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Dancing Dream #1
The Queen Bee of Bridgeton
When fifteen-year-old Sonya Garrison is accepted into the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, she soon discovers that rich girls are just as dangerous as the thugs in her home of Venton Heights…maybe more so. After catching the eye of the star white basketball player and unwittingly becoming the most popular girl in school, she earns the hatred of the three most ruthless and vindictive girls at Bridgeton. Can she defeat the reigning high school royalty? Or will they succeed in ruining her lifelong dream of becoming a world class dancer?
244 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2011
33 people are currently reading
770 people want to read
About the author
Leslie DuBois
21 books128 followersSybil Nelson lives in Charleston, SC with her husband and two daughters. She is a PhD student at the Medical University of South Carolina and has written ten novels."
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July 10, 2016
Well every now and then you have to read some nonsense to get your mind off the worldly nonsense
June 30, 2011
THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON by Leslie DuBois is a refreshing novel featuring an African-American protagonist rarely found in young adult fiction. However, I must say, that books are showcasing more ethnic and diverse characters which is much needed in a world with all kinds of readers. I certainly like relate to characters, but I also enjoy learning about people who have different life experiences than my own. That’s the reason for escaping into a great book, isn’t it?
Sonya Garrison of THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON fits this bill perfectly. At 15, Sonya dreams of being a ballet dancer and escaping the dangerous projects which she calls home. When Sonya is given the opportunity to follow in her older sister’s footsteps by attending the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, it’s a chance for her to see what life is like outside her world of daily drive-by shootings and a poor community desperately clinging to hope.
Her sister, Sasha, is determined to get out of Venton Heights, but right now it’s rough-going. Their mother is a single parent who kicked their father out years ago for dwindling away their money and she has to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Embarrassed by where they live, Sasha and Sonya never breathe a word to anyone about their home life, especially at school.
Where Sasha hopes to leave Venton Heights behind through her outstanding grades and academic smarts, Sonya desires to dance her way into a new life with the dream to join the Russian Ballet. Sonya’s teacher sees promise in her and wants her to audition for The DiRisio Academy in Italy. All is going well for the two girls, even though Sonya tries to remain as inconspicuous as she can within the white-faced halls of Bridgeton and just get by with her dancing abilities. Her grades are far from stellar. But soon Sonya becomes distracted when Bridgeton’s star basketball player, Will Maddox, who also happens to be white, shows interest in her. Sonya is flattered but a little worried. Will is definitely cute, but he has some baggage of his own. He has OCD, he’s depressed over his dead parents, and to top it off he’s a sex addict. Yup! You heard me right. He’s practically been with every girl in school. (Movie role will be played by Charlie Sheen…well too old now. Just kidding!)
Does Sonya really want to get involved with someone like that? Not really. But Sonya’s heart tells her differently. Finding out how Will wants to change his wicked ways, Sonya falls hard for him. Will sees Sonya for who she is: a bright, talented girl with a fantastic future. He wants to be part of her life. Their relationship soon attracts the attention of Bridgeton’s mean girls who would rather see Sonya sent back to Venton Heights humiliated and ruined. Yet Sonya is determined to hold her head up high even if it means playing at their dirty games.
The world of THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is real and believable. It took me into the heart of what it feels like to be an African-American kid from the projects. THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON also shows the reality of the way some people think and not liking someone for the color of their skin. When people don’t know someone who is different from themselves, it’s easy to make assumptions or fall into believing stereotypes. Except for Will who loves Sonya and doesn’t want her to be someone she’s not. This is a nice balance in the story. Bridgeton Academy is upper-crust and a far cry from Venton Heights. It’s interesting to see how the two worlds collide.
Sonya is a character to cheer for. She’s feisty, lovable and has a hilarious narrative voice that shines on the page. On the other hand, Sasha is often bossy towards her sister. With no parental figure at home, Sasha feels she has to shape Sonya in her school life and also in her social life. Sonya’s ballet teacher, Miss Alexander, is rigid and strict but wants what’s best for her students. The mean girls, Ashley, Lauren and Brittany, are the typical brats who throw their snobby weight around and think they own the school. They are nasty to anyone who is different from them and what’s worse is they get away with it. Will is crush-worthy and everything I wanted in a romantic interest for Sonya.
THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is sweet, heartfelt, funny and authentic. It’s filled with surprises and twists. Though the plot has been done before, as far as the mean girls bullying some poor soul at school, the characters and Sonya’s dancing are the novel’s strength. The pacing is terrific and the novel has a solid sense of time and place. THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is independently written but it’s extremely strong in writing, voice and description. I’m looking forward to the second book in the Dancing Dream series, THE DEVIL OF DIRISIO.
Although, I’m usually not one for covers showing heads and/or bodies cut-off at the top of books, the cover is still attractive and fits the story line.
Review posted on my blog "That's Swell!" and Copyrighted by Reel Swell Productions.
Sonya Garrison of THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON fits this bill perfectly. At 15, Sonya dreams of being a ballet dancer and escaping the dangerous projects which she calls home. When Sonya is given the opportunity to follow in her older sister’s footsteps by attending the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, it’s a chance for her to see what life is like outside her world of daily drive-by shootings and a poor community desperately clinging to hope.
Her sister, Sasha, is determined to get out of Venton Heights, but right now it’s rough-going. Their mother is a single parent who kicked their father out years ago for dwindling away their money and she has to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Embarrassed by where they live, Sasha and Sonya never breathe a word to anyone about their home life, especially at school.
Where Sasha hopes to leave Venton Heights behind through her outstanding grades and academic smarts, Sonya desires to dance her way into a new life with the dream to join the Russian Ballet. Sonya’s teacher sees promise in her and wants her to audition for The DiRisio Academy in Italy. All is going well for the two girls, even though Sonya tries to remain as inconspicuous as she can within the white-faced halls of Bridgeton and just get by with her dancing abilities. Her grades are far from stellar. But soon Sonya becomes distracted when Bridgeton’s star basketball player, Will Maddox, who also happens to be white, shows interest in her. Sonya is flattered but a little worried. Will is definitely cute, but he has some baggage of his own. He has OCD, he’s depressed over his dead parents, and to top it off he’s a sex addict. Yup! You heard me right. He’s practically been with every girl in school. (Movie role will be played by Charlie Sheen…well too old now. Just kidding!)
Does Sonya really want to get involved with someone like that? Not really. But Sonya’s heart tells her differently. Finding out how Will wants to change his wicked ways, Sonya falls hard for him. Will sees Sonya for who she is: a bright, talented girl with a fantastic future. He wants to be part of her life. Their relationship soon attracts the attention of Bridgeton’s mean girls who would rather see Sonya sent back to Venton Heights humiliated and ruined. Yet Sonya is determined to hold her head up high even if it means playing at their dirty games.
The world of THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is real and believable. It took me into the heart of what it feels like to be an African-American kid from the projects. THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON also shows the reality of the way some people think and not liking someone for the color of their skin. When people don’t know someone who is different from themselves, it’s easy to make assumptions or fall into believing stereotypes. Except for Will who loves Sonya and doesn’t want her to be someone she’s not. This is a nice balance in the story. Bridgeton Academy is upper-crust and a far cry from Venton Heights. It’s interesting to see how the two worlds collide.
Sonya is a character to cheer for. She’s feisty, lovable and has a hilarious narrative voice that shines on the page. On the other hand, Sasha is often bossy towards her sister. With no parental figure at home, Sasha feels she has to shape Sonya in her school life and also in her social life. Sonya’s ballet teacher, Miss Alexander, is rigid and strict but wants what’s best for her students. The mean girls, Ashley, Lauren and Brittany, are the typical brats who throw their snobby weight around and think they own the school. They are nasty to anyone who is different from them and what’s worse is they get away with it. Will is crush-worthy and everything I wanted in a romantic interest for Sonya.
THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is sweet, heartfelt, funny and authentic. It’s filled with surprises and twists. Though the plot has been done before, as far as the mean girls bullying some poor soul at school, the characters and Sonya’s dancing are the novel’s strength. The pacing is terrific and the novel has a solid sense of time and place. THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is independently written but it’s extremely strong in writing, voice and description. I’m looking forward to the second book in the Dancing Dream series, THE DEVIL OF DIRISIO.
Although, I’m usually not one for covers showing heads and/or bodies cut-off at the top of books, the cover is still attractive and fits the story line.
Review posted on my blog "That's Swell!" and Copyrighted by Reel Swell Productions.
May 4, 2013
In all of my years of reading - I do not recall a book that so well describes the thoughts of a black girl from the hood who is thrust into a very exclusive prep school world. I was this black girl (though not poor by regular standards - compared to my peers I was a pauper). "The Queen Bee of Bridgeton" was at times quite hard for me to read - but Ms. DuBois such a compelling novel I could not put it down. Brava!
