Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Cover:
Recommended ages: 12 and up
Content material may not be easy for younger students to understand, including racism and stereotypes.
Recommended gender: All
There is some "girl material" in the novel, but not much.
Summary (inside of book jacket) :
| Two kids. Two lives. For Kirsten the world is crumbling. Her parents are barely speaking to one another and her best friend has come under the spell of the queen bee Brianna. Only Kirsten's younger science-geek sister is on her side. For Walker the goal is to survive the new very white private school his mom has sent him to because she thinks he's going to screw up like his cousin. "Don't have to worry, Momma, before I go bad I'll let you know, send a Hallmark card ready made for the occasion...on the eve your son messes up." But Walk is a good kid. So is his new friend, Matteo, though no one knows why Matteo will do absolutely anything that hot blond Brianna asks of him. Two worlds collide in one compelling story. Then suddenly Kirsten discovers something that shakes them to their core... "You knew all along," Walk says. "No, I didn't." "You're lying. You found out and then you told the whole world..." |
Review:
I had to read this book for my academic team individual assessment. I read it once, and read it again. And again. And again. This is one of those books that lends itself to be read over and over. It deals with many problems that middle school kids face: popularity, friends, self-image, and more. Kirsten's story tells how appearance doesn't matter unless you make it matter. Throughout the book, she begins to care less and less about her extra weight, because she realizes that what matters is that your personality fits into the world, not your looks, or who you are associated with. Walk's story tells how it doesn't matter what somebody is born, but what they turn out to be (Harry Potter quote alert!). Walk's world and Kirsten's world soon collide in an unexpected twist. The plot is full of rich detail, not to mention twists and turns, and the characters are masterfully described. Gennifer Choldenko has outdone herself yet again.
Rating: 
Recommended for viewers to read: Yes
vms915 signing off, after her first new book post!
