The Inside of Out

Gr 7 Up—High school juniors Daisy and Hannah are best friends. When Hannah comes out as gay, the last thing Daisy expects is for Hannah to start dating Natalie, Daisy's long-standing archenemy. While Daisy is still processing this unforeseen twist of events, she finds out that their school has a strict policy banning same-sex dates at dances. Daisy decides to end this antiquated rule by challenging the school board. What she thought was a symbolic gesture on behalf of her friend's rights becomes a convoluted crusade in which Daisy takes on the school board, her friends and fellow students, and eventually the whole country. Thorne expertly drops plot twists like bread crumbs for her readers to follow. Set in Charleston, SC, this story begins with a classic conflict between friends. The simple narrative becomes thick with thorns when Daisy acts before thinking, bringing a complexity to her situation. Although it takes on some heavy subjects, the work remains light through its humorous and somewhat self-obsessed teenage characters. Ultimately, teens will enjoy reading about Daisy's good intentions gone wrong as well as the bumpy love stories that accompany all good teenage drama.