All That/Always Upbeat

Gr 7 Up—This book tells two sides of a story from the perspectives of a football player and his cheerleader girlfriend. Readers can choose to begin with either half of the book and then flip it over to get the other point of view. Blake and Charli attend an "upscale and predominantly African American" high school in Atlanta. In All That, Blake is under a ton of pressure from his father, who is a football coach, and is interested in going all the way with his girlfriend. He soon finds out that his mom has been diagnosed with cancer and his world is turned upside down. In Always Upbeat, readers discover that Charli struggles with the knowledge that her father is having an affair. Although she loves Blake, she does not want to lose her virginity to him. At the end of both narratives, Blake moves on to become strong on his own, while Charli chooses to be with Blake's cousin. Complicated issues dissolve quickly and intersecting relationships are ironed out shortly after being introduced. Dialogue is not entirely authentic; when Blake comforts his little sister about their mother's illness, she says, "Thanks, Blake. Because of you I can sleep tonight. Because of you I have hope. Because of you I'm not broken. Thanks, big bro." The narration is equally saccharine at times: "On the way home my dad took us to a steakhouse. We were full from our tummies and from his love." Still, readers may enjoy the he said/she said aspect of the novel, especially those looking for a wholesome tale.—Lindsay Klemas, JM Rapport School for Career Development, Bronx, NY