanted to make friends and feel special. She didn't quite understand what exactly caused Brooke to react the way she did, but she had to deal with the repercussions and practically became a leper. It was very sad. At times I was disgusted with Brooke who thought she could do anything and get her way because she was popular. I didn't like Brooke's other friends who were shallow and clearly only used Brooke for her limelight, although she couldn't see it.Apart from the bits of profanities here and there, this book was an interesting read. It made me question if I could go back, would I change some of the decisions I made in high school? Would I have been friends with this person or cut off all ties with that person? Would I have said the things I did or tried harder instead of giving up in some circumstances? A thought-provoking read.

[sithereandread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

RIVAL, by Sara Bennett Wealer, is a realistic battle between two girls from different social spectrums. Their common love for singing bring them together junior year to become best friends. But peer pressure and jealousy weave into this friendship that ends in a black eye and a tarnished reputation. This is the story of senior year and a competition that these girls would do anything to win. Wealer went all out girl-fight in this book. Misunderstandings and social pressure forced the destruction of the friendship between Brooke and Kathryn. Wealer set up the tall and popular Brooke against the petite and shy Kathryn. Can you guess who came out on top of the social pyramid?Brooke was the typical Queen Bee of this high school. Her attitude and influence on the student body kept her reputation successful. One difference from other sterotypes was the fact she was in choir. Her dream was to become a famous singer and she would stop at nothing to get there. For as much as Brooke ruined Kathryn's life at school, I liked getting into her head and understanding her motivations and thoughts. Kathryn's connection with Brooke was initally strong because of their love of singing and soon extended to other parts of their lives. These girls were two peas in a pod. I felt terrible after Kathryn was outcast but the reasons were equally both girls faults. Social pressure in high school can make people do crazy things to stay afloat and Wealer made a good point of showing that. I liked the structure of the book in how Wealer flashed between junior and senior year. It kept me reading so that I could understand the rift between these once-best friends. I also liked the singing definitions that signaled different sections of the book and what was to come. Overall, a great YA contemporary book. Those who have a fondness for the arts would especially like it.

[edgoldberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sara Bennett Wealer has written a new twist on cliques and rivalry and shunning your former best friend. Brooke is and always has been on the A-list at school. As a matter of fact, she leads the A-list. During junior year, her best friend Chloe decides they should have a slumber party and invite all the new kids at school to check them out and see who is worthy. Kathryn, always on the outside, to her surprise, this time makes the grade.Brooke and Kathryn are both music geeks. They are both choir soloists and both are entering the prestigious Blackmore Young Artists’ Festival, the winner receiving a $25,000 check. Brooke and Kathryn become instant best friends, to the chagrin of Chloe who begins to do everything in her power to break them up. And it works. Brooke pulls away from Kathryn, begins hating her and makes sure she is isolated. Her only friend is Matt who readers will surmise is in love with her. That’s enough summary.Rivals accurately portrays what high school girls will do to each other to get popular, stay popular and make sure no one gains in status. Those formerly on the outside, once accepted, tend forget the people that stuck by them when they were unpopular. While Sara Bennett Wealer has written a realistic books delving into cliques and the in-crowd and has added a new twist to it, i.e., music, unfortunately I found the book to have most of the same things that other books on the subject have; jealously, taking people for granted, bullying, etc. So, while Rivals is an enjoyable read, if you’ve read A-list books before, it becomes repetitious.

[bookswarm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book? Awesome. Loved it. Maybe it's because I can relate to the rivalry of the girls. Maybe it's because I played in a close-knit band growing up and there was both friendly and not-so-friendly competition between us, especially when we completed solo. Whatever the case may be, Sara Bennett Wealer nailed it.Because of the dual perspectives, the reader gets a glimpse into the minds of both the girls and how a friendship turns into a bitter rivalry. Through a series of delicately balanced flashbacks from senior year to junior year, the story of Kathryn and Brooke unfolds.Brooke is a live-out-loud girl with money, friends, an incredible voice, and deep-seated passion for music. But she's not happy. Her friends don't understand her music, her older brothers are the stars of the show both at school and home and, in many ways, she's just riding their popular coattails as "Baby B". That is, until she meets Kathryn. Kathryn's a quiet, shy soul who shares Brooke's love of music. She's got her own musical gift--a soulful soprano voice. Then, through a series of both conscious actions and misunderstandings, Brooke and Kathryn's friendship shatters and reforms into a bitter rivalry, one tinged with regret on both sides.I loved how we get to see in the minds of both of the girls. It's fascinating how both of the girls are so different but had many of the same goals and how that twists their view of each other. You'd think that, with two points of view and flashbacks between junior and senior year, the story would be muddled and confusing. However, it's not. Not at all and, if anything, this style of storytelling provides the reader with a clear picture of the girls' relationship.Anyone who has been in competition with someone else (which is pretty much all of us, at one point or another, right?) will totally relate to this story. A beautifully told aria of friendship and betrayal, passion and drive, RIVAL hits all the right notes. (Come on. You knew it had to be said--this is a music-driven book, after all.)

