From The Cover:
BRYCE:
My mom didn’t understand why it was so
awful that “that cute little girl” had held
my hand. She thought I should be friends
with her. “You like soccer. Why don’t you
go out there and kick the ball around?”
Because I didn’t want to be kicked
around, that’s why. And although I couldn’t
say it like that at the time, I still had
enough sense at age seven and a half to
know that Julianna Baker was dangerous.
JULIANNA:
What did a kiss feel like anyway?
Somehow I knew it wouldn’t be like the
one I got from Mom or Dad at bedtime.
The same species, maybe, but a radically
different beast. Like a wolf and a whippet.
Only science would put them on the same tree.
Looking back, I like to think it was
at least partly scientific curiosity that
made me chase after that kiss, but it was
probably more those blue eyes.
My rating: 5 stars.
My Thoughts:
Wholesome is the best word to describe Van Draanen’s novel. Both Bryce and Julie have such strong personalities that fuel the story and keep it running. Bryce is thoughtful and boyishly confused. Julie is quirky in the loveliest of ways. Together, they’re honest and true to whom they are, as curious young adults.
The writing style of Flipped is crisp and straightforward – nothing fanciful, magical, or extraordinary. It is as pure and fresh as the characters and the plot. The story develops with Bryce and Julie, through both of their viewpoints, and captures the reality of their situation.
It is boy and girl. It is adolescence. It is innocence. It is balance.
