Limelight, Andrew KeenanBolger
Limelight, Andrew KeenanBolger
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
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Limelight

Author: Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Narrator: Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Unabridged: 9 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/24/2026


Synopsis

Fame meets Rent in this powerful YA debut about a boy who must reconcile with his identity and insecurity as he steps into the spotlight, from Broadway star Andrew Keenan-Bolger.

"A powerful coming-of-age story...Fans of Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club and John Green and David Levithan’s Will Grayson, Will Grayson will enjoy this novel about theater, drag, and coming to terms with one’s identity."—School Library Journal

The only thing standing between Danny and his dreams is…everything.

For fifteen years, Danny Victorio has kept his head down, kept his mouth shut, and kept everyone out. But an audition for Manhattan’s most prestigious arts school offers him a chance to escape Staten Island—and his crumbling family—for good.

If he doesn’t screw everything up.

At LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, Danny is thrust into a world of fierce talent and even fiercer ambition. As he navigates overwhelming expectations, the ghosts of his past, and, for the first time, real friendship, Danny can’t shake the question: Where do I belong…if I belong at all?

Set against the gritty, vibrant backdrop of 1996 New York City—where peep-show palaces were giving way to Disney stores, “Club Kids” ruled the nightlife scene, and a new musical called Rent was driving teens to sleep on the seediest sidewalks of Times Square in hopes of a ticket—Limelight is a story about discovering your voice, finding your family, and figuring out who, and where, you’re really meant to be.

About The Author

Andrew Keenan-Bolger (he/him) is the coauthor of the three-book series Jack & Louisa and cocreator of the popular series Submissions Only. As an actor, he has starred in six Broadway shows, including Newsies, Tuck Everlasting, and Mary Poppins, in the films On Swift Horses and The Rewrite, and in dozens of television series. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he moved to New York in 1996 and lives in Brooklyn with his husband and his dog.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Corinne’s Chapter Chatter on February 17, 2026

This book didn’t just tell a story—it reached into my past teenage soul and said, I see you. This book… wow. It’s honestly hard to say more because it completely blew me away. Some of that might be because of the deep personal connection I felt to the story—so much so that you’d think the author knew......more

Goodreads review by Kellie on October 13, 2025

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eArC in exchange for my honest review. What a whirlwind this was. To experience life as a “lost” teenager in the mid-90s in NYC was a mixed bag of feelings. Danny just wanted to be happy and while his life didn’t make that easier he was also working ag......more

Goodreads review by Tracy on February 12, 2026

Limelight is truly magical. It’s all about Danny who is figuring out who he is and who he wants to be. Set in 1996 it shows New York as a gritty yet colourful place. It’s a clear love letter to the city and its people. Danny is a kid who escapes reality through musicals. Whether it’s with his uncles......more

Goodreads review by Ally on October 12, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Workshop for this ARC! Limelight by Andrew Keenan-Bolger totally lived up to its “Fame meets Rent” description, which honestly sounded like a big promise at first. But wow, it delivers. This book feels like a love letter to 1990s New York City, full of music, ambiti......more

Goodreads review by Anna on January 08, 2026

This book was gritty, emotional, fun, brutally honest, and sometimes infuriating to read with an adult brain. However, that’s how YA works sometimes, and I’m always honored to be a guest in that space as new queer nostalgic stories make their foray into shaping the next generation of readers. Limeli......more


Quotes

"Musical theater fans will devour this story of finding your “corner of the sky.” A vivid queer Broadway celebration with a classic feeling."—Kirkus Reviews

"A powerful coming-of-age story...Fans of Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club and John Green and David Levithan’s Will Grayson, Will Grayson will enjoy this novel about theater, drag, and coming to terms with one’s identity."—School Library Journal

"Broadway actor Keenan-Bolger celebrates the healing capabilities of theater in his lightly fantastical solo debut set in 1996."—Publishers Weekly

"Any reader can appreciate the tender coming-of-age romance at the core of this heartwarming work of historical fiction."—Booklist