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Monday, July 6, 2009

Boy Girl Boy

Ron Koertge

Published 2005

164 Pages

Rating: B-


Is it June yet?

Summer can’t arrive fast enough for Teresa, Larry, and Elliot. But even though they’re eager to make high school part of ancient history, they don’t plan on going their separate ways. As soon as they chuck their caps and gowns, they’ll head to California… together. Just the three of them: boy, girl, boy.

Despite their shared dream, these friends are nothing alike. Larry, a brilliant student is dealing with being gay in an ultraconservative town. Teresa aces all her exams but bears the emotional scars of having been abandoned by her mother. And although star-athlete Elliot may look the part of a happy teenager, he worries that out in the world he’ll seem worthless compared to his two smart, ambitious best friends.

Do they really have a chance of making a new life together in California?

(taken from back of book)


This book is very short, but it is by no means a light read. It deals with some very heavy issues right from the beginning.

Elliot is a confused guy. He wants to get away from his town as soon as possible, but his parents have something more for him. They want him to go to the University and major in Engineering, Elliot definitely doesn’t think he is smart enough for that, and he doesn’t want to tell them that he is moving to California. And his parents especially wont be thrilled to hear that when they find out it’s with his two best friends, Larry and Teresa.

Teresa is a broken girl. Her mother left her when she was 13 years old, and ever since then she barely eats and does nothing unless it’s with Larry or Elliot. She is a smart girl and could get into so many schools with scholarships, but what she really wants is to get away. To get away from all the looks and stares people give her, the one whose mother left her.

Larry is… different. He is gay. He found out when he was 13 and when people around his town started finding out he was gay, they started treating him like he had an incurable disease, and he hates that. He wants to get away to a place where people accept his lifestyle choice and don’t put him down because of it. He is a smart guy and has so much potential, but no one will let him show it. Except Teresa and Elliot.

Three best friends deal with issues of real life, and its very interesting to see the paths they take.

This book is a quick read and I think it is a decent book. It got a B- mainly because I think the author could have gone into detail more about what each character was going through, but I also liked how it was straight to the point and no fluff around the edges. It was a book that dealt with issues that some people shy away from and I think it teaches you a little something about what people go through.

I say, give it a try. It isn’t that long of a book anyway. You’ll be done with it in 3 hours, tops.


-A.

3 comments:

  1. Im not sure what I'd think of this book but seeing as how you say its a short book i think ill give it a go. Great review.

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  2. Hmm I don't know, not really my style, teens with problems, yeah... Might read it for the gay guy though

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  3. Hmm. I'm curious as to how all three of them come to terms with their own issues-all while being together. o.O!

    Briana-I lucked out when I got my ARC. E. Lockhart put up a bulletin on myspace saying that her publishers were going to give out ARCS of Treasure Map to book bloggers. There was a deadline where you had to e-mail your info and then you'd get it. Don't think you're the only amateur, I am too! I'm a total newbie at book blogging (but it's so much fun!). I asked the same question and I think what you'd have to do is e-mail an author and ask them if they'd be willing to send their books (so you can promote them and maybe host contests as well). Hope my answer helped. :)

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