Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Title: FLIPPED
Rating: 4
Reviewer: RP Grade: 8
Review:
Flipped, written by Wendelin Van Draanen, is an inspirational love story of two people who are totally opposite. One has lived practically her whole life loving the other, while he has tried to stay as far away as possible. But over time, feelings have changed and people have flipped.
All Bryce ever wanted was for Julianna to leave him alone, back off a little, you know give him some space.
When Bryce Loski moved into Julianna Baker’s neighborhood, across from her house, two days before the second grade, he knew from just one look, that Julianna was dangerous. The minute they moved, she was in their moving van trying to help. She’d come to Bryce’s house everyday to ask if he could play. And in school when she sat behind him, she would sniff his hair. At the bus stop, she’d always stand next to Bryce and try and talk to him or in some other way embarrass him. All Bryce saw in her was one strange girl. And ever since then she never left him alone. NEVER. Not even now, 6 years later.
Julianna on the other hand flipped for Bryce the minute she laid eyes on him. She fell in love with his dazzling, breathtaking blue eyes. She can’t stay away from him. She won’t stay away from him. She insists on giving Bryce’s family free eggs from the chickens that she raises in her backyard. She climbs the sycamore tree, and refused to let them cut it down. She sees the love of her life, a boy with the most incredible eyes, someone who is sensitive and sweet and caring.
But when eight grade rolls around, Bryce’s feeling about Juli completely change. He begins to think that she is fascinating, that there is more to Julianna than what he sees. He finds that he can’t help but just stare at her, just gaze at her beautiful face. But as Bryce starts to fall for Juli, she starts to part. Juli doesn’t follow him around anymore, or sniff his hair. She barely talks to him. As Bryce realizes that there’s more to Julianna then what meets the eye, Juli realizes that there’s not much more to Bryce than a pretty face.
Wendelin Van Draanen has written Flipped, in a very unique style. The chapters go back and forth form Bryce’s perspective to Juli’s point of view. In a way it is very irritating because in Bryce’s chapter he talks about one event and what he thought of it, and in the next chapter (Juli’s chapter) she talks about the same thing Bryce was talking about except it’s her view. But it is in a way a good thing, because if they both “talk” about the same thing, then you, the reader, are getting both sides of the “story”.
Flipped is a very unique story that teaches you about love. It deals with the hardships and dilemmas of being in love, and for the most part, not even knowing it. It shows that you need to learn how to handle your mistakes, but most of all it show that you need to forgive, because if you love a person enough, you will realize that love is more powerful than anger.
7/16/03