[lisagibson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the books in the Contemps Challenge. All wonderful books. I loved this book and I can totally see how girls get caught up in the drama of competition. I think most never fully intend for things to go very far but it's easy for it to get out of hand. I loved the fact that the ending wasn't quite as predictable as I would have thought it might be. Definitely pick this one up and see what you think. I'm giving it 4 1/2 lovely kisses!

[renkellym · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Brooke and Kathryn used to be really good friends, until jealousy and distrust tore them apart. Now bitter enemies, the two girls try their best to avoid each other, until they realize that they will both be competing in the Blackmore singing competition—a competition they both desperately need to win. My thoughts: I was completely surprised by Rival. I was expecting catty girls and petty tricks (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), but Rival was so much more—it’s about friendship and learning to be yourself. No bitchiness here (okay, slight bitchiness, but the fun kind!). The story is told in alternating perspectives, which really suited the “she said/she said” conflict. Both Brooke and Kathryn were extremely interesting characters, and it was not easy to choose which girl to side with—they each had good reasons to want the Blackmore prize, and they were both genuinely good people. Sara Bennett Wealer obviously has experience with choir, and it shows in her writing. Every part of the book that involved singing (which was quite a bit) was very detailed and well written. Being a former show choir girl myself, I can confirm that this book will be appreciated by those who have a passion for singing. I enjoyed every description of Brooke’s rich alto and Kathryn’s melodic soprano, and the frequent mentions of daily practice brought back memories. Through and through, Rival is a great book. It is an extraordinary look at friendship, rivalry, and forgiveness. The characters were well developed, the story was engaging, and the writing was perfectly suited to the genre. I would definitely recommend Rival to anyone—be they interested in music or not.

[librarianm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rival is a story about two girls who used to be friends and now are, pretty much, bitter rivals. With realistic teen characters, great dialog, and an ending the lets both main characters shine, it is a must read for 2011.Brooke is the queen bee of Douglas High; she loves music and is in choir even though it isn’t “cool.” Kathryn is the social outcast, also in choir (a soprano), and she used to be Brooke’s best friend. How did these two become enemies and rivals? It all goes back to junior year and what happened at an after Homecoming party. Now Brooke makes Kathryn’s life hell. And Kathryn, well, any chance to outperform Brooke - she’ll take it. That’s one way to look at it. Soon, the two of them will compete in the prestigious Blackmore competition. Both Kathryn and Brooke want to win, will their rivalry get the best of the, or will they find a way to mend their friendship?Ms. Wealer does not hold punches, she starts in the middle of the story and within a couple of pages it’s clear who Brooke and Kathryn are personality wise and the lines are drawn, so to speak. Kathryn, the outcast, and Brooke, Miss Queen Bee, both felt like real teenagers. From the beginning, it was easy to see how just how much alike the two girls were despite their very opposite circumstances. Despite, not being as much as a music nut as either character, I found them both to be very relatable. In addition, the dialog, cliques, frenemies and rumor mill could be right out of an actual high school. Told from both of their points of view as they prepare for the Blackmore and with flashbacks to junior year, the book chronicles exactly how Brooke and Kathryn became friends and how they ended up rivals.The dual points of view worked well because you get to see both sides of the friendship and exactly what happened to end it. Even though you, as the reader, know more than either Brooke or Kathryn, you don’t have the whole picture either, because Ms. Wealer keeps certain details hidden until late in the book. It’s a pretty brilliant plan because you want to know the details, the hows and whys of Brooke and Kathryn’s rivalry - at least I did, but maybe I’m just nosy. And when “the reason” was finally revealed, I wanted to shake both girls and then sit them down and make them tell each other exactly what they were thinking when everything changed.Ms. Wealer also did a terrific job of showing just how Brooke and Kathryn’s friendship and rivalry affected them and those around them. Nowhere is this more evident than with Brooke and Kathryn’s best friends: Chloe and Matt. Matt is on the geeky side and it’s hinted at that Kathryn is his only friend, but he would do just about anything for her- he’s exactly the type of guy you want on your side. Kathryn doesn’t really know just how good of a friend he is until she almost loses his friendship. Chloe, on the other hand, is all about being part of the popular group; she’s the master manipulator who twists situations so that she always comes out on top. Brooke shoved her aside when Kathryn came on the scene and Chloe turned her jealousy into revenge of the highest order. I wondered, a lot, why Brooke would be friends with someone like Chloe and could only come up with that Chloe wanted to be best friends with Brooke so much that Brooke gave in. I really enjoyed reading Rival. The first section flew by quickly and by that point, I was invested in the story and the characters that I had to read to the end. And the ending! This ending just blew me away. All throughout the story, the girls are training and preparing for the Blackmore and I just knew that it would play a big part at the end. I was rooting for Kathryn and Brooke equally, knowing how badly they both wanted the victory. The end result could have gone a lot of different ways, but Ms. Wealer found a way to let both Brooke and Kathryn shine. Each of their separate story lines were tied up beautifully and the overarching line ended with just enough answers and few questions too - which is really all you can ask for in an ending.Rival is a must read for 2011.

