Gr 9-Up Midway through senior year, Camille moves to Atlanta (her family's sixth move). She plans to simply go through the motions until she can escape to Europe after graduation. Meanwhile, at another school in town, Becca is jolted from the dreamlike state of her relationship with Alec when she gets in a fender bender and must find an after-school job to pay back her debt. The girls' lives collide when Camille meets Alec at a party, and, unaware that he is "taken," allows the haiku-spouting-but-athletic catcher to kiss her. At first blush, such a story line has the potential to play up every teen "mean girls" stereotype, yet McVoy elevates the narrative well above any predictable cat fight. Camille tells her side in stream-of-consciousness entries, while Becca speaks in free verse. The girls have distinct, believable voices, and the way in which they slowly become aware of one another rather than facing a direct confrontation shows that given different circumstances they might have been kindred spirits. Literary references and odes to famous poets pepper the pages. These are unobtrusive so that discerning readers will revel in their inclusion while others will skip over them but still enjoy the drama of the story. The result is a poignant tale of two girls on the brink of adulthood faced with real decisions about their future, who they want to be, and what role boys will play in their decisions."Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
Frequently uprooted, Camille arrives at a new school in the middle of her senior year and tries to stay detached, tired of making and leaving friends. A random kiss and its fallout connect her to Becca, the girlfriend of the boy Camille kissed. The two teens alternate narration of affecting verse chapters as they struggle toward separate realizations about friends, relationships, and future plans.
Be the first reader to comment.
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!