Chasing the Spotlight

Riverbend Friends #4

by Sarah Anne Sumpolec

Chasing the Spotlight is the fourth book in a series that travels alongside four friends as they deal with teen life in Riverbend, Indiana. The novel inspires girls and young women to deepen their relationships with God and solve their problems in God-honoring ways.

Amelia's feeling a bit lost these days. Her parents are very involved (make that over-involved) volunteering as marriage counselors with their church. Her big brother Josh, the only one who truly understands her, just got married. And her big sister, Maggie? Let's just say they don't exactly get along. Maggie is perfectly pretty, perfectly smart, and dates the perfect guy.

On the other hand, everything about Amelia feels big--her hair, her weight . . . and her personality. Amelia's refuge, her passion, her place of belonging is theater. Someday she's going to be on Broadway, but this year, she'll settle for the lead in the spring musical. And she'll do whatever it takes to make it happen. She's committed, she's motivated, she's talented--and she's completely confident about her abilities. Really, she is!

But somehow, despite her best efforts, reality is playing out a little differently than how she dreamed. Will chasing the spotlight lead to the fame and fulfillment she's longed for, or will it cost her the friends she's made this year?

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Contemporary

240 pages, Paperback

Published August 17, 2021

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I don't have much to say about this book other than it was great. I love how we get a book from each of the girl's perspectives yet still get to learn about everyone all at once. It's a continuation but focuses on other people. I have to say, I did like the first one from Tessa's point of view the best, but I think that's only because I am most like Tessa. I also liked this book due to the theatre aspect. 10/10 would recommend.

[Adeline Reinhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and not really that bad.
It really wasn't my favorite book in the series so far.
But I liked how this taught a lesson about humility and putting others first.

[Haley Durfee · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all the theater kids...this book is for you. Amelia's story was relatable to me as someone who has done theater, and I loved this installment in the Riverbend series. I've gotten to hear all four girls' POVs...and I'm excited to see where the series goes from here. Also, all the musical references in Chasing the Spotlight were super fun.

Content:
Mention of sexting and porn (references the plot of book 3). Mention of a child born out of wedlock. Some general rudeness. Amelia recalls being bullied for being fat.

Ages 13+

[Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of the book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
At a Glance

Author: Sarah Anne Sumpolec
Synopsis: For high school sophomore Amelia, the role of Peter Pan is so much more than just a part in a play. It’s her opportunity to finally convince her parents that she’s serious about her theatre involvement. With a year of acting experience under her belt, Amelia is certain that the title role is hers. After all, that is what God wants for her, right?
Recommendation: Recommended; See Content Concerns / Critique

Series

This is the fourth and, to my knowledge, final, book in the Riverbend Friends series from Focus on the Family. Each book is from the perspective of one of the four friends (Tessa, Shay, Izzy and Amelia) and is written by a different author. I have read books three and four and although the narratives are pretty much standalones, each book seems to summarize/reference the events of the preceding books.

Book 3: Chasing the Spotlight

Based on personality and interests, I found Amelia to be a relatable character, and she reminded me of my high school self. In fact, I learned a lesson right alongside Amelia, as I reflect on a play that I performed in (admittedly, just a few years ago). One line in particular stood out to me, and I think it would have been super helpful for me in past auditions, but I won’t quote it here, because I don’t want to spoil Amelia’s growth process.

Compared to book three, this book felt a lot more light and innocent in terms of subject matter. Book three was a bit heavier, while addressing important themes.

What I Liked

I really enjoyed the portrayal of the girls’ friendship! Amelia, Izzy, Tessa and Shay have agreed that honesty is the best policy. The girls tend to be pretty good influences for each other, and treat each other with kindness, respect and compassion. Plus, they encourage one another without being fake!
I feel that the author did an excellent job with the (very subtle) romance sub-plot.
I liked Sumpolec’s treatment of the relationship because it was a sweet and innocent relationship (which is something I look for in a book), but ALSO because I believe this is a realistic depiction of relationships.
I think that highschool boyfriends and girlfriends are more common in books/film than in real life. When I was in high school, most of my friends were not in relationships.
I also liked that the emphasis really was on friendship and getting to know each other.
I appreciated Amelia’s humility and willingness to admit her mistakes.

Content Concerns / Critique

Although the girls demonstrate a model (not perfect, but admirable) relationship in their friendship with each other, this cannot be said about relationships with parents (I’m basing this on books three and four). As in book three, there is a bit of disrespect going around.
I believe this is supposed to be realistic and relatable, but, particularly in this genre, I would like to see more examples of respect for parents and positive relationships with them.
This book doesn’t have a ton of disrespect, especially in comparison to books in the mainstream YA genre and we do see reconciliation but I think that the genre can do even better for young women. This critique is for the genre of Christian YA in general, not specifically/only about this book.
There are several references to “Indians” ( meaning Indigenous people), owing largely to the Peter Pan emphasis.
Definitely a side point but something I’m passionate about: One of the characters, Tessa, has a new half-sibling who came about through an affair. This is fairly peripheral to the book and Tessa does love her new baby brother (but it’s hard for her).
However, in general, I want to see so much more representation of being the half-sibling born from an affair, versus reading about how hard it is for the family that experiences the affair. Not because I condone affairs, but because the child born was sent here by God and had no control over their origin. I have seen firsthand how this is stigmatized, which is why I advocate for more representation from the other side. Again, this isn’t really a critique of this specific book, but it is something I’m passionate about, so I wanted to mention it.