[mrsderaps · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In alternating narratives, Sara Bennett Wealer tells the story of two talented teens--Kathryn and Brooke. Both girls are exceptional singers and, though they used to be very close, they have a rivalry that has spiraled out of control.Brooke seems to have it all. She is the most popular girl in her class, she has talent, money, and people generally look to her to decide who's cool and who's not. Of course, life is not as perfect as it seems. Brooke is lonely and desperately wants her absent father's love and attention. She is surrounded by people who want to be near her so that they can be popular. None of her friends care about her passion for singing; they only care about parties and dances. Brooke finds a true friend in Kathryn during her junior year, but by their senior year their bitter enmity has completely clouded over any friendship they might have had.Kathryn is more content in the shadows than in the limelight when it comes to being popular. That is, until she gets a taste for the spotlight when Brooke invites her to a sleepover their junior year. After that fateful night, Kathryn is kept busy with parties and activities and shows with all of her new friends. In particular, Brooke seems to want to hang out with Kathryn and talk about music. But, when Kathryn unwittingly betrays Brooke, their friendship crumbles and so does Kathryn's new popularity.In the end, the only thing these two unlikely friends have in common is their desire to win at the Blackmore--a prestigious singing competition. And, it seems that both girls are willing to crush the other in order to win.* * *Rival is an excellent debut for Sara Bennett Wealer. It is always a risky venture to write a book where the main characters are complex and not always sympathetic. There were points in this book where I didn't like either of the main characters, but this dislike was because the girls are presented as real people who make real mistakes and use poor judgment. It would've been much easier for Ms. Bennett Wealer to present one of the girls as "right" and the other as "wrong." It's much more difficult to make each girl complex in their own way. In addition to the characters, I loved the format of this book. It alternated between main characters and from their junior to senior years. In all of this, I was not confused in the least by which character was speaking and when the scene was taking place. It was interesting to flip between the girls' senior year, when they hated each other, and their junior year, when they were inseparable. Through the shifting time periods, the relationship and the motives behind the girls' actions becomes much more complex and interesting. I loved that this rivalry was based, for the most part, on singing. There were some jealous moments based on boys and beauty, but that was not the crux of the girls' conflict. That story has been played out, in my opinion. In this book, the girls are vying for something real and based on hard work and merit. This focus on singing took away from some of the catty, stereotypical competition over looks that is often portrayed in YA lit. This story was far more serious and interesting than a typical girl-hates-girl story. This is an awesome debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from this author. I can imagine that there are several students in my classes, particularly those girls involved in chorus and one of our school's music programs that will understand the richness of this book.