August 29, 2015
I really enjoyed The Queen Bee of Bridgeton! The whole mean girl, high school drama, cattiness did go a bit too far for my liking, but other than that, this was a wonderful, refreshing read! Sonya and her sister Sasha have grown up in the ghetto, but both girls got scholarships to the prestigious Bridgeton school. Sonya's was an art scholarship because she's a ballerina. She lives and breathes dance, and has worked her butt off to get where she is. So when the mysterious Bitch Brigade targets Sonya and her dream, she either has to stand up for herself and lose the person closest to her, or lose out on going to a dance academy in Rome.
The Queen Bee of Bridgeton was great and has an amazingly positive representation of African Americans in a bad situation. I could totally relate to Sonya feeling out of place in her mostly white school, but also not fitting in at her previous mostly black school. Before she was told she wasn't black enough because she doesn't use slang or listen to rap music, but now she sticks out because there are only a handful of black students at Bridgeton. Students also confuse her for a sister a lot, because hey, black people look the same! Sonya doesn't let it get her down though. She is who she is and that's okay. Even her gang banger neighbor had depth!
The plot does get a bit ridiculous. I'm generally not a fan of secret societies, which is essentially what the Bitch Brigade is. We do learn who they are early on, but I find it hard to believe that all of this has been happening for decades at this school. What those girls do is awful and illegal! And what's it for?! They're just jealous and have to ruin people to make themselves feel better? They try to get Sonya expelled because the basketball star, Will, asks her out! He's a nice guy and doesn't want them, and he and Sonya are totally adorable together, and those bitches can't take it! Ugh.
I do recommend The Queen Bee of Bridgeton. Sonya has a refreshing voice and POV, even if she is really naive at times. She's super optimistic and doesn't let where she lives define her. She knows her mother is trying hard, so Sonya and her sister do what they can to better their lives too, which is great. While the plot is quite over-dramatic, I loved the romance and dance elements and do want to know what comes next for Sonya when she gets to Rome!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
The Queen Bee of Bridgeton was great and has an amazingly positive representation of African Americans in a bad situation. I could totally relate to Sonya feeling out of place in her mostly white school, but also not fitting in at her previous mostly black school. Before she was told she wasn't black enough because she doesn't use slang or listen to rap music, but now she sticks out because there are only a handful of black students at Bridgeton. Students also confuse her for a sister a lot, because hey, black people look the same! Sonya doesn't let it get her down though. She is who she is and that's okay. Even her gang banger neighbor had depth!
The plot does get a bit ridiculous. I'm generally not a fan of secret societies, which is essentially what the Bitch Brigade is. We do learn who they are early on, but I find it hard to believe that all of this has been happening for decades at this school. What those girls do is awful and illegal! And what's it for?! They're just jealous and have to ruin people to make themselves feel better? They try to get Sonya expelled because the basketball star, Will, asks her out! He's a nice guy and doesn't want them, and he and Sonya are totally adorable together, and those bitches can't take it! Ugh.
I do recommend The Queen Bee of Bridgeton. Sonya has a refreshing voice and POV, even if she is really naive at times. She's super optimistic and doesn't let where she lives define her. She knows her mother is trying hard, so Sonya and her sister do what they can to better their lives too, which is great. While the plot is quite over-dramatic, I loved the romance and dance elements and do want to know what comes next for Sonya when she gets to Rome!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
May 7, 2016
Sonya lives in three worlds. There's home, where her single mother works multiple jobs to get by and where neighbourhood violence is an everyday occurrence. There's school, where she's one of very few black students and struggles to fit in and to live up to her older sister's academic reputation. And there's the ballet studio, the one place she can pursue her passion.
There are some powerful themes at play here: class differences. Racial tension. Doing what it takes to get through (and what it means, ethically, when that requires straying from the straight and narrow). But I don't think the book lived up to its potential—it needed much stronger editing. Too much that was too unrealistic, and too many unanswered questions:
-"Every student who has faced the honor council has been found guilty and expelled," Headmaster Collins said... (loc. 109) I'd say that that points to a seriously flawed system—not just guilty-until-proven-innocent but guilty-because-we-say-so, and with no nuance. Plus, the council judging Sonya includes her own sister, indicating that there are huge problems with the way it's set up. I wouldn't have minded so much had the question of whether or not this system was indeed honourable had been explored, but...it wasn't. (Later, by the way, a student who's framing Sonya in this council submits as evidence against her accusations that he was blackmailing her for sexual favours—which should get him both expelled and arrested, but instead his word is treated as powerful evidence against Sonya.)
-This prep school has a 1,500-acre campus. 1,500! That's three times the size of my undergrad campus (which was considered large for its student population of 2,400), and the fictional prep school isn't even a boarding school. I'm sure it's possible, and meant to contrast the 'ghetto symphony of gunshots and sirens' (loc. 1001) where Sonya lives, but I wasn't buying...either of those details, actually.
-Sonya spent two months teaching herself Spanish and rendered herself completely fluent (loc. 1316). Not bloody likely.
-He shook his head. "You don't want to know how many times I've had sex in this very gym and with how many girls. It makes me sick just thinking about it." (loc. 1646) Some really odd stuff going on with the love interest—he's a reformed bad boy with serious Issues to do with his past and who should...I don't remember if he's on meds, but either he should be or the dosage needs adjusting. That's not meant as snark, but rather as a note that his underlying problems are never addressed. He's not a stable character, which Sonya sometimes understands but often glosses over, taking his instabilities as signs of love.
-"But I don't understand. She...she doesn't even know me," I whimpered. (loc. 1855) This is Sonya's response to a character being racist. And—she's right, the other character's a psycho cow, but no way in hell do I believe that Sonya (black girl from the 'ghetto' at a bitchy white prep school, remember? One who's trying to make it in the whitewhitewhite world of ballet?) is so unprepared for racism. That's a terrible situation for her to be in, and I wish there were cause for her to be surprised—but based on the context the author's set up for her, it doesn't feel realistic that she would be surprised. Very naïve.
-As a dancer, Sonya is the best dancer who has ever danced. Ever. The best. At her audition for the Most Amazing Dance Academy in the World, she's told that the company wants to use her solo in their company (with her credited as the choreographer) and that the onnnnnly reason they're considering her for admission in the academy (with the expectation that she'd eventually be offered a company spot) is that they don't have any spots in the dance company proper. This is the Mary-Sue-est thing I've read in months. I can't. (Meanwhile, her unstable boyfriend is getting a contract to play basketball overseas—just out of high school! Basketball players who can't make it in the NBA do this sometimes, yeah, but out of university, not out of high school.)
Good ideas? Lots of them. Interesting characters? Sometimes. Execution? Not so much.
There are some powerful themes at play here: class differences. Racial tension. Doing what it takes to get through (and what it means, ethically, when that requires straying from the straight and narrow). But I don't think the book lived up to its potential—it needed much stronger editing. Too much that was too unrealistic, and too many unanswered questions:
-"Every student who has faced the honor council has been found guilty and expelled," Headmaster Collins said... (loc. 109) I'd say that that points to a seriously flawed system—not just guilty-until-proven-innocent but guilty-because-we-say-so, and with no nuance. Plus, the council judging Sonya includes her own sister, indicating that there are huge problems with the way it's set up. I wouldn't have minded so much had the question of whether or not this system was indeed honourable had been explored, but...it wasn't. (Later, by the way, a student who's framing Sonya in this council submits as evidence against her accusations that he was blackmailing her for sexual favours—which should get him both expelled and arrested, but instead his word is treated as powerful evidence against Sonya.)
-This prep school has a 1,500-acre campus. 1,500! That's three times the size of my undergrad campus (which was considered large for its student population of 2,400), and the fictional prep school isn't even a boarding school. I'm sure it's possible, and meant to contrast the 'ghetto symphony of gunshots and sirens' (loc. 1001) where Sonya lives, but I wasn't buying...either of those details, actually.
-Sonya spent two months teaching herself Spanish and rendered herself completely fluent (loc. 1316). Not bloody likely.
-He shook his head. "You don't want to know how many times I've had sex in this very gym and with how many girls. It makes me sick just thinking about it." (loc. 1646) Some really odd stuff going on with the love interest—he's a reformed bad boy with serious Issues to do with his past and who should...I don't remember if he's on meds, but either he should be or the dosage needs adjusting. That's not meant as snark, but rather as a note that his underlying problems are never addressed. He's not a stable character, which Sonya sometimes understands but often glosses over, taking his instabilities as signs of love.
-"But I don't understand. She...she doesn't even know me," I whimpered. (loc. 1855) This is Sonya's response to a character being racist. And—she's right, the other character's a psycho cow, but no way in hell do I believe that Sonya (black girl from the 'ghetto' at a bitchy white prep school, remember? One who's trying to make it in the whitewhitewhite world of ballet?) is so unprepared for racism. That's a terrible situation for her to be in, and I wish there were cause for her to be surprised—but based on the context the author's set up for her, it doesn't feel realistic that she would be surprised. Very naïve.
