Flipped

This story is unique in that it is presented from the point of view of TWO narrators. First, there is Bryce. Bryce is all about getting by without making a fuss. He keeps a low profile at home with his pushy father, his cranky older sister, his grandfather, who never talks to him anyway, and especially with his crazy neighbor, Julianna. Julianna is the second narrator. She is an extrovert who almost never worries what others think about her. She goes after everything she loves with wild abandon, whether it is her favorite climbing tree, her pet chickens, or the one and only boy she’s ever loved, Bryce. To begin with, the reader gets to know Bryce and Julianna and what their lives are like. Bryce avoids Juli like the plague. Julianna wants to be near to Bryce whenever she gets the chance, even if it means giving him the answers to a spelling test. Somewhere in the middle of the story though things begin to “flip.” Bryce’s grandfather takes an interest in Julianna, and that gets Bryce’s attention. His grandfather barely ever leaves his perch at the front window and hardly speaks at all. Now he’s off visiting with the annoying neighbor girl? Bryce begins to think maybe there is something special about Juli Baker after all. Juli on the other hand begins to wonder if Bryce is really as special as she’s always thought he was. She’s been smitten with Bryce since the second grade, but now, as an eighth grader, she finds out some things about Bryce that she doesn’t like. Julianna begins to think that maybe all Bryce has going for him are a pair of really beautiful eyes. Could it be that the boy she’s always dreamed of kissing is a spineless jerk?

This is definitely a character driven novel, and I think it might be hard for readers who like a lot of action to get into. At the end of the story there is a certain level of suspense because the reader wonders how or if these two kids are ever going to find out how the other really feels. This book would work best for a reader who is very introspective. It is great for those of us who are constantly examining ourselves and others. Why did does she act that way? Why do I feel so guilty? Am I making the right choice? If you ask yourself these kinds of questions often, you might really like this book. I’ve always liked hearing a story from different perspectives. It really makes me think about how a lot of times I think I know what someone is thinking and I am sure I must be so off sometimes. Bryce and Julianna think they know each other very well. They’ve been neighbors since second grade. They think they know what the other is thinking and why the other does the things he/she does, but they come to find out they really have no idea. For instance, at one point in the story someone is making fun of Juli’s family and Bryce is really mad about it. He wants to punch the guy making the joke, but he doesn’t want anyone to tease him and accuse him of liking Juli, so he just laughs along. Of course from Julianna’s perspective it just looks as if Bryce is heartlessly laughing while someone makes fun of her. She has no idea how he really feels. I think this book would make a good read aloud book for junior high students, but I must warn you teachers and parents. There is a certain slang word for urinating that gets tossed around a lot. It’s kind of strange considering that there is no other bad language in the book. I’m sure middle schoolers would find the parts of the story with that word pretty entertaining. I even laughed a bit myself. I guess I’m still in close contact with my inner child. This book isn’t one of those I’d be pushing kids to read, but if a student showed an interest I’d say, “Yeah, I liked that one!” For a thoughtful kid going through the trials of junior high this could be a very good book.