Overall Impression

This was a fun read, one which I would especially recommend to a young lady who is interested in theatre.

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Riverbend Friends series gives readers a look into the life of Amelia.

Amelia loves the friends she has made in drama class, but lately she has been feeling a bit lost and lonely. With her big brother married and moved out and her parents busy with marriage counseling for their church, there isn’t much time or attention left for her. Her big sister Maggie couldn’t be more different from Amelia, whose love for theater is something none of the rest of the family understands. The new play for the school year is Peter Pan and Amelia is desperate for the lead role. When things don’t turn out the way she hoped, she wonders if chasing the spotlight is going to cost her the friends she made and all she was worked for.

The last book in the Riverbend Friends series gives readers a closer look into Amelia’s life. Of the four friends, I didn’t enjoy her story as much as the others. It was still good but didn’t draw me in as much as the others. Though I did enjoy the way they used some of what happened with Izzy to bring up tension in this story. All four of these books and their main characters are great books for young adult female readers. Chasing the Spotlight is a story with heart and a lot of character growth. Out of all the books, I saw more character growth with Amelia than any of the others. While the others went through a lot, Amelia had the greatest overall growth as a character. The nicest thing about these books is that they are clean, faith-filled, entertaining reads that I am happy to recommend to young readers. So many books these days, even the ones marketed to young readers, have so much questionable material that I have a hard time being okay telling young readers to enjoy them. I do recommend these books to young female readers, especially preteens that will get a good lesson from the pages within.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read in this series. Although, there are some references to things that happened previously, I didn't feel I was missing anything. I recommend this as a stand alone.
I didn't realize it was a story about high school girls, but I ended up enjoying it.
Amelia desperately wants to act on stage. Her parents don't understand this at all. After all, Amelia has jumped from one thing to another. But, the school is putting on Peter Pan, and more than anything else, she desires to be cast as Peter. Never mind that her body style is completely opposite than that of Peter. When she doesn't get the role, she is heart broken and angry with God. Why didn't He give her what she wanted so badly?
She was cast as a pirate. How bad can it get?
She has three friends who are very good friends to her. They are open and honest with one another. They are all professing Christians.
Amelia is so angry and jealous of the girl who did get cast as Peter. She was told in confidence (a confidence that she blurted out in a burst of anger) that the girl didn't even want the part. AND, to add insult to injury, the drama teacher asked Amelia to help 'Peter' with her part.
Great characters. Amelia learned valuable lessons and grew in her faith and character. And, maybe has a guy interested in her, and who makes her 'flutter' when she thinks about him!
I was given an advanced ecopy by the Tyndale Publishers through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Tyndale House Publishers - Focus on the Family in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Basically everything Amelia was struggling with throughout this book was everything at one point that I was struggling with in my teenage years so I immediately connected with Amelia. Unlike Amelia, I did have anyone that really understood where I was coming from, and of course I did have an older sibling like Maggie who was successful and perfect and they remember them but hardly cared about you and the gifts you have to offer. Theatre was a scapegoat for Amelia in her reality and she is determined to get the lead in the spring musical but as always fame comes with a price. Amelia starts focusing on the evil end of fame and loses the friends she has made and slowly the things everyone loves about her starts to fade and her worst fear comes true and she is all alone. Reading this book made me realize even though some choices I have made were tough to handle, I have no regrets of the road I have taken and am grateful for everything and everyone in my life and I know this book will warm hearts and create new perspectives.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a little sad to see this series come to an end! (Good thing I still have to go read Book 2–Shay’s story, lol! Somehow I missed that one.)

Each book may have been written by a different author, but I loved how consistent the tone was throughout. Sometimes (i.e. in 4-in-1 novella compilations, or similar), the writing style can vary so greatly, you just wonder how the stories ever came together; thankfully, that was not at all the case in the series, or in this particular installment, which was just the story Amelia deserved. It was a fitting story for her, the Riverbend Friends as a collective whole, and the series as a finale!

Not having been a theatre person myself, and as one who relates very much to Shay and her desire never to be at the front of the stage :D, I found Amelia’s story particularly fascinating. She and I are polar opposites, and I felt I learned so much about the theatre world and her as a character through the read. Challenging in a good way!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Jennie Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will definitely be recommending this series to teens! All 4 of the books are good ones. Real characters dealing with real issues. Amelia is probably the hardest for me to relate to, but this story is still very good. A nice conclusion to the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-book! All opinions are entirely my own.

[Umber Horizon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably my second-least favorite out of the series (Book three one first place!). Amelia is just not my type of personality...
She's kind of annoying, and although I relate a bit, it really bugged me with some of the circumstances she went through, and how she reacted to them.
Otherwise, pretty good book, I guess!

2 stars.

-<3

[Deena Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must confess: I haven't been very fond of Amelia throughout the series. But she shines in Chasing The Spotlight, and once again I was in tears by the end.

I wish there were more books in the series...hopefully, the publisher will craft another series like the Riverbend Friends!

[Addy :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary bc what happened in the book is happening to me

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

🥰