Olive is under a lot of pressure. She loves to sing but her mom, a former musician and actress, makes so many demands. When a audition goes wrong, Olive runs away and discovers a vintage theater where she sings her heart out. Much to her surprise the theater owner, Maude, asks Olive to be in her play. As things get worse at home, Olive spends more and more time at the theater with her new family. But a runaway who hangs around the theater warns her that not everything is as it seems. Has Olive found her true family or is it all an illusion?

Deliciously creepy!!! I wish there had been a bit more back story of Maude and also Olive's dad but other than that I really liked it.

Olive is a natural performer but has issues of being on stage in front of others. She has lost her dad in the last year and does not have a very good relationship with her mother, who expects too much from Olive since she was a performer in the past. She finds solace on the stage of an old yet beautiful theatre, which is run by a lady named Maude. She suddenly begins to become friends with the other performers at the theatre. Through these friendships, Olive learns more about the mystery of a boy dying in the theatre, who has come back as a ghost. Olive tries to make amends with this boy and his family (his sister is one of the performers and his brother refuses to enter the theatre). Olive soon realizes that maybe Maude isn't truly who is she thought she was. This is a very dark and somewhat creepy mystery. I would suggest it for high schoolers instead of middle grades.

Olive has lost her father. Her mother is critical of Olive when she's has stage fright for her audition and can't sing. She runs off the stage and goes outside. Her mother is angry at Olive. Why? Olive doesn't feel close to her mother at all since her father died. She discovers a beautiful theater on a Rainey day and goes inside. She gets up on the stage and sings her heart out. She meets Maude who tells her that she sings beautifully and would she like a part in the play they are going to have. Olive says yes, but doesn't tell her mom. When Olive is grounded and can't leave the apartment, she decides to take the risk of discovery and escapes to go to the theater for rehearsals. When her mom finds out, she tells her she must not leave the apartment to even get the mail? Olive is so unhappy that she figures out a way to leave home so she can live at the theater. Does her mom care? As time goes by, she realizes that some of the players are ghosts. Does she leave? What will Olive do?

I enjoyed the mystery of the theater from the introduction to it in the story. There are more than one mystery in the story. There are secrets that come out which made the story even more compelling to read. I enjoyed the novel.

This was a book that I picked based purely on the publisher and the age range, so I knew nothing going in. It ended up being deliciously creepy. There was never a moment that was really scary, it just had a 'something's not quite right' vibe. I was never quite sure what was going to happen next, and it was refreshing.
The other cool thing about this book is that it has an androgynous character, and it briefly talks about how to address them in a very conversational way. It didn't feel preachy or forced.

This title is just good fun. Loved it.
Great summer read for the kids, that will keep them entertained and reading!