-As a dancer, Sonya is the best dancer who has ever danced. Ever. The best. At her audition for the Most Amazing Dance Academy in the World, she's told that the company wants to use her solo in their company (with her credited as the choreographer) and that the onnnnnly reason they're considering her for admission in the academy (with the expectation that she'd eventually be offered a company spot) is that they don't have any spots in the dance company proper. This is the Mary-Sue-est thing I've read in months. I can't. (Meanwhile, her unstable boyfriend is getting a contract to play basketball overseas—just out of high school! Basketball players who can't make it in the NBA do this sometimes, yeah, but out of university, not out of high school.)
Good ideas? Lots of them. Interesting characters? Sometimes. Execution? Not so much.
April 27, 2011
First of all, the good points - The protagonist is different from the usual plain-girl-gets-hot-guy in that she is 1) African American 2) perceptive and strong personality 3) attracts the attention of Will, a.k.a. Bad Popular Boy because she stands out as good and perceptive 4) brings depth to a minor character, Tyrell, neighborhood gangsta 5) gives a voice to the African American girl who does not talk black enough to fit in but her skin color prevents her from fitting into an upper class, white prep school. Actually, this aspect deserves more positive attention. Sonya wants out of the ghettos. Her personality is genuine, she is good and she works hard. I really liked that aspect. 6) she's a dancer. I always have a soft spot for the ballerina and wondered how many fouetté rond de jambe en tournant she can do before she tips over. I'm at two.
What I didn't like was another book about Mean Girls. It wasn't just the Mean Girls but it was page after page of what kind of trauma they could and did cause. They were Mean Girls on steroids. It was icky. I know. Really articulate, but it just was. Adding to the ick-factor was the sex games. It's sweet and all that Will put the skids on his sex score card while he dated Sonya but I would hope the girl would give pause before considering the diseases he may be carrying around.
I also didn't like the unfinished issues and storylines. Will admits to Sonya he has OCD. She watches it in action a couple of times but by the end I wonder what it had to do with the story since it didn't play a part. Will is an orphan who attempted suicide earlier. Okayyyy - again, what did this snippet add to the story? Will's character seemed to have much more depth that I wanted to explore but it doesn't go anywhere. In fact, besides Sonya, character development was too minimal for my tastes.
It is not a poorly written book by any stretch. The dialogue is intriguing, if raunchy. Oddly, swearing is kept at a minimum which I appreciated but it is not a clean book. Mostly I felt dissatisfied with understanding the main characters' motivation. I wanted to know them better.
It's the first book in a series so perhaps there will be more depth introduced. I liked Sonya. I liked her strength. I didn't like how her strength melted when her hormones kicked in. I liked Will. I liked that he sought Sonya out because she elicited the good in him. I liked that he struggles with his own demons of OCD, guilt over his parents' death, and he accepts Sonya's own quirkiness and doesn't blink when he discovers her poverty. I also liked the bi-racial couple concept. I just wanted more depth.
What I didn't like was another book about Mean Girls. It wasn't just the Mean Girls but it was page after page of what kind of trauma they could and did cause. They were Mean Girls on steroids. It was icky. I know. Really articulate, but it just was. Adding to the ick-factor was the sex games. It's sweet and all that Will put the skids on his sex score card while he dated Sonya but I would hope the girl would give pause before considering the diseases he may be carrying around.
I also didn't like the unfinished issues and storylines. Will admits to Sonya he has OCD. She watches it in action a couple of times but by the end I wonder what it had to do with the story since it didn't play a part. Will is an orphan who attempted suicide earlier. Okayyyy - again, what did this snippet add to the story? Will's character seemed to have much more depth that I wanted to explore but it doesn't go anywhere. In fact, besides Sonya, character development was too minimal for my tastes.
It is not a poorly written book by any stretch. The dialogue is intriguing, if raunchy. Oddly, swearing is kept at a minimum which I appreciated but it is not a clean book. Mostly I felt dissatisfied with understanding the main characters' motivation. I wanted to know them better.
It's the first book in a series so perhaps there will be more depth introduced. I liked Sonya. I liked her strength. I didn't like how her strength melted when her hormones kicked in. I liked Will. I liked that he sought Sonya out because she elicited the good in him. I liked that he struggles with his own demons of OCD, guilt over his parents' death, and he accepts Sonya's own quirkiness and doesn't blink when he discovers her poverty. I also liked the bi-racial couple concept. I just wanted more depth.
June 20, 2011
Sonya, a shy, black ballerina, who's been cleaning a studio for years in exchange for dance lessons, might actually be able to escape her real life in the ghetto and fulfill her dream of becoming a world-class ballerina, thanks to her dance scholarship at the prestigious Bridgeton Academy. Her older sister, Sasha, who spent years trying to get in through academic achievement, finally made it too. So, both sisters spend their lives in glam by day and return to cockroaches, nearby gunshots and ketchup sandwiches by night.
But, with Sasha having acted like a second mom to Sonya for years, by shrouding her from the dangers surrounding them and making sure she keeps up with her studies, Sonya has been skirting through life with her head down.
So, when she attracts the attention of the star, white basketball player and unwittingly becomes the most popular girl in school, the queens who rule her school don't like it one bit and take no hesitation in letting her know it. They've literally ruined the lives of others, and Sonya has become their number one target to destroy. And this shy girl must reach inside herself to find strength and the ugly in order to beat them at their own game. But even if she can, it may be too late to save her dream and her relationship.
What stands out immediately in this novel is the voice. It's full of humor, but also laced with a little bit of pain, which is hard to pull off. I find Sonya a relatable protagonist in that she has awkward moments, a passion for something and often underestimates her own worth. Growing up with a deadbeat father in a neighborhood of crime with no guys even glancing twice at her, she's felt invisible and bumbly her whole life, except when she's dancing. That's when she comes alive. And at Bridgeton, and in everything, dance is her sole focus. So, when Will finally gets up the nerve to approach her, she's shocked and doesn't even know who he is. She blows him off at first, but something about him intrigues her, even beyond his sad eyes, and she soon becomes as smitten with him as he is with her.
I liked several things about this novel, but the things that stand out are the romance, the dashes of humor and the emotional journey the reader can experience.
If you want a YA book that's different and fresh on the familiar fish-out-of-water theme, that is packed with surprises and little bits that will make you laugh out loud, The Queen Bee of Bridgeton is definitely one to put on your to-read wall.
But, with Sasha having acted like a second mom to Sonya for years, by shrouding her from the dangers surrounding them and making sure she keeps up with her studies, Sonya has been skirting through life with her head down.
So, when she attracts the attention of the star, white basketball player and unwittingly becomes the most popular girl in school, the queens who rule her school don't like it one bit and take no hesitation in letting her know it. They've literally ruined the lives of others, and Sonya has become their number one target to destroy. And this shy girl must reach inside herself to find strength and the ugly in order to beat them at their own game. But even if she can, it may be too late to save her dream and her relationship.
What stands out immediately in this novel is the voice. It's full of humor, but also laced with a little bit of pain, which is hard to pull off. I find Sonya a relatable protagonist in that she has awkward moments, a passion for something and often underestimates her own worth. Growing up with a deadbeat father in a neighborhood of crime with no guys even glancing twice at her, she's felt invisible and bumbly her whole life, except when she's dancing. That's when she comes alive. And at Bridgeton, and in everything, dance is her sole focus. So, when Will finally gets up the nerve to approach her, she's shocked and doesn't even know who he is. She blows him off at first, but something about him intrigues her, even beyond his sad eyes, and she soon becomes as smitten with him as he is with her.
I liked several things about this novel, but the things that stand out are the romance, the dashes of humor and the emotional journey the reader can experience.
If you want a YA book that's different and fresh on the familiar fish-out-of-water theme, that is packed with surprises and little bits that will make you laugh out loud, The Queen Bee of Bridgeton is definitely one to put on your to-read wall.
June 10, 2011
The Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie DuBois follows Sonya a ballet dancer who is out of her element at a fancy private school. Sonya lives in a very poor neighborhood with her mother and sister. Her sister really wants out and works to be admitted to a fancy private school and Sonya is admitted a year later. The two are totally out of their element both in race and class. Sonya has always handled this by remaining invisible however when a popular boy singles herself out she finds herself entangled in a social mess of epic proportions.
