Diva by Alex Flinn

Caitlyn, the girlfriend who got beat up in Alex Flinn's Breathing Underwater, still has issues with ex-boyfriend Nick and the group of fake friends she inherited when she began dating him.  She's been to the 'fat farm' over the summer where she lost 30 pounds, and is still weight-obsessed.  What she really wants to do-- but no one can understand-- is sing opera.  She secretly auditions for a spot at a Miami High School for the Arts, which would keep her from running into Nick, get her away from the friends she knows aren't real friends, and give her some space from her divorced and cranky mother.  The narrative switches back and forth from a first-person narrative, emails, and blog entries from Caitlyn's online alter-ego, Opera_Grrrl.
 This is essentially a tale of self-discovery for a number of characters, most especially Caitlyn.  Nick is a minor character but still looms large for Caitlyn as she occassionally runs into him and is reminded of their abusive relationship.  Caitlyn's mom dates a married man-- a rich doctor-- with the hopes of luring him away from a wife he doesn't like.  Caitlyn struggles with the morality of this, as well as her mother's wish to be seen as Caitlyn's sister rather than her mom.  Caitlyn's fears and doubts about herself and her talents as she moves to a new school are evident, and it is on this score that the book succeeds.  We feel for her and relate to her, but Caitlyn seems to believe she is alone in these universal feelings.  Diva is a good-stand alone book, but also a great companion read with Breathing Underwater.  This was a 2009 Missouri Gateway nominee.