I won What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones at a giveaway hosted at Ready When You Are, C.B. So thank you, C.B. James, for sending it to me! This book belongs wonderfully in my YA Romance challenge (and, of course, in my YA challenge).
The first thing I noticed about What My Mother Doesn't Know is that it's written all in free verse. Each short chapter consists in a poem, and all the poems together narrate the story of Sophie, a fifteen-year-old girl.
The title refers to the fact that Sophie has a distant father and a mother who seems more interested in her soap operas than in her life. For the rest, she's just your average teenager: she goes out with dark, sexy Dylan, covertly chats online with "soulmate" Chaz, but secretly harbors a crush for shy, quiet Murphy. Over time, Sophie learns to distinguish between lust and love, and thus is able to find true love.
What makes this book different from other teenage romances is the use of free verse to narrate the story, which makes the narration seem quite like a genuine outpouring of feelings and emotions. For example, see this poem:
Highly recommended.
The first thing I noticed about What My Mother Doesn't Know is that it's written all in free verse. Each short chapter consists in a poem, and all the poems together narrate the story of Sophie, a fifteen-year-old girl.
The title refers to the fact that Sophie has a distant father and a mother who seems more interested in her soap operas than in her life. For the rest, she's just your average teenager: she goes out with dark, sexy Dylan, covertly chats online with "soulmate" Chaz, but secretly harbors a crush for shy, quiet Murphy. Over time, Sophie learns to distinguish between lust and love, and thus is able to find true love.
What makes this book different from other teenage romances is the use of free verse to narrate the story, which makes the narration seem quite like a genuine outpouring of feelings and emotions. For example, see this poem:
WINTER KISSThis kind of emotions are something everyone can relate to, thus making What My Mother Doesn't Know an instant favourite of mine. A book to keep on the bedside table, read and re-read.
our cheeks
burning with the cold
the tips of our noses
numb
our icicled lips
bump clumsily
then suddenly
melt together
warming us better
than any cup of steaming cocoa ever could
Highly recommended.
6 Comments:
It definitely sounds original. All the preconceptions I might have had against reading a novel in free verse disappeared when I read Francesca Lia Block's Psyche in a Dress. It worked so well!
Well, yeah, not very original in the content, but the form... I haven't read anything like that before.
I loved this book when I first read it a few years ago. Did you know that there is a sequel/companion book told from the boyfriend's point of view? I believe the name of it is What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know and you might want to read it at some point.
Thank you for the heads up, Becky!
Lets not be so quick to praise this book on all levels...Though the format makes for easy reading, the content crosses the border into an "R" RATING & one that my 14 year old was not mature enough to handle when a teacher gave it to her!
This book was so freaking good. . . the auther is very descriptive. . . It has quick and easy to read font. . . i have never read anything like this book until now and i would like to thank my teacher for making me read it. . . i am definetly going to read What My Girlfriend Doen't Know. . . i would highly recomend this book!!!!
Post a Comment