This is an entertaining book that tackles race and class and bullying with a bit of dance on the side. Sonya is a determined girl with a love of dance and her family situation is interesting. The controversy was trashy and scandalous and the ending of the book was fascinating. I didn't however love the romance. I had a problem believing that a good girl would stay in a relationship with a guy whose sexual past was so horrendous (he was part of a group that kept score based on their sexual activities) no matter how reformed he appeared. The relationship was obsessive and too serious and the ending of the relationship was too perfect. The book is short and a quick read. The digital edition is available from the kindle store for .99
Appropriateness: This is a trashy trashy book but as opposed to most trashy novels it has a good message.. The main character has a good heart and works hard to get what she wants. She is naive and gets very drunk after drinking a spiked drink and does things she regrets (which is a good lesson). There is quite a bit of sex talk and some scenes of a sexual nature (but nothing erotic). There are some weird things with the relationship that parents should talk to their girls about how important it is to not let the things they find important suffer because of a relationship. All in all this is a book with a very good message of hard work and honesty. I would recommend this book for a teen audience 13+
This is an entertaining book that tackles race and class and bullying with a bit of dance on the side. Sonya is a determined girl with a love of dance and her family situation is interesting. The controversy was trashy and scandalous and the ending of the book was fascinating. I didn't however love the romance. I had a problem believing that a good girl would stay in a relationship with a guy whose sexual past was so horrendous (he was part of a group that kept score based on their sexual activities) no matter how reformed he appeared. The relationship was obsessive and too serious and the ending of the relationship was too perfect. The book is short and a quick read. The digital edition is available from the kindle store for .99
Appropriateness: This is a trashy trashy book but as opposed to most trashy novels it has a good message.. The main character has a good heart and works hard to get what she wants. She is naive and gets very drunk after drinking a spiked drink and does things she regrets (which is a good lesson). There is quite a bit of sex talk and some scenes of a sexual nature (but nothing erotic). There are some weird things with the relationship that parents should talk to their girls about how important it is to not let the things they find important suffer because of a relationship. All in all this is a book with a very good message of hard work and honesty. I would recommend this book for a teen audience 13+
May 25, 2011
LESLIE DUBOIS' "THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON" (A REVIEW)
I must say the Leslie DuBois is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her ability with writing stories about teens that are riveting, inspiring, and in depth is simply amazing. This story is about an African American teen that has had to overcome so much in her life to gain her true place in the world only to see it almost destroyed by a group of girls with a jealous streak. Unlike any other story of this kind that I have ever read, Leslie once again brings her characters to life and pulls the reader in placing them into the shoes of this young girl and making them realize just how hard it is to be a teenager.
I commend her on her writing skills and her seemingly effortless flow. I will be sure to pick up more of her works in the near future.
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
I must say the Leslie DuBois is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her ability with writing stories about teens that are riveting, inspiring, and in depth is simply amazing. This story is about an African American teen that has had to overcome so much in her life to gain her true place in the world only to see it almost destroyed by a group of girls with a jealous streak. Unlike any other story of this kind that I have ever read, Leslie once again brings her characters to life and pulls the reader in placing them into the shoes of this young girl and making them realize just how hard it is to be a teenager.
I commend her on her writing skills and her seemingly effortless flow. I will be sure to pick up more of her works in the near future.
-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club
July 24, 2011
Amazing. Once again this author has written something that flows, is interesting, not to much over the top with sappy crap. Vivid and all with a great twist. This author I found on accident and I am glad I did! Love it.
January 10, 2019
Update- I have to say... Years ago Ashley was a much more forgiving reader 😂 I was going through my shelves, trying to declutter, let go of sone books and I couldn't remember what I thought of this one, but felt vaguely bad taste-y. I flipped through some pages and found myself rolling my eyes a lot and just, not impressed with anything I read... And then I popped onto Goodreads and had a good chuckle, cuz apparently I liked it well enough before :p
Not one I plan to keep, it's not one I think would hold up well 🤷♀️
Originally reviewed on my blog...
The Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie DuBois is the story of 15 year old Sonya who wants nothing more out of life than to be able to dance. She understands that homework is important, but it would always take a back seat to her dancing, if her older sister didn't push her so hard to make something better for herself. She attends the prestigious Bridgeton Academy and for years she been anonymous. But she attracts the attention of Will, one of the most popular and notorious boys on campus and suddenly, everything starts to change. People start noticing her, and not all of the attention she starts getting is good. She somehow attracts the attention of the schools group of 'mean girls' and she's shown a side to people she's never seen before.
Sonya doesn't really understand cruelty. She doesn't understand why people do things deliberately with the intention to hurt or harm. It's not in her nature. So when the mean girls in school start popping up, Sonya doesn't really understand what's going on, or why people could be like this, but she definitely wants to help those who have been harmed by this group of mean girls. But, the mean girls have a system worked out, a system where they rule the school and they really don't like this girl getting in their way.
I really liked Sonya's character. She was just a genuinely nice person who looked for the good in everyone. She is both observant and blind, seeing a lot that most people overlook, but missing out on a lot of details that are right in front of her. She's fairly innocent without being completely naive and I found her to be completely believable. That's about the way I'd expect a 15 year old with a good heart who only cares about dancing to react. But, Sonya was the only character I completely believed in. Most of the other characters in the novel were well written, well rounded and well developed, but they were somehow missing that solid ring of authenticity I got from Sonya.
I liked Will. Mostly. I found the game he played with his jock buddies to be absolutely and completely reprehensible, which gave me a bad taste for this kid from the beginning. I don't know if high school kids really play games where they get points for sexual acts. Some probably do. I don't want to think about it. (Not in a, let me stay naive-stick my head in the sand way, but in a- if I spend to much time thinking about this I might hit something-way). It disgusts me. Completely and totally. So, I knew I'd struggle with Will when the only thing Sonya knows about him is that she thinks he has sad eyes and that every time she sees him, he's leaving some dark and semi-public place with a half naked, very disheveled girl. So, when he approaches her (wait, me?! Are you talking to me?!) she's a little confused, somewhat concerned, and a lot not interested. And I loved that. I loved that Sonya told him no the first time he asked her out, and that Sonya wasn't afraid to be true to herself.
I will admit that while I didn't guess every single plot detail, I did see a lot of the big stuff coming. Which is okay. Every book doesn't have to be a complete and total surprise, but a lot of the stuff I'm assuming was supposed to be shocking, wasn't. Sometimes this bothers me, but it didn't this time. Which is, of course, a very good thing.
I thought that the book was very well written and it had a great pace. The character development was wonderful, both individually and in relationships and interactions and I loved the speed at which DuBois had Will and Sonya's relationship progress. And, while I was initially very put off by Will, he really wanted to do right by Sonya and he tried, hard. You could see that. It was clear that he was unsure of himself for the first time around a girl and I found that very endearing and very believable. When you are completely confident in your ability to make a conquest and have never tried to have a relationship, it's going to be hard and it's going to get awkward sometimes.
I was explaining this book to someone, mentioning what the book was about and things and they mentioned that it sounded like a cross between Mean Girls and Step Up. And, ya... I'd have to agree with them. The school itself isn't an artistic school, and Sonya is the only one who dances or anything in the story but elements from both movies are present in the book, and I can easily see how you would enjoy this book if either (or both) of those movies are ones that you enjoy watching.
The book also offers a sneak peek at the beginning of book two in the series. While I genuinely liked this one and thought it was well written with well developed characters, I don't really feel like it needs to be a series. I felt like the characters stories were finished. Obviously, there is the possibility for more to tell, because people continue to live, but I thought this book was perfectly complete. So, I don't know if I'm going to pick up the sequel(s) to this one yet. I haven't decided. I might be happy to just let these characters rest in my mind, leave them with their (mostly) happy endings.
Not one I plan to keep, it's not one I think would hold up well 🤷♀️
Originally reviewed on my blog...
The Queen Bee of Bridgeton by Leslie DuBois is the story of 15 year old Sonya who wants nothing more out of life than to be able to dance. She understands that homework is important, but it would always take a back seat to her dancing, if her older sister didn't push her so hard to make something better for herself. She attends the prestigious Bridgeton Academy and for years she been anonymous. But she attracts the attention of Will, one of the most popular and notorious boys on campus and suddenly, everything starts to change. People start noticing her, and not all of the attention she starts getting is good. She somehow attracts the attention of the schools group of 'mean girls' and she's shown a side to people she's never seen before.
Sonya doesn't really understand cruelty. She doesn't understand why people do things deliberately with the intention to hurt or harm. It's not in her nature. So when the mean girls in school start popping up, Sonya doesn't really understand what's going on, or why people could be like this, but she definitely wants to help those who have been harmed by this group of mean girls. But, the mean girls have a system worked out, a system where they rule the school and they really don't like this girl getting in their way.
I really liked Sonya's character. She was just a genuinely nice person who looked for the good in everyone. She is both observant and blind, seeing a lot that most people overlook, but missing out on a lot of details that are right in front of her. She's fairly innocent without being completely naive and I found her to be completely believable. That's about the way I'd expect a 15 year old with a good heart who only cares about dancing to react. But, Sonya was the only character I completely believed in. Most of the other characters in the novel were well written, well rounded and well developed, but they were somehow missing that solid ring of authenticity I got from Sonya.
