Exit Stage Right

by Jennifer LoGalbo

Seventeen year old Jackie Fenton is the school's leading lady. Her passion for the stage was born out of her fear of sports and objects being thrown at her face. But it was her home life that was all a stage. She has a workaholic father, a mother who abandoned the family to party in Vegas, a younger sister who extorts money, and a twin brother whose best friend makes Jackie all tongue-tied. He's also off limits because of Jeremy's bro code. No dating the sister.
When Jackie auditions for a local commercial she is told she's not ready and that there's a difference between acting in school plays versus real acting. Jackie enrolls in acting classes and soon finds herself getting recognized, but when she's offered a role, tragedy strikes the family and suddenly her world comes crashing down on her.

197 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Hello to all!
I'm a mother of 3 gorgeous ladies and 2 handsome blonde hair, blue-eyed grandsons.
I've been writing stories since grade school. It's my goal to write and entertain the reader with humor and real-life situations.

My brain overfloweths with stories, punching at my fingertips to get out. I love to write. Not saying I'm a master at it, but I do enjoy it and will always have fun with my work.

UPDATE 10/4/2025: I just released my newest work: Mystery of the White Lady, just in time for spooky season! Can you imagine moving to a house that's inside a cemetery and was once a funeral home? Harley couldn't believe it, either. She soon learns the cemetery is haunted by a lady in white. And it's up to her and her friends to figure out the mystery of why and put her spirit to rest.


To all my fans: Thank you for your support and always sticking by my side through the rough patches. You've made this journey special.

Drop me a line anytime!

Reviews

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly I liked the book and could have very easily loved it if not for two problems, Boomer and the conclusion. Jackie was a great character. I loved her interactions with her brother and sister and her friends added a little light-hearted humor to the book. Boomer sounded like a nice guy and certainly a perfect love interest but (and here is the first problem) I just didn't feel like I got to know him very well. He was in the book plenty but he comes off as a background character because he is mostly introduced to the reader through Jackie's musings and the occasional teasing dialogue. We hardly learn anything meaningful about him or from him. Don't get me wrong; there were a couple great scenes with him and he definitely had butterfly potential. It just wasn't quite enough. It was like seeing a dude at a friend's house and saying "who's that?" Then having her tell you how great he is but never actually meeting him except in passing. A few more scenes, preferably one-on-one with Jackie where they have real conversation and emote and he would have been a heartbreaker instead of a trophy.

The second problem was that the conclusion was disappointing. The majority of the book is about Jackie's love life woes and her acting aspirations are sort of a side story. However, in the conclusion, her love life takes a backseat and her career is center stage. (Please excuse the mixed metaphor and poor attempt at a pun.) There was some closure to her love life woes in the climax but it was unsatisfying because they don't really talk and therefore it lacked real emotion and then it was only mentioned as a side note or an afterthought in the conclusion.

I don't mean to sound like the book sucked; it didn't. I really did like it and it did have some first rate qualities. As I said, I loved the characters. The premise was interesting enough and the side stories, though not fully developed or resolved, were intriguing. All in all, I'm glad I read it. I would even recommend it but probably with a disclaimer.

A few other reviews that I read suggested a sequel to this book. I would read it but I would really rather see a reboot or revision or even a companion written from another characters POV.


Update: Changed from 3 stars to 3.5 stars. I reread this book and liked it more the second time around but still wish it had more Boomer. I'm definitely hoping for a Boomer companion novel.

[Nguyen Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of indie authors' books, and this YA novel and Fantasy Football of Jennifer Logalbo are my favorite books so far. Obviously, everyone has different tastes. Don't let the negative comments stop you from discovering a great story.

[jaime louton · Rating 4 out of 5]

it has its errors but I enjoyed the story.

[Jennifer LoGalbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my favorite...just wish others liked it as much as I do.

[Peeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some parts of the book were slow and confusing but it had a relatable story line to many teens out there.

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!