Enthusiasm expresses confusion and love at the settings of the Forefield Academy, where Julie Lefkowitz and her best friend, Ashleigh, practice for a play and Julie’s Byzantium School. One thing I liked most about Enthusiasm is Shullman’s great character development—I could always tell what Julie was thinking and feeling, whether she was enjoying her play practices or hoping Parr would pay more attention to her. Polly Shullman’s use of secondary characters helped develop Julie’s character throughout the book. Julie went from being a shy girl who was embarrassed about her Enthusiast friend to a more outgoing, fun, and confident young lady.
In this narrative, I learned to follow your heart. Julie wanted to get to know Grandison Parr better, but she didn’t know if Parr liked her. Julie also worried that she would compromise her friendship with Ashleigh since Ashleigh also had a crush on Parr. Julia helped me realize that I must be clear with my friends and tell the truth about what I’m thinking, instead of hiding away in a shell and keeping all my feelings inside, like Julie did in the beginning of the story. Instead of expressing her thoughts and feelings, she kept them to herself.
I would recommend this narrative to anyone who likes Jane Austen, the novel Pride and Prejudice, and any girl in search of a great book them to read.