I liked Will. Mostly. I found the game he played with his jock buddies to be absolutely and completely reprehensible, which gave me a bad taste for this kid from the beginning. I don't know if high school kids really play games where they get points for sexual acts. Some probably do. I don't want to think about it. (Not in a, let me stay naive-stick my head in the sand way, but in a- if I spend to much time thinking about this I might hit something-way). It disgusts me. Completely and totally. So, I knew I'd struggle with Will when the only thing Sonya knows about him is that she thinks he has sad eyes and that every time she sees him, he's leaving some dark and semi-public place with a half naked, very disheveled girl. So, when he approaches her (wait, me?! Are you talking to me?!) she's a little confused, somewhat concerned, and a lot not interested. And I loved that. I loved that Sonya told him no the first time he asked her out, and that Sonya wasn't afraid to be true to herself.
I will admit that while I didn't guess every single plot detail, I did see a lot of the big stuff coming. Which is okay. Every book doesn't have to be a complete and total surprise, but a lot of the stuff I'm assuming was supposed to be shocking, wasn't. Sometimes this bothers me, but it didn't this time. Which is, of course, a very good thing.
I thought that the book was very well written and it had a great pace. The character development was wonderful, both individually and in relationships and interactions and I loved the speed at which DuBois had Will and Sonya's relationship progress. And, while I was initially very put off by Will, he really wanted to do right by Sonya and he tried, hard. You could see that. It was clear that he was unsure of himself for the first time around a girl and I found that very endearing and very believable. When you are completely confident in your ability to make a conquest and have never tried to have a relationship, it's going to be hard and it's going to get awkward sometimes.
I was explaining this book to someone, mentioning what the book was about and things and they mentioned that it sounded like a cross between Mean Girls and Step Up. And, ya... I'd have to agree with them. The school itself isn't an artistic school, and Sonya is the only one who dances or anything in the story but elements from both movies are present in the book, and I can easily see how you would enjoy this book if either (or both) of those movies are ones that you enjoy watching.
The book also offers a sneak peek at the beginning of book two in the series. While I genuinely liked this one and thought it was well written with well developed characters, I don't really feel like it needs to be a series. I felt like the characters stories were finished. Obviously, there is the possibility for more to tell, because people continue to live, but I thought this book was perfectly complete. So, I don't know if I'm going to pick up the sequel(s) to this one yet. I haven't decided. I might be happy to just let these characters rest in my mind, leave them with their (mostly) happy endings.
September 27, 2017
This was a rather nice surprise I just randomly chose a book on my kindle for a reading challenge me and my friends are doing and I couldn't be happier with the turn out.
I loved the simplistic nature of the storie and how the twist was actually something I did not see coming.
I also love the little throw ins here and there to other peoples life that end up coming together in the end.
Its a great coming of age first love book with a look into a very mean girls type of school.
I honestly plan on getting the other books and finishing the series. I am interested in what happens in Sony and Will's life.
I loved the simplistic nature of the storie and how the twist was actually something I did not see coming.
I also love the little throw ins here and there to other peoples life that end up coming together in the end.
Its a great coming of age first love book with a look into a very mean girls type of school.
I honestly plan on getting the other books and finishing the series. I am interested in what happens in Sony and Will's life.
August 23, 2025
This was so trashy and terrible and I was absolutely here for it. Sometimes you just need some melodramatic fluff! Poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks is a fish out of water in her fancy private school, gets on the wrong side of the Bitch Brigade (really!), with a side of ballet - which is why I’d downloaded it in the first place. A nice quick read.
July 16, 2017
I did the part that dancing was so important to Sonja. But can't make up my mind if I like it.
July 2, 2024
Loved it from beginning to the end and already half way through the next book!
July 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 23, 2012
I’m having a better run of realistic YA novels rather than the paranormal/sci-fi/dystopic ones. I haven’t found an utterly fantastic one yet, but I’ve liked the realistic ones a lot more.
So, obviously, I did enjoy this. The premise did have me worried at first, as I’m really not a fan of books where girls are set up to be bitchy to one another for no good reasons (which is another thing I think is just bad behavior to promote in general), but this was slightly better than I was expecting it to be. I liked the detail that Sonya isn’t willing to stoop down to the Bitch Brigade’s level and throw out catty comments. And when she does, Sonya’s extremely reluctant to do so and feels uncomfortable with it. I really like that she feels like she shouldn’t have to resort to bitchy remarks to take down these girls. We need more of this behavior in YA.
I also really like how so much of the book is hinged on Sonya’s identity. She doesn’t really quite fit into Venton Heights or Bridgeton Academy, but she doesn’t feel like she needs to stand out in either place. And we get this strong love that Sonya has for dancing in her narration, and how it’s definitely the place where she feels like she belongs. I really liked this aspect of her; it makes Sonya more realistic. And I liked the uncertainity she has in her school, that she knows that she’s not on the automatic path to a good school. Not to mention, again, Sonya’s willing to do the right thing, even if she doesn’t want praise for it. She’s willing to help two girls she doesn’t even know in order to spare them from embarrassment. It’s another layer of realism that adds to her character.
Also, there’s a good discussion on race that doesn’t verge on preachy. It’s set up very early on that Sonya and her sister Sasha have to get themselves out of the ghetto, as they can see what the alternate is. Sonya is a lot more believable in that she does feel very out of place in Venton Heights, but she’s not actively trying to act white or be better than anyone else. She’s just a girl who’s a bit out of step. And while there’s not a huge treatise on how Sonya and Sasha are treated at school, it is definitely discussed, albeit briefly. I don’t think it’s given the full weight of a race discussion, but it’s given enough credit to add to the story.
I would have liked to have seen the racial discussion brought up in the relationship between Will and Sonya, as it’s given a brief two-second mention and then dropped. That said though, I do like this relationship. First off, it’s a little funny to see Will try to pull the Edward Cullen method of romance by stalking Sonya…who’s then a little freaked out and mad that Will would try that. It does illustrate will’s rich kid lifestyle, and the idea that he has to deal with someone who won’t respond to his every whim. And outside of the romance, I like the fact that Will and Sonya feel like they could just be friends, with no romantic obligations. I would have liked to have seen more with Will’s darker side, as it gets frequently mentioned but then unceremoniously dropped until it’s needed again.
While I do like the set-up and the reasons behind Sonya trying to make good, the revenge scheme and the revelation behind the Bitch Brigade are the weakest parts of this, mostly due to Sasha. Early on, it feels like Sonya and Sasha have a very sisterly relationship—bickering, but they care about each other and want the other to succeed. Then, as the Brigade tries to threaten Sonya, Sasha continues to push her sister into becoming one of the mean girls. And then it’s revealed that Sasha is behind the Bitch Brigade, culminating in a fairly out of character villain speech and Sasha leaving the house because she has nothing left to reach for. There’s some hints as to Sasha being more involved than she let on, but the revelation and her sudden change in character comes out of nowhere. It’s explained away as “Well, she was just being manipulative the whole time!” but I don’t really buy it.
Additionally, the pacing of the book is very rushed. The first half is decent, with Sonya and her growing romance with Will, but once the revenge scheme starts, everything happens so fast with little time to process what’s happening. Not to mention, the last chapter feels like all of the events are just arbitrarily tacked on to set up the next book. I feel like there could have been more of an ending, and drawing out everything that happens to Sonya in the last two chapters, instead of cramming everything in a few paragraphs.
Even still, I did like this book. It’s not a must-read, but it’s worth checking out if you need a quick read on your ereader of choice.
So, obviously, I did enjoy this. The premise did have me worried at first, as I’m really not a fan of books where girls are set up to be bitchy to one another for no good reasons (which is another thing I think is just bad behavior to promote in general), but this was slightly better than I was expecting it to be. I liked the detail that Sonya isn’t willing to stoop down to the Bitch Brigade’s level and throw out catty comments. And when she does, Sonya’s extremely reluctant to do so and feels uncomfortable with it. I really like that she feels like she shouldn’t have to resort to bitchy remarks to take down these girls. We need more of this behavior in YA.
I also really like how so much of the book is hinged on Sonya’s identity. She doesn’t really quite fit into Venton Heights or Bridgeton Academy, but she doesn’t feel like she needs to stand out in either place. And we get this strong love that Sonya has for dancing in her narration, and how it’s definitely the place where she feels like she belongs. I really liked this aspect of her; it makes Sonya more realistic. And I liked the uncertainity she has in her school, that she knows that she’s not on the automatic path to a good school. Not to mention, again, Sonya’s willing to do the right thing, even if she doesn’t want praise for it. She’s willing to help two girls she doesn’t even know in order to spare them from embarrassment. It’s another layer of realism that adds to her character.
Also, there’s a good discussion on race that doesn’t verge on preachy. It’s set up very early on that Sonya and her sister Sasha have to get themselves out of the ghetto, as they can see what the alternate is. Sonya is a lot more believable in that she does feel very out of place in Venton Heights, but she’s not actively trying to act white or be better than anyone else. She’s just a girl who’s a bit out of step. And while there’s not a huge treatise on how Sonya and Sasha are treated at school, it is definitely discussed, albeit briefly. I don’t think it’s given the full weight of a race discussion, but it’s given enough credit to add to the story.
