KIRKUS REVIEW
An impulsive comment regarding the upcoming election for class president propels 12-year-old David into the candidate’s spot.
When he learns that current president and reigning popular girl Veronica is going to run uncontested yet again, self-proclaimed band geek and trumpet player David takes a stand. However, as David contemplates his campaign, he and Veronica are invited to perform a duet at their school recital. Through their practice sessions, David discovers that Veronica’s life is not as ideal as he perceived. Subsequent encounters with Veronica’s parents illuminate her complicated, challenging family life. While David enters the election seeking to change things, the biggest change occurs within him after a series of revelations challenges David’s assumptions about Veronica, as well as another student in the popular group. Van Dolzer alternates the humor of David’s election-race antics with introspective moments focusing on his changing perceptions of Veronica’s situation. David’s narrative is a blend of candor and wry humor, conveying his earnestness beneath his uncertainty and bluster. His growing understanding of Veronica’s struggle to achieve her dreams in music and life contributes to his increasing ambivalence about the election. Ultimately, David’s emerging maturity is honestly won and will resonate with readers.
A comic romp that’s also an enlightening quest for increased awareness and self-understanding. (Fiction. 11-14)
