flipped

So, this is for you, JSchro.

I just read this FANTASTICALLY adorable book called

Flipped

by Wendelin Van Draanen

It is also a movie---which I have yet to see, but am looking forward to doing so.

Ok, so I have to discuss it. If you haven't read it, DO SO, and get back to me.

**SPOILER ALERT**

**SPOILER ALERT**

Overview:

It is about this boy and girl, Bryce and Juli, who meet in the second grade. Her heart "flipped" when she first saw him--she fell instantly in love because of his to-die-for blue eyes. Bryce, on the other hand, ran away as fast as he could--literally. They tell their story together, taking turns every other chapter. They start in elementary school and take their story to middle school, where, although they have been neighbors all their lives, they start to really get to know one another. By eighth grade, Juli isn't so sure she wants to know Bryce because of some things he has done. She thinks he might be "less than the whole of his parts"--maybe all he can offer are beautiful blue eyes. But Bryce is finally starting to crush on Juli because he begins to see what a truly smart, compassionate and creative person she is--looking past her dumpy house and strange convictions for a 13-year old.

There are some great morals to the story--

hard work,

coming together as family during hard times,

don't judge people by their appearances,

create strong relationships with your family,

be creative,

find something in your life that makes you realize how great it is to be living...

They both have drastic paradigm shifts at 13 years old. Of course, at thirteen, everything is taken in drastically. Both feel highs and lows so acutely. I remember being 13 too. Man oh man. Hormones make you crazy. This book seriously reminded me of what it was like to become a teenager. It also reminded me that NO ONE--and I mean, no one, could get me to relive those years.

Anyways, they both learn about relationships, families, and honesty in a very realistic way.

Juli learns that to-die-for blue eyes are not the best reason in the world to fall in love. Bryce learns that people who live in houses with dumpy yards might be cool people.

When I read it, I started asking myself questions about how I would handle certain situations.

Is it better to be honest or to be polite?

Is it better to be honest or to protect your children from the stress of worrying?

Is it better to run or to face difficult situations?

It is totally awesome when Bryce stops running from Juli and she starts running from him.

I totally cheered for the both of them.

Juli is being smart by protecting herself from a boy who could possibly hurt her in the future by his actions and comments. But she is also a kind and forgiving person--especially at her age.

Bryce is just a 13 year old boy who blindly follows his dad's example/expectations/attitude until he experiences a few things that makes him question the type of person his dad is, and in turn, what type of person he wants to be. You can tell that through the book, he is becoming a person of depth--someone worth knowing.

I loved Bryce's grandfather. Although I was mad at first that Grandpa took the time to get to know Juli, but not his own grandson, I realized that he knew exactly what he was doing--letting Bryce make his own mistakes and helping him to learn from them. He also wanted to teach him to take the initiative to create a relationship instead of running away from people. Bryce did that a lot. I felt like at the beginning of the book, Bryce was literally running constantly from everything that reminded him that he was living. Not just from Juli, but also from his grandfather, from his responsibilities, and from honesty. While Juli literally ran towards those things. She met things head on, loved feeling like she was alive and did her best to do so.

By the end of the book, you know that Bryce is no longer the shallow kid he used to be. He learns how to treat people kindly, to think of others, to apologize. He is finally worthy of being Juli's friend. And she is so cute and forgiving, you can't help but think that they will be great friends in the future.

I was slightly annoyed by how the story ended. It was a great gesture on Bryce's part to plant the sycamore tree for Juli. But I felt cheated when it ended without the two of them speaking. All you know is that Juli thinks that there might, after all, be something more to Bryce than his "to-die-for" blue eyes.

Tell me your own thoughts on the book.

What did you think?

Did you like it?

Were there things you didn't like?

And if you've read this whole post and HAVEN'T read the book yet, you better go and buy it and then come back and tell me what you think.

All I know is, after reading this book:

1. I'm glad I have a boy who used to live down the street from me who has remained my best friend despite his stupid shallowness as a teenager. He has become someone worth knowing.

2. I need to find a spot (like Juli found her's up in the tree) that reminds me daily of how great it is to be alive--to count my blessings.