I would have liked to have seen the racial discussion brought up in the relationship between Will and Sonya, as it’s given a brief two-second mention and then dropped. That said though, I do like this relationship. First off, it’s a little funny to see Will try to pull the Edward Cullen method of romance by stalking Sonya…who’s then a little freaked out and mad that Will would try that. It does illustrate will’s rich kid lifestyle, and the idea that he has to deal with someone who won’t respond to his every whim. And outside of the romance, I like the fact that Will and Sonya feel like they could just be friends, with no romantic obligations. I would have liked to have seen more with Will’s darker side, as it gets frequently mentioned but then unceremoniously dropped until it’s needed again.
While I do like the set-up and the reasons behind Sonya trying to make good, the revenge scheme and the revelation behind the Bitch Brigade are the weakest parts of this, mostly due to Sasha. Early on, it feels like Sonya and Sasha have a very sisterly relationship—bickering, but they care about each other and want the other to succeed. Then, as the Brigade tries to threaten Sonya, Sasha continues to push her sister into becoming one of the mean girls. And then it’s revealed that Sasha is behind the Bitch Brigade, culminating in a fairly out of character villain speech and Sasha leaving the house because she has nothing left to reach for. There’s some hints as to Sasha being more involved than she let on, but the revelation and her sudden change in character comes out of nowhere. It’s explained away as “Well, she was just being manipulative the whole time!” but I don’t really buy it.
Additionally, the pacing of the book is very rushed. The first half is decent, with Sonya and her growing romance with Will, but once the revenge scheme starts, everything happens so fast with little time to process what’s happening. Not to mention, the last chapter feels like all of the events are just arbitrarily tacked on to set up the next book. I feel like there could have been more of an ending, and drawing out everything that happens to Sonya in the last two chapters, instead of cramming everything in a few paragraphs.
Even still, I did like this book. It’s not a must-read, but it’s worth checking out if you need a quick read on your ereader of choice.
February 5, 2016
‘’The Queen Bee of Bridgeton’’ Review
By: Andrea Pereira
I give this book 4 star rating, because I think it has a really deep meaning to it. The only thing that concerned me was that it had some mature content, that I was hesitant to read. But other than that I think this book would really give you clear idea that there is not such a thing as overnight success.
How this book relates to my Hero’s Journey?
I think that it does, because I think I can mimic the love the character has for her passion in real life. In the book it really shows how much she worked in order to be the best on her craft (dancing). She didn’t let money limit her options, she found a way to make her dreams happen, but along the way she goes through some challenges. But she won't let them stop her to get to her goal.
Who should read this book and why?
I think that teenagers from 14+ can read this book in order to really understand all the content. This book isn’t made for people that don’t like none realistic fiction and drama combined in a book. This book could have some mature scenes, but other than that I think that teen agers will really enjoy it and will get to learn from it.
Your favorite moment of the book?
I really like the part where Sonya (main character) explains how she found her passion, and the way her economic status didn't really affect her success. This really made me think how people that have changed the world sometimes had low money income but still managed to do something amazing.
_____________________________________________________________
'' La abeja reina de Bridgeton '' Revisión
Por: Andrea Pereira
Doy este libro calificación de 4 estrellas, porque yo creo que tiene un significado muy profundo a la misma. La única cosa que estaba preocupado de que que había algún contenido madura, que yo era reacio a leer. Pero aparte de eso, creo que este libro realmente le daría noción claro que no es una cosa tal como el éxito durante la noche.
¿Cómo este libro relaciona con el viaje de mi héroe?
Que yo creo que sí, porque creo que puedo imitar el carácter que ama la pasión en la vida real. En el libro realmente se demuestra lo mucho que trabajar con el fin de ser el mejor en su oficio (el baile). Ella no dejó el dinero limitar sus opciones, asi que encontró una manera de hacer sus sueños realidad, pero en el camino que pasa por algunos retos. Pero ella no va a dejar que ellos dejan de ella para llegar a su objetivo.
¿Quién debe leer este libro y por qué?
Creo que los adolescentes de 14 + pueden leer este libro con el fin de entender realmente todo el contenido. Este libro no está hecho para personas que no les gusta ninguna ficción realista y el drama se combinan en un libro. ¿Podría este libro tiene algunas escenas maduros, pero aparte de eso creo que los adolescentes serán realmente disfrutar de ella y se llega a aprender de ella.
Su momento favorito del libro?
Me gusta mucho la parte donde Sonya (personaje principal) Explica cómo encontró su pasión, y la forma en que su situación económica no afecta realmente a su éxito. Esto realmente me hizo pensar en cómo las personas que han cambiado el mundo a veces dinero había de bajos ingresos, pero se las arregló para hacer algo increíble.
By: Andrea Pereira
I give this book 4 star rating, because I think it has a really deep meaning to it. The only thing that concerned me was that it had some mature content, that I was hesitant to read. But other than that I think this book would really give you clear idea that there is not such a thing as overnight success.
How this book relates to my Hero’s Journey?
I think that it does, because I think I can mimic the love the character has for her passion in real life. In the book it really shows how much she worked in order to be the best on her craft (dancing). She didn’t let money limit her options, she found a way to make her dreams happen, but along the way she goes through some challenges. But she won't let them stop her to get to her goal.
Who should read this book and why?
I think that teenagers from 14+ can read this book in order to really understand all the content. This book isn’t made for people that don’t like none realistic fiction and drama combined in a book. This book could have some mature scenes, but other than that I think that teen agers will really enjoy it and will get to learn from it.
Your favorite moment of the book?
I really like the part where Sonya (main character) explains how she found her passion, and the way her economic status didn't really affect her success. This really made me think how people that have changed the world sometimes had low money income but still managed to do something amazing.
_____________________________________________________________
'' La abeja reina de Bridgeton '' Revisión
Por: Andrea Pereira
Doy este libro calificación de 4 estrellas, porque yo creo que tiene un significado muy profundo a la misma. La única cosa que estaba preocupado de que que había algún contenido madura, que yo era reacio a leer. Pero aparte de eso, creo que este libro realmente le daría noción claro que no es una cosa tal como el éxito durante la noche.
¿Cómo este libro relaciona con el viaje de mi héroe?
Que yo creo que sí, porque creo que puedo imitar el carácter que ama la pasión en la vida real. En el libro realmente se demuestra lo mucho que trabajar con el fin de ser el mejor en su oficio (el baile). Ella no dejó el dinero limitar sus opciones, asi que encontró una manera de hacer sus sueños realidad, pero en el camino que pasa por algunos retos. Pero ella no va a dejar que ellos dejan de ella para llegar a su objetivo.
¿Quién debe leer este libro y por qué?
Creo que los adolescentes de 14 + pueden leer este libro con el fin de entender realmente todo el contenido. Este libro no está hecho para personas que no les gusta ninguna ficción realista y el drama se combinan en un libro. ¿Podría este libro tiene algunas escenas maduros, pero aparte de eso creo que los adolescentes serán realmente disfrutar de ella y se llega a aprender de ella.
Su momento favorito del libro?
Me gusta mucho la parte donde Sonya (personaje principal) Explica cómo encontró su pasión, y la forma en que su situación económica no afecta realmente a su éxito. Esto realmente me hizo pensar en cómo las personas que han cambiado el mundo a veces dinero había de bajos ingresos, pero se las arregló para hacer algo increíble.
June 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Enjoyable and worth picking up!
April 20, 2011
I absolutely loved this book! It was a refreshing and beautiful read. I previously read Priscilla the Great and loved it, so I had high expectations for The Queen Bee of Bridgeton. I caught myself laughing out loud, crying, and in shock of the twists and turns in the story.
Sonya Garrison's life is on repeat with dance, school, dance, and more dance. Her dream is to be the next big ballerina and she works so hard at that dream and is afraid of any distractions. Especially dangerous distractions in her neighborhood of Venton Heights. Although Sonya loves to dance, she feels as if she's failing in comparison to her brilliant sister Sasha. To her, things for Sasha seem to always run smoothly.
Sonya has heard a rumor around school, that for generations, The Queen Bee title has been passed down behind the scenes at Bridgeton Academy. Never did she think it would be true until she catches the eye of the star, white basketball player, Will Maddox. Will is weird and creepily honest with Sonya and first, but when Sonya gives him a chance she ends up falling in love with Will.
To be honest, I expected the novel to be more about Sonya learning to overcome a racial relationship issue. The best part about this story was that Sonya just wanted a place to belong and NOT to Venton Heights' dangerous schemes and deals around the streets. She knows she doesn't belong there and just wants to make it out alive.