[yabookiemonster · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! You know, I was looking forward to reading Rival because it sounded quite interesting and I thought that I would like it, but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did! This book focuses mainly around the ups and downs of friendship between two very opposite high school girls, and I found this book to be quite relatable to my own high school experiences and just a great overall read!As I mentioned before, Rival is about the ups and downs of the friendship between Queen B Brooke and shy, quiet girl Kathryn. The story flips back and forth between present day (their senior year of high school) and the previous year, the year in which Kathryn and Brooke became friends and how it all fell apart. We get a good look into the minds of each girl and the misunderstandings between them, as well as the stress in each of their lives, that caused their relationship to crumble. I'm not really a big fan of the mean girl (really, who is?) but in Rival, although I felt connected to both Brooke and Kathryn, I, oddly enough, felt more of a connection with Brooke. From the outside looking in, Brooke seems to have the perfect life; she comes from a wealthy family and is popular, beautiful and talented, but as we et to know her better, we really get a good glimpse at her real depths. Her life is really no where near as perfect as it seems. Her father, to whom she vies for attention, lives in New York with his big-time actor boyfriend and is so consumed by his job and relationship that he more or less neglects his daughter. It's so clear how much Brooke seeks his attention and approval and it's really quite heartbreaking how much he really hurts and disappoints her, and her realtionship with her father obviously has a huge effect on her. Throughout the course of the book, it also became very apparent how little Brooke's "friends" really knew her. Brooke cared so much about her music and her friends would always call the people in the choir, which Brooke was a part of, the "music freaks". All her friends cared about was partying, getting drunk, the homecoming dance, and being popular, and Brooke told them throughout the book that she didn't really care about any of those things, but that she cared about music, but they would always ignore her when she said it. There was an obvious change in Brooke throughout the book as she began to realize what real friendship was, and that maybe she had lost it when she ended her friendship with Kathryn.Although I felt more connected to Brooke, I did quite like Kathryn as well. Being a shy, quiet girl myself, I always find that I can relate to characters that are shy and quiet too. One thing that I didn't really like about Kathryn was that, during the parts where we were flashed back to her junior year, the year that she began hanging out with Brooke and became popular, she completely ditched Matt, her self-confessed nerd best friend, because she didn't want her new friends to think that she was werid for hanging out with him. Although I didn't really like the fact that she stopped hanging out with him because she was worried what people would think, it was realistic, stuff like that happens all the time in real life. Luckily for Kathryn, Matt was a really good guy and he watched out for her even when she was being horrible to him, but he did that for her because he had feelings for her, which Kathryn seemed somewhat unaware of until it was pointed out to her by others, or when he made it very clear to her himself. Although she wasn't perfect, I did feel that Kathryn really reflected the way that people change and act in high school or when hanging around with a different crowd. Sara Bennett Wealer is a great writer and she was really able to capture the realities of friendship, family and of just being a teenager, in Rival. The voices that she created were very realistic and she was able to perfectly potray the complicated relationships between Brooke, Kathryn and the other characters and this made the book that much more enjoyable and relatable. Overall, I would definitley recommend picking up Rival. It was a book that I really liked and that I read in one sitting because I just didn't want to put it down. Highly recommended!Thanks for reading my review of Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer, I hope that you enjoyed it!

