A really great middle grade coming of age about a non-binary kid learning to deal with complicated feelings of jealousy and anger. The book does a great job of treating the protagonist as a character first rather than making their entire story about being non-binary. Ash is already comfortable with themselves and their identity, but they need to learn to process their emotions and navigate new and old relationships.

Upstaged by Robin Easter is a graphic novel about two best friends and their summer at theater camp. This book is perfect for upper elementary-middle school as it deals with crushes, friendship, and just a little bit of drama. The main character, Ash, was great, even when they weren’t perfect. I loved the dynamic amongst the theater crew and loved the way that everybody, from crew to actors, pulled together when it really mattered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Young Readers for the opportunity to review an eARC of this title.

This was a very charming story and I loved the artwork switching between Ash's and the regular day to day. Unfortunately though the digital copy is very tough to read because of how blurry it is. Loved what I was able to follow though!

Upstaged was a fun read as a queer adult theatre kid and I'm confident young adult theatre kids will also love it. It's great to have a book about theatre that is primarily about tech! The characters all feel very real and so did Ash's character growth. I do wish we got to spend a little more time with each individual group of characters, but otherwise this was an extremely fun read.

Such a sweet graphic novel highlighting a variety of genders at a theater summer camp. We mainly follow Ash as they learn about themselves and combat jealousy in a very LBGTQ+ friendly story.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Ash and Ivy are summer camp friends and this is their last summer together before they each head off to high school, except for one thing, Ash has a crush on Ivy and can't find a way to tell her. During camp they are putting on a play and when Ivy's leading man steps into the picture, Ash doesn't know what to do. An interesting story about love, friendship and how not saying what you mean can really get in the way of things.

A great slice-of-life graphic novel about crushes, first loves, jealousy, and a bit of selfishness. Ash is spending one last Summer at camp with their friend (and crush) Ivy but things don't go as planned. They're separated into different cabins and what's more, Ivy makes a new friend in Lucas her costar in the play. Ash begins to see the green eyed monster of jealousy because they have a crush on Ivy and this Summer was supposed to be all about them. Ash gets so jealous in fact that they ignore all of the their other friends old and new.

4 stars

This is so cute, age appropriate, and very well told through both words and pictures. Any middle grade reader (and, well, maybe slightly older readers, too) will get a lot of enjoyment out of this one.

Ash, the m.c., is heading off to performing arts camp with their best friend, Ivy, and MANY expectations about exactly how the perfect summer will go. To the surprise of no one, things do not go according to Ash's plan, and drama - yep, DRAMA - ensues! There are great theater scenes (acting, choreo, set building, costuming), a lot of realistic conversation about relationships (friendships and more than platonic ones, too), and, of course, making and learning from one's mistakes. Ash does a lot of the latter, which is good, because they have some growth to accomplish!

This middle grade graphic novel is visually appealing, and the plot is straightforward. The representation is excellent. Most featured characters are explicitly queer and possess distinct identities within this realm.

I enjoyed this and look forward to more from this creator. I'll also be recommending this one to my students.

My fourth-grade students are demanding more books that feature crushes, but it can be hard to find middle-grade books that strike just the right balance. I'm delighted to report that Upstaged is going to be perfect for them! Though the protagonists are going into high school, their problems and adventures will feel relevant to a wide range of ages. This is the perfect read for anyone who's looking for tales of friendship, youthful romance, and theater! Highly recommended, and I'll be preordering this for the library. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

This is a cute story about two friends Ivy and Ash who are attending a theatre camp together. When they get split into different cabins, Ash has a hard time adjusting their idea of how the summer is going to go. On top of that, Ash, likes Ivy but is afraid that Ivy doesn't like them back. It is a struggle and Ash deals with many different anxious moments. Ash begins to feel jealous as Ivy spends more time with other friends during camp.

I think that this is a very realistic idea of the struggles that people face. The story is wrapped up nicely - even if it is a little predictable - and the artwork is great.