Girl Meets Boy

November 28, 2011
Twelve writers answer Halls’s question: “What if a group of authors took on the challenge of perception—boys versus girls?” Together, they create a thoughtful collection of paired short stories (and one joint offering) that give two distinct perspectives on the same events. While romantically themed, the stories do not all end in love connections. In James Howe and Ellen Wittlinger’s stories, a gay teen learns the person he has been chatting with online is actually a girl; meanwhile, in Sarah Ryan and Randy Powell’s joint story, “Launchpad to Neptune,” a teen reunites with his first crush, only to find Stephanie has transitioned to Stephen. The most compelling twin stories may be from Terry Davis and Rebecca Fjelland Davis, which center on a Muslim immigrant and an Iowa farm girl in love; Rafi’s story explores prejudice and being caught between cultures, while Kerry begins a protest when she learns about a hog factory that will destroy their community. This story best exemplifies a theme that runs throughout: it’s impossible to know everything someone is thinking and feeling—even when you are in a relationship together. This important idea is executed with finesse throughout. Ages 14–up.

Starred review from December 15, 2011
This conceptually unique collection of short-story pairings by a constellation of teen-literature stars explores a variety of relationship types as the respective male and female involved in each one experience them. In the first, a witty teen seeking to stop cheating on his girlfriends is drawn into a messy sexual relationship with a troubled (but hot) girl who is an abuse survivor. In another, a likable, tough girl muscles in on a bully who is harassing the object of her crush. In the third, a gay 17-year-old agrees to an in-person meeting with an online-chat buddy in a tale both sad and sweet. Two separate stories examine the strain felt by couples of different ethnic backgrounds as they struggle with prejudice and familial expectations. Finally, a boy re-encounters someone with whom he's long been enamored, only to discover she's undergone a transformation. Common themes--that are less about gender-based perceptions than they are about teens struggling to be seen and loved for who they truly are--knit these stories together. Each of the authors excels at creating vibrant, sympathetic, honest characters with voices that will appeal to older teens, male and female alike. A superb offering--and therefore a shame that its cover design of a boy and girl in a clinch makes it look like a run-of-the mill romance, which may limit its appeal. (Short stories. 14 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-All of these stories except the last are told in pairs, with female authors writing from the girls' perspective and male authors from the guys'. Each gender remembers things differently, though some of the timeframes overlap, and delivers unique information. In the first set of linked stories by Chris Crutcher and Kelly Milner Halls, Johnny wants to stop lying, so he enlists Wanda, a troubled girl with her own issues, for help. Neither of them expects to fall in love or to end up where that leads. In Joseph Bruchac's and Cynthia Leitich Smith's pair, Bobby has a crush on Nancy, a bruiser who punched her last date. Could someone that strong ever be interested in a guy who used to be bullied? And in James Howe's and Ellen Wittlinger's selections, Max is nervous about meeting a boy he has been chatting with online. He's even more surprised when it turns out that Alex is a girl. Rita Williams-Garcia, Terry Trueman, Terry Davis, Rebecca Fjelland Davis, Sara Ryan, and Randy Powell also contribute tales. Some of the characters walk the line of stereotypes, but the predictability of their attributes and actions can also lend a charming touch since boys and girls have been known to see one another just that way. Not every set of stories works out perfectly: some are happy and others messy, giving the collection as a whole authenticity. Based on the title alone, this anthology might be a hard sell for boys, even with male characters in every story, but short-story fans will enjoy it.-Melyssa Kenney, Parkville High School, Baltimore, MD

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2012
Grades 9-12 In six pairs, prominent YA authors (including Rita Williams-Garcia, Chris Crutcher, and Ellen Wittlinger) each write one half of a story of a relationship between a boy and a girl. Sometimes it's a passionate one and sometimes it's sweet and tentative; sometimes there's a role reversal and sometimes it's a confusing beginning to something bigger. The author pairs are well chosen, often sharing a cultural background or a long-standing relationship, which gives their fictional couples an added authenticity. These stories illustrate the way a relationship is only one part of a person, just as each person is only one part of a relationship. Because the reader stays with each couple through two stories rather than just one, this book reads more like a series of micro-novellas than a collection of short stories. Additionally, since one of the main themes of all of the stories, varied as they are, is the universal connection and disconnect that contemporaneously exist within any relationship, this volume should find a wide readership.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
Twelve YA authors pair off in this short story collection: the men, including Chris Crutcher and Joseph Bruchac, write from the guy's perspective, while the women, including Ellen Wittlinger and Rita Williams-Garcia, write from the girl's. Though the stories vary widely in quality, the unique collection is notable for its diversity, featuring gay, straight, black, white, Muslim, and Native American characters.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)