[abackwardsstory · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

High school is where memories are made, be they good or bad. Whether you’re popular or an outcast, you remember that time of your life. Sara Bennett Wealer’s debut novel, Rival, recaptures high school through the eyes of two girls who couldn’t be more different...or more alike. Kathryn and Brooke are two seniors competing for the same prestigious music scholarship. Kathryn is a soprano with a light, airy voice, while Brooke is an alto, her sound rich and deep. Brooke is rich and one of the most popular girls at school while Kathryn is poor and a social outcast. Their love of music should bring these two girls together in the ultimate friendship, but instead, they’re bitter rivals.The novel flips between “current day” (senior year) and flashbacks of junior year when everything went wrong. This isn’t done in an annoying way, however. Each year is focused on from both points of view for quite a few chapters before flipping back again. Rival is so tightly written that readers want to know what happened junior year to make Kathryn and Brooke such bitter rivals. They keep alluding to something, so by the time you find out, you’re just dying to know. Wealer did a spectacular job building suspense and keeping the story feeling natural.Rivals focuses on relationships, but not the romantic kind. While there’s a brush of romance thrown in, it’s very blink-and-you-miss-it. While boy drama is involved, the male species is not the focal point of this novel: The relationship between the two rivals is. It’s refreshing to read a book with this type of outlook. There’s so much more to life than boys, but you’d never know it perusing today’s YA market. Friendship and rivalry is very much a part of our daily life, especially in high school. At one point, Kathryn and Brooke were on the point of being friends. If what went down junior year hadn’t gotten in the way, they would have most likely been best friends. They’re so obsessed with music and have so much in common, but it’s all overlooked due to their intense dislike of one another.The relationship between the girls is another place where Wealer got it right. Because she chose to write from the POV of both characters, readers get a multi-faceted look at them as human beings. If we had read the book from just one perspective, we’d be looking through the flawed eyes of that one character. The remaining girl would automatically be a villain. It’s amazing to see the same situation through two pairs of eyes. For example, at one point, Kathryn gets complimented on her singing and smiles at one of her choir friends, but Brooke thinks she’s being smug and going, “So there!” at her to rub it in. In another instance, Kathryn thinks Brooke’s homecoming platform revolves around her and the fact that her family is poor, but Kathryn’s circumstances never crossed Brooke’s mind when putting everything together. It’s just amazing to see the way both girls become flawed, individual characters, neither right nor wrong. There are times when I really detest Brooke’s character, but others when Kathryn is out of line as well. Ultimately, I cared for them both and wanted to know how everything ultimately turns out for them.Harper’s art department also got it right: Rival’s design will make all the other books on the shelf jealous. I love the bright, eye-catching red. That is one gorgeous flower. I also love the significance of the one petal pulled away from the rest, alluding to the fractured relationship between two girls. Even better, the piano on the cover hints at the fact that the novel revolves around the world of music. I also love the fonts used on both the cover and inside chapter headers. In addition, each chapter details what girl’s POV we’re reading, with a curl at the end that reminds me strongly of a music note. There’s a beautiful curl at the bottom of each page where the number is as well.The last thing I want to point out that I love about Rival is the fact that it’s centered around the arts. With so many programs being cut these days, it’s refreshing to see an author focus on such students. Not only that, the high school choir is really good and constantly in competitions. Singers are regularly nominated for prestigious prizes such as the prestigious Blackmore scholarship Kathryn and Brooke are competing for. In addition, they don’t focus on modern-day pop hits the way the students in Glee do. Instead, they listen to musicals, study Stephen Sondheim, and sing hard opera songs. These are some truly talented students and, music lover that I am, I adore the way Wealer gave us a glimpse into the world of pre-professional singers.I’m so happy with how much music is in the media right now. Love it or hate it, Glee is a phenomenon in and of itself that has paved the road for more music-centered TV shows. Rival will hopefully be popular with teens as well. Fellow 2011 debut author Jessica Martinez will release Virtuosity, focused on rivalry in the world of orchestra students, this time a boy and girl competing in the prestigious Guarneri competition. If you enjoyed Rival, I think you’ll want to read this as well. I know I do! In fact, Martinez released cover art this week and it is hot, hot, HOT!

[girlonamission · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As I was reading this book I continuously kept saying "poor Kathryn". She really was just minding her own business and all of a sudden she's being invited to the sleepover that would change her life. Her and Brooke hit it off immediately because of their shared passion for singing. They were like two peas in a pod. Then, over a misunderstanding and plain old jealousy they become enemies.I can't say I was crazy about Brooke. One minute she didn't want to be popular and just wanted to sing and swim. The next minute when it's convenient for her, she uses it to her advantage. Once Brooke feels that Kathryn betrayed her, she devotes her time to destroying her. For the longest time mousy little Kathryn is pretty much afraid to breathe too loud. Brooke turned the whole school against her. When is enough enough? Sooner or later the most mousy person has to stand up for themselves. I also love that the author didn't make the romance aspect extremely predictable. It was completely unexpected.My favorite element in this book is the fact that these girls have real extracurricular activities. Brooke enjoys singing and swimming. Kathryn sings and she works on the school newspaper. I'm glad to see this since the arts are becoming a big part of schools.The author shows that not only teens have to deal with the pressures of honing their skills but also the normal sucky high school things on top of that. I can definitely relate, having danced my whole way through high school.This was a fun, light read. This book is a mix between Glee and Mean Girls! I would recommend to any teen in the arts.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one heck of a book. From the start, the book, it played on like beautiful music to my ears never letting go. It flowed on and on playing me like a guitar. Brooke and Katheryn were best friends then rivals though a misunderstanding. Will both girls learn to forgive? Or will the music that they play forever ring in their ears.I loved the writing and the plot of this story. Ms. Wealer not only introduce us to music but she intertwine it with her writing. With each turn of the page, her writing played with the progression of music. She gave us words of music before divulging us on the story. If she said crescendo then the plot went faster and faster. I don't like it much when the story switches from pov to pov. Ms. Wealer did a fantastic job writing both sides without making it confusing or losing any detail. Each side of the story was captured well enough just leaving a few pieces out, enough for the reader to piece together what really happen. It is excellent.The love for music for both girls was also captured passionately. You saw both of them work hard and struggle for what they wanted. In the end they learned to see whats important. The love interest is adoring. I really wasn't expecting much with so much already going on but with the way Ms.Wealer wrote it, it flowed beautifully with everything else. If you like music, love, and friendship read this book. I can honestly say the way the book flowed was perfect. The plot, drama, and love is all written well.