Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm
by Polly Shulman

From the publisher:
"There is little more likely to exasperate a person of sense than finding herself tied by affection and habit to an Enthusiast. Julie knows from bitter experience: her best friend, Ashleigh, is an Enthusiast. Ashleigh's current fancy is also Julie's own passion, Pride and Prejudice, and the heroine's quest for True Love. And so Julie finds herself swept along with Ashleigh, dressed in vintage frocks and sneaking into a dance at the local all-boys' prep school. There they discover several likely candidates for True Love, including the handsome and sensitive Parr. And Julie begins to wonder if maybe this obsession of Ashleigh's isn't so bad after all. . . ."

Aside from a few corny nods to Pride and Prejudice, this book was very cute and an enjoyable read.  I loved how it brought musicals and poetry into the story line.  I think middle school girls will really enjoy some of Ashleigh's antics and Julie's embarrassments.

Areas of concern:  Two uses of the "a" word.  Some family issues where a character finds out that her father was having an affair with her now-stepmom while he and her biological mom were in counseling.  Because of a snowstorm, a guy spends the night in a girl's bed.  Nothing happens.  Teenagers acting in the school musical kiss frequently as part of their characters.  A couple romantic kisses at the end.
 

Suggested ages:
Publisher's Weekly:  Ages 12+