Book Review: Take a Vow by Elizabeth Eulberg

At First Sight: New York City High School of Creative and Performing Arts (CPA for short) is a hot bed of really talented kids and everyone has a reason why they want to get in, and a dream they want to achieve. For Sophie, it's all about being a star, for Ethan is about quieting the voices in his head by doing the one thing that works for him: writing music. Carter thinks that going to a normal high school will be a good change of pace from a life spent in the spotlight as a child actor. And Emme, well, she wants to write songs too... but she's also kind of following Sophie's lead, since they are best friends.

Almost four years later, they are all seniors getting ready for their last year of school. Sophie isn't quite the star she would like to be (something that terrifies her) but she is dating Carter who is still pretty famous and a soap opera star. Carter is sick of acting though, and he would really like to tell his mom that he's done.

Emme and Ethan are part of a seriously awesome band along with their friends Jack and Ben, and the lot of them keep trying to encourage Emme to finally take center stage rather than staying on Sophie's shadow (where Sophie would like her to stay). Oh, and Ethan is trying to figure out how to say what he wants to say without going crazy, and if the band will stand it.

Second Glance: Take a Vow was awesome.

I had heard about it when the book first came out last year but I kind of just kept putting it off (I loved Elizabeth Eulberg The Lonely Heart's Club, but was less than impressed with her following offer Prom and Prejudice, so I wasn't off to the rases to get Take A Vow). 

I was a fool.

There were so many things I loved about Take a Vow: how it could have gone down the Love Triangle (or square) route with Carter, Emme and Ethan, but it didn't. I love seeing a guy and a girl being really good friends without them being attracted to each other, like Carter and Emme get to be. I loved that, and I don't think we see enough of it in fiction.

Ethan and Emme did this frustrating dance around each other all through the book but it made total sense for who they were: they were both a bit on the shy side, and knew each other so well, and were dead afraid of losing the awesome thing they already had.

The other band members were awesome, they were hilarious and supportive and understanding.

Also loved Carter's personal arc, trying to cope with the fact he doesn't love acting and hasn't for a while, and that maybe he's more responsible for it than he's willing to admit.

Sophie was, well weird, she's a bitchy selfish girl, but she serves as a good contrast to the other characters, and there is enough there to see how she could charm Emme and Carter into staying around for so long. And her jealousy was very human.

Bottom Line: I loved reading Take a Vow, it was just the kind of relaxing but exciting read that I needed. I liked the characters and the setting and how Miss Eulberg handled the relationships without making her characters whinny. A really fun read all around. 

1/2