FLIPPED

I picked this up because a group I'm in on Goodreads was reading it, and it sounded mildly interesting. It was available at the library, so I went ahead and grabbed it... only to discover my mistake a bit too late... I absolutely could not put it down!

"Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That’s pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn’t as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance." - Goodreads Blurb

This book is simply adorable. It is a story of two children who grow up across the street from each other, go to school together, and yet have completely different lives.

The book is told from two different perspectives, switching narrators at the beginning of each chapter. We start with Bryce, who tells us about the first time he met Juli in 2nd grade and how he finds her completely obnoxious. She comes over as they are unpacking because Bryce's family is moving in across the street from Juli's family, and she refuses to take the hint that she's being annoying and that her "help" is unwanted.Then we read the same period of time from Juli's perspective. We discover that she was desperately hoping for someone to move in across the street with kids her age, how she restrained herself from going over to welcome them for TEN WHOLE MINUTES (a big deal when you're 8 years old), and how she fell in love with Bryce the first time she met him.All of which is cute, but sort of "fluffy" if you know what I mean. However, this tiny little book doesn't remain long in the puppy love arena. It is about so much more than a little girl's crush and the boy who is attempting to avoid her. The story delves deeply into both families and their history, some of which is dark, and some of which is difficult, and each character faces real world tough decisions.Asking for forgiveness, standing up for someone even if they aren't your favorite person in the world, treating others with kindness and respect, giving people the benefit of the doubt, and shouldering responsibility for your own choices and actions... these are just some of the themes that each character must wrestle with before the book is done.The book is very short, reads easily, and is told very sweetly and so charmingly. It's not a genre I usually read, but I would definitely recommend it. Be forewarned, however, it's a tear-jerker!