In the Spotlight

I read all of the "Heart Beats" books. They're great! "In the Spotlight" helps teens, like myself, understand true friendship. Sophy and Inez are friends until Inez is chosen over Sophy in an audition. Then Sophy gets mad atInez. Sophy isn't always as cool and popular as she seems. Some people think she has it all together, but she doesn't. She has the same teenage problems as everyone else. Love, friends, enemies, and family all play a part in her life. I'd encourage you to read this book and the rest of Elizabeth M. Rees' series of "Heart Beats". Once you start reading, you just can't stop!

Things really heat up in this thrd volume of the Heart Beats series. Sparks fly between Sophy and Carlos, between Carlos and his parents, between Sophy and Inez, between Inez and Ray, between Inez the person and Inez the ballet dancer coming fully into her own. And then we learn more about the ever-mysterious Cat. How all this can take place in a 250 page book is beyond me, but it doesn't seem as if Rees rushed through things; everything is well-paced and given the space it deserves.

I love this book! The first two books in this series, "Moving as One" and "Body Lines" tell us all about Carlos and Sophy and Inez and Daly and all the other kids at the new dance school Dance Tech. Carlos and Sophy are meant for each other. But they seem to have a hard time getting together--when they do, problems start up. I like these books because these kids are real even if their dance school is not quite believable. Still I'd love to go to a school like theirs. Most of my friends are Latino and I love that one hero and his sister are too. Inez is very interesting. And Carlos is to die for. I hope Sophy realizes this and doesn't miss out on him. I can't wait to read the next book "Latin Nights" Heart Beats is like a real soap opera. It should be on t.v.