I found this short story on Midnight Breakfast, an online literary magazine.
Length: About 25 minutes
Genre: Coming of Age
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| “Empty Theater” by Andrew Jackson, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 |
General Impressions
Q. How's the hook?
The main character, Daniela, just moved to a new school and auditioned for the Purim play.
She is emboldened by her new-kid status to try out for the lead, and she nabs it.
As a kid, I devoured Judy Blume's coming-of-age stories about school kids written in her frank, matter-of-fact voice.
This story gives Judy Blume vibes.
Q. What made me want to keep reading this short story?
The author, Temim Fruchter, expertly builds suspense by creating must-answer questions in the reader's mind.
Daniela was expelled from her previous school. Why?
The Purim play will be performed in a monster theme. Why?
Daniela is oddly fascinated by Mrs. Lubin, a dowdy English teacher and the faculty advisor for the Purim play. Why? (Perhaps it's because Mrs. Lubin has a strange physical quirk that students only speak of in hushed tones.)
Q. What did I think of the plot?
The plot follows a relatable timeline of play rehearsals and performance.
Along the way, Daniela deals with the natural obstacles faced by a kid who has changed schools as well as her own unique obstacles, such as life with her parents in the aftermath of an expulsion and the journey of preparing for the role of headstrong Vashti.
It's fun to watch Daniela grapple with these obstacles while also learning about Vashti and the Purim story.
It's also fun to speculate about the symbolism the author has chosen: A struggling female lead plays the part of Vashti. She is misunderstood by many but ultimately realizes what she must do to be fulfilled.
Q. Did I enjoy the main character?
Daniela is an absolute delight.
Like a Judy Blume character, her narrative is honest and witty. You find yourself rooting for her to succeed even though she's not perfect ... in fact, her imperfections are precisely why you care.
Q. How was the writing style?
At nearly 8,000 words, this story is too short to have chapters, but it's long enough to have demarcated scenes separated by hash marks. The scenes move quickly, advancing the plot at a pleasing pace.
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| “Queen Vashti: Quarrelsome and Quirky.” by Wes Dickinson, CC BY-NC 2.0 |
Q. Is the ending satisfying?
It's still technically a short story, but the higher word count translates to greater character development and a more suspenseful plot.
This story is worth the extra few minutes it takes to read.
Want to read "Middle Kids" by Temim Fruchter in Midnight Breakfast? Here is the link one more time!