I really enjoyed Sonya's character and personality. She was funny, kind, beautiful, hard-working, and smart and she just gets better after falling for Will. This story has so many heart-wrenching, good and bad, situations and I was constantly hoping for all to work out and rooting for Sonya. Not to mention I was constantly on edge, because of the insane drama going down with The (psycho) Queen Bees at school!
Overall this story was perfect. A fantastic novel about finding a place and how love, no matter who it is with, can change your life. Leslie DuBois's writing was crisp and clear and hooked me from the beginning. I recommend this novel to anyone and I guarantee you won't be sorry you picked it up!
Sonya Garrison's life is on repeat with dance, school, dance, and more dance. Her dream is to be the next big ballerina and she works so hard at that dream and is afraid of any distractions. Especially dangerous distractions in her neighborhood of Venton Heights. Although Sonya loves to dance, she feels as if she's failing in comparison to her brilliant sister Sasha. To her, things for Sasha seem to always run smoothly.
Sonya has heard a rumor around school, that for generations, The Queen Bee title has been passed down behind the scenes at Bridgeton Academy. Never did she think it would be true until she catches the eye of the star, white basketball player, Will Maddox. Will is weird and creepily honest with Sonya and first, but when Sonya gives him a chance she ends up falling in love with Will.
To be honest, I expected the novel to be more about Sonya learning to overcome a racial relationship issue. The best part about this story was that Sonya just wanted a place to belong and NOT to Venton Heights' dangerous schemes and deals around the streets. She knows she doesn't belong there and just wants to make it out alive.
I really enjoyed Sonya's character and personality. She was funny, kind, beautiful, hard-working, and smart and she just gets better after falling for Will. This story has so many heart-wrenching, good and bad, situations and I was constantly hoping for all to work out and rooting for Sonya. Not to mention I was constantly on edge, because of the insane drama going down with The (psycho) Queen Bees at school!
Overall this story was perfect. A fantastic novel about finding a place and how love, no matter who it is with, can change your life. Leslie DuBois's writing was crisp and clear and hooked me from the beginning. I recommend this novel to anyone and I guarantee you won't be sorry you picked it up!
September 20, 2012
I was a keen dancer when I was younger, and read many a dancing tale. I often preferred the non-fiction, but like any little ballerina there were girly novels too. I had seen this story around before, I'm sure I had because I'd remembered the cover immediately, but I wasn't sure this would be for me. It's been a long time since I've danced... I've moved on from pointe shoes to hockey skates... I'm also a lot older, but I was feeling nostalgic and it seemed to call to me.
Anyway, I downloaded it and I read it. I was rather pleasantly surprised. Although the main character is a dancer, and there's a side-story regarding an important audition, ballet isn't the main focus. In fact, Ms. DuBois writes in a style very reminiscent of Francine Pascal.
I enjoyed the subject of race from Sonya's perspective. It's a topic I've not often encountered in young adult books and one I'd never really considered.
As for characters, I have to admit Sasha confused me from the beginning. She never really felt quite right. One minute she was the perfect student, the next she was chasing down the local bully and teaching Sonya how to break down the other girls. I liked Will, and Tyrell too, even in his short appearance. As much as I admired Sonya, after a while I couldn't help wishing she'd stop doing everything Sasha told her to. I also couldn't understand why the attack early in the book was forgotten so quickly. Where were the physical reminders? Why did no one ask about the bruising that would have been present?
Overall The Queen Bee of Bridgetown was an enjoyable read. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoyed books along the lines of the Babysiters Club and Sweet Valley High, as well as any budding ballerinas out there. I will probably read the sequel one day, the next time I'm feeling nostalgic, but I feel like this story has ended well enough for me.
Anyway, I downloaded it and I read it. I was rather pleasantly surprised. Although the main character is a dancer, and there's a side-story regarding an important audition, ballet isn't the main focus. In fact, Ms. DuBois writes in a style very reminiscent of Francine Pascal.
I enjoyed the subject of race from Sonya's perspective. It's a topic I've not often encountered in young adult books and one I'd never really considered.
As for characters, I have to admit Sasha confused me from the beginning. She never really felt quite right. One minute she was the perfect student, the next she was chasing down the local bully and teaching Sonya how to break down the other girls. I liked Will, and Tyrell too, even in his short appearance. As much as I admired Sonya, after a while I couldn't help wishing she'd stop doing everything Sasha told her to. I also couldn't understand why the attack early in the book was forgotten so quickly. Where were the physical reminders? Why did no one ask about the bruising that would have been present?
Overall The Queen Bee of Bridgetown was an enjoyable read. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoyed books along the lines of the Babysiters Club and Sweet Valley High, as well as any budding ballerinas out there. I will probably read the sequel one day, the next time I'm feeling nostalgic, but I feel like this story has ended well enough for me.
January 5, 2014
I got The Queen Bee of Bridgeton as a Kindle freebie in early 2012. I actually started reading it not too long after but couldn’t get into it, so I put it down. When I started the A-Z Title Challenge, I figured I’d come back to it, since there aren’t that many Q’s to choose from. I had a much easier time with it the second time around.
Sonya is a teenage black girl (She mentions this innumerable times throughout the story, the fact that she’s black.) She lives in Venton Heights, which is a dangerous section of town, basically the “projects”, but she goes to a fancy private school and is a very talented ballerina with hopes for a future in professional dancing.
Her relationship with Will was just strange to me. I actually really liked the two of them together, but Will’s feelings seemed to come on too strong too soon, and I didn’t really understand it. He’s the popular, promiscuous, white star basketball player, but he is inexplicably drawn to Sonya. Honestly, I thought he was an arrogant jerk at the beginning, but he grew on me.
Her relationship with Will sparks the attention of the Bitch Brigade, and they vow to take her down. I love that she doesn’t just lay down and take it. She sticks to what she wants and fights back.
Honestly, I felt like a lot of the story was really predictable, but there were a few twists at the end that I didn’t see coming, and I thought they were pretty good. I’m thinking about reading the other two books in the trilogy, but not immediately. I’ll probably get around to them.
Overall, I felt like The Queen Bee of Bridgeton was a quick, easy read, and I liked it. I thought the ending was the best part.
This review is also posted on my blog: http://mommysreadingbreak.wordpress.c...
Sonya is a teenage black girl (She mentions this innumerable times throughout the story, the fact that she’s black.) She lives in Venton Heights, which is a dangerous section of town, basically the “projects”, but she goes to a fancy private school and is a very talented ballerina with hopes for a future in professional dancing.
Her relationship with Will was just strange to me. I actually really liked the two of them together, but Will’s feelings seemed to come on too strong too soon, and I didn’t really understand it. He’s the popular, promiscuous, white star basketball player, but he is inexplicably drawn to Sonya. Honestly, I thought he was an arrogant jerk at the beginning, but he grew on me.
Her relationship with Will sparks the attention of the Bitch Brigade, and they vow to take her down. I love that she doesn’t just lay down and take it. She sticks to what she wants and fights back.
Honestly, I felt like a lot of the story was really predictable, but there were a few twists at the end that I didn’t see coming, and I thought they were pretty good. I’m thinking about reading the other two books in the trilogy, but not immediately. I’ll probably get around to them.
Overall, I felt like The Queen Bee of Bridgeton was a quick, easy read, and I liked it. I thought the ending was the best part.
This review is also posted on my blog: http://mommysreadingbreak.wordpress.c...
May 6, 2011
Sonya lives in a poor neighborhood with her older sister and her mom. She won 2 tickets to balet in elementry school and wanted to dance. Her mom could not afford to give her lessons but did buy a old pair of dance shoes for her. She found a dance studio that was the close as she could and watched from the windows and tried to copy them. When she got caught she offered to clean in exchange for dance lessons. Has continued now before school which she got into on scholarship and her sister has been thier after trying out 6 times. Sonya tries to be invisible to the students thier she does not fit in only a few black students go their. one day she forgot her dance shoes in her locker and hurried back to get them and a door crashes into her face. will and girl were making out and she realized this was second time she seen him after making out with someone. Sonja looks at him and said you have sad eyes.
Will has been watching her for a while and asks her out and shes says no. She has no idea who he is or even his name. her sister cant believe she said no to him. between her dance lessons and when she gives lessons she has an hour and will shows up at studio with flowers and gets her to go to eat.
Thier is a bunch of girls running the school and sets kids up that are in thier way or just for fun. No one knows exactly whos doing it. They dont like Sonja dating the basketball star and try to set her up and break them apart.
It is a good story and you want to root for sonja and will and see everything work out for the best. I enjoyed
Will has been watching her for a while and asks her out and shes says no. She has no idea who he is or even his name. her sister cant believe she said no to him. between her dance lessons and when she gives lessons she has an hour and will shows up at studio with flowers and gets her to go to eat.
Thier is a bunch of girls running the school and sets kids up that are in thier way or just for fun. No one knows exactly whos doing it. They dont like Sonja dating the basketball star and try to set her up and break them apart.
It is a good story and you want to root for sonja and will and see everything work out for the best. I enjoyed
January 2, 2015
THE TWEET
THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is the story of a dedicated & talented teen ballet dancer trying to find a place to belong in a privileged world.
WHAT WORKED
I loved the character of Sonia! She's a talented ballet student who is determined to succeed and is not afraid to work hard to reach her goal of becoming a professional dancer. Sonia is caught between two worlds - that of her poverty stricken home life and her school life at a prestigious academy where the students are rich and privileged. As a reader, Sonia's character was easy to relate to and I was able to identify with her struggle to find a place to fit into, a place to belong.
OVERALL
THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is a great contemporary story about a teen girl looking for her niche in life and finding love along the way. It's about navigating jealousy, prejudice and deceit and overcoming obstacles on the way to achieving a lifelong dream.
MY RATING IS
THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is the story of a dedicated & talented teen ballet dancer trying to find a place to belong in a privileged world.
WHAT WORKED
I loved the character of Sonia! She's a talented ballet student who is determined to succeed and is not afraid to work hard to reach her goal of becoming a professional dancer. Sonia is caught between two worlds - that of her poverty stricken home life and her school life at a prestigious academy where the students are rich and privileged. As a reader, Sonia's character was easy to relate to and I was able to identify with her struggle to find a place to fit into, a place to belong.
OVERALL
THE QUEEN BEE OF BRIDGETON is a great contemporary story about a teen girl looking for her niche in life and finding love along the way. It's about navigating jealousy, prejudice and deceit and overcoming obstacles on the way to achieving a lifelong dream.
MY RATING IS
May 5, 2011
I was able to read this great novel thanks to LibraryThing.com and the wonderful author, Leslie Dubois whose powerful writing and ability to endear the characters to her readers never fails to amaze me.
Sonya Garrison is accepted into the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, she immediately feels alone as she is not accepted into any cliques upon entering. However, she has potential to be the most popular girl in the Academy. She is soon dating Will, the star of the basketball team; Will becomes the love interest throughout the novel. Slightly arrogant, but loving, will Will be good for Sonya? Sonya continues to do well in school and in her dance lessons, which she pays for by cleaning the studio. The reader quickly learns to love hard-working, caring Sonya. Her sister, Sasha, does not become the reader's favorite; quite the opposite of Sonya, Sasha can be cruel and does not seem to care who her actions affect. Sasha figures largely in the ending of the novel.
The ending of the novel was satisfying for me, though I wish Sasha had gotten more karma than she did already. Sonya comes into her own and even elicits an apology from the reigning clique at the Academy. I would recommend this novel to young adult/teen readers. Keep writing Leslie Dubois!
Sonya Garrison is accepted into the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, she immediately feels alone as she is not accepted into any cliques upon entering. However, she has potential to be the most popular girl in the Academy. She is soon dating Will, the star of the basketball team; Will becomes the love interest throughout the novel. Slightly arrogant, but loving, will Will be good for Sonya? Sonya continues to do well in school and in her dance lessons, which she pays for by cleaning the studio. The reader quickly learns to love hard-working, caring Sonya. Her sister, Sasha, does not become the reader's favorite; quite the opposite of Sonya, Sasha can be cruel and does not seem to care who her actions affect. Sasha figures largely in the ending of the novel.
The ending of the novel was satisfying for me, though I wish Sasha had gotten more karma than she did already. Sonya comes into her own and even elicits an apology from the reigning clique at the Academy. I would recommend this novel to young adult/teen readers. Keep writing Leslie Dubois!
December 8, 2013
I downloaded this book back in 2012 as I used to really be into ballet and this sounded like the sort of book that I would be interested in.
This book is about Sonya who is fifteen who attends Bridgeton Academy and specializes in Ballet Dancing. She lives on the rough Venton Heights which is a housing estate riddled with gangs, shootings and murders. She cleans her local ballet studio in return for ballet lessons as her dream is to get into professional ballet dancing in Italy. She lives with her sister Sasha who really doesnt want to world to know how poor they really are or where they live.
Sonya starts to get it all, good grades in school, a best friend in her sister, is a brilliant ballet dancer and discovers boys for the first time. However as quickly as all this came along it can all go away again.
I did enjoy this book I read it over a couple of days and thought that it would be brilliant for teenage reading. It dealt with the issue of racism really well and I thought this was a big plus to the book. I did find the end with Sasha slightly unbelievable but that is probably because I am older than the target market.
Overall a good book and perfect for teenage reading. There is a follow up book to this and if I see it about I'll probably read it.
This book is about Sonya who is fifteen who attends Bridgeton Academy and specializes in Ballet Dancing. She lives on the rough Venton Heights which is a housing estate riddled with gangs, shootings and murders. She cleans her local ballet studio in return for ballet lessons as her dream is to get into professional ballet dancing in Italy. She lives with her sister Sasha who really doesnt want to world to know how poor they really are or where they live.
Sonya starts to get it all, good grades in school, a best friend in her sister, is a brilliant ballet dancer and discovers boys for the first time. However as quickly as all this came along it can all go away again.
I did enjoy this book I read it over a couple of days and thought that it would be brilliant for teenage reading. It dealt with the issue of racism really well and I thought this was a big plus to the book. I did find the end with Sasha slightly unbelievable but that is probably because I am older than the target market.
Overall a good book and perfect for teenage reading. There is a follow up book to this and if I see it about I'll probably read it.
March 23, 2012
Sonya Garrison has been in love with dancing since she was a little girl, and I think her hard work shows throughout the book. She and her sister, Sasha, attend a fancy school called Bridgeton Academy. Sonya is an amazing character; she is shy, strong willed, and she gets this sudden courage of not letting anyone get in her way. The bond between Sonya and Sasha is very nurturing, so it was kind of shocking to see how things turned out for them in the end. I love how things turned out for Sonya and Will, the basketball player. Although, Sonya and Sasha come from the same background, they are very different; Sonya was informed by Sasha that no one from Bridgeton High is allowed to know about them living in Venton Heights, which is basically a poor neighborhood with gangs, cockroaches, and gunshots. I did like this book, but it started off slow; it took me awhile to get into it, but once I did get into it, I was absolutely in love with it. Once again, Leslie DuBois has outdone herself with outstanding characters, an amazing plot, and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
March 7, 2012
I struggled with whether I should give this book a 3 star or a 4 star. I settled on 3... Though this book is a very easy read and some of the characters are well-developed, I felt that the story line was a bit far-fetched. Many times I forgot I was reading about high-school teenagers. Seemed more like immature college students. I also knew by the middle of the book how it would end. Too predictable. If you really want to get an idea of what this book is like, compare it to the movie 'Save the last Dance' crossed over with 'Mean Girls'. Ballet dancer in an interracial relationship trying to fit in at school but vicious students make it extremely hard. Too cliche. I truly feel that if I had read such a book when I was a bit younger, it would have been easy to give it 4 star. As an adult, I'm not only surprised that I started it(which was because of its high ratings)but more that I finished it. Pretty sure I won't be reading the sequel.
April 24, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of Step Up meets Mean Girls (which happen to be two of my favorite movies!) It’s hard to not feel sympathy for Sonya, a dancer who finds herself entangled in a complex web of lies, secrets, and bullying. I have to admit that I was *very* surprised by the way it all plays out. Talk about a twist ending!
The only problem that I had with this book was that there were times when I went, “hmm” in terms of the characters’ dialogue. I know that it is supposed to take place in a private high school where students may be more mature, but I still had a hard time imagining some of it --like when a teen boy mentions “consummating” their love. It just seemed a little far-fetched, but I’m probably just being nitpicky.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining, I found myself laughing out loud several times, and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next one!
The only problem that I had with this book was that there were times when I went, “hmm” in terms of the characters’ dialogue. I know that it is supposed to take place in a private high school where students may be more mature, but I still had a hard time imagining some of it --like when a teen boy mentions “consummating” their love. It just seemed a little far-fetched, but I’m probably just being nitpicky.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining, I found myself laughing out loud several times, and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next one!
May 31, 2012
I enjoyed this book on so many levels. First, it's a very well written, first person account of a young woman who feels like a fish out of water at her well-to-do prep high school. Remembering high school days, seems to me it was hard for any student to not feel this way at one time or another. Fitting in took a look of work. Then, I can also relate to some of the things Sonya dealt with growing up -- trying to follow in her big sister's footsteps, living in less humble conditions, not being the girl that every guy, or at times any guy, was hitting on. DuBois does a remarkable job of capturing teen angst and weaving it into a funny, touching and very surprising story. As soon as I was done reading this one, I immediately hopped over to the Kindle store to pickup The Devil of DiRisio, the sequel. No way was I ready to part ways with Sonya and Will. Given the DuBois's storytelling abilities, It won't surprise me to feel that way at the end of book two, either.
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