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Femme
Academics have never been Sofie's strong point; she's too busy spending all of her free time with her boyfriend, Paul, the captain of her Surrey high school's soccer team. When her English teacher implements a new program that pairs her with straight-A student Clea, Sofie worries about how Paul will react to her hanging out with the only out lesbian at school. Sofie is as surprised as Paul at how close she and Clea quickly become.
When Sofie discovers that Clea is planning a road trip to check out some American colleges over the winter break, she invites herself along, causing more issues with Paul. But it's only after a college student asks if Sofie identifies as a "femme" lesbian that she starts to question her own sexuality and her relationship with both Clea and Paul.
[Fry reading level - 3.0]
When Sofie discovers that Clea is planning a road trip to check out some American colleges over the winter break, she invites herself along, causing more issues with Paul. But it's only after a college student asks if Sofie identifies as a "femme" lesbian that she starts to question her own sexuality and her relationship with both Clea and Paul.
[Fry reading level - 3.0]
- GenresYoung AdultRomanceLGBT
176 pages, Library Binding
First published February 7, 2015
118 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 17, 2015
FEMME is a hi-lo book. Hi-lo books are written to appeal to struggling readers. They have content that appeals to teens, but are written at a range of lower reading levels. FEMME is written at an approximately third-grade reading level. I really appreciate that SideStreets and Mette Bach are making LGBT stories available for readers who are still developing their skills, since there isn't much reading material on the subject available below a high-school reading level.
Sofia, the protagonist of FEMME, doesn't feel like she has much going for herself aside from her popular boyfriend Paul. When her English teacher pairs her with class genius Clea, Sofia is worried about being judged for being dumb. But the two girls end up being fast friends and Clea helps Sofia nurture her study skills. In fact, the two girls decide to take a trip to the US together and look at schools in Portland. Clea wants to go to Portland because she's a lesbian - the only out one at their Canadian high school - and she wants to find a community that she fits into. To Sofia's surprise, she starts to find where she fits too.
FEMME might be simply written, but it is also sensitively written. Sofia and Clea feel like real teenage girls, particularly Sofia. She begins the novel shallow, with low self-esteem, but she makes amazing strides throughout the story. And even though the page count is short, Bach doesn't just tackle a romance. She tackles issues of identity involving sexuality, race, and class. There is a subplot about cyberbullying too. It all moves by quickly. However, while things are lightly covered, they don't feel lightweight.
FEMME is a novel that fills a niche that desperately needs something. Fortunately, there's much more reason to read it than just because it feels a need. It's got wonderful characters, a strong setting, and it tackles real-world issues in a manner that is positive but not treacly. I found FEMME to be surprisingly sweet.
Sofia, the protagonist of FEMME, doesn't feel like she has much going for herself aside from her popular boyfriend Paul. When her English teacher pairs her with class genius Clea, Sofia is worried about being judged for being dumb. But the two girls end up being fast friends and Clea helps Sofia nurture her study skills. In fact, the two girls decide to take a trip to the US together and look at schools in Portland. Clea wants to go to Portland because she's a lesbian - the only out one at their Canadian high school - and she wants to find a community that she fits into. To Sofia's surprise, she starts to find where she fits too.
FEMME might be simply written, but it is also sensitively written. Sofia and Clea feel like real teenage girls, particularly Sofia. She begins the novel shallow, with low self-esteem, but she makes amazing strides throughout the story. And even though the page count is short, Bach doesn't just tackle a romance. She tackles issues of identity involving sexuality, race, and class. There is a subplot about cyberbullying too. It all moves by quickly. However, while things are lightly covered, they don't feel lightweight.
FEMME is a novel that fills a niche that desperately needs something. Fortunately, there's much more reason to read it than just because it feels a need. It's got wonderful characters, a strong setting, and it tackles real-world issues in a manner that is positive but not treacly. I found FEMME to be surprisingly sweet.
May 15, 2015
Read more reviews on my blog, Words and Tea Bottles.
This book was received from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Femme isn’t all that impressive. I finished it in a single day, but that’s only because it was so short. I’ve never read a book in this series, but looking at other reviews, there are a lot of them saying they don’t expect much from it, and I feel like this isn’t an exception. There’s too much going on and it’s glossed right over within a half a page to a page. The entire climax of the book is resolved in a page when they get into the school and Sophie’s friend is like “Oh it’s over.” It’s some buildup for a resolution that isn’t satisfying at all.
There’s also a lot of stereotypes. The entire book focuses on it, in fact. You have Clea the butch lesbian, Sophie the ‘femme’ lesbian, the stereotypical mean girls. There’s a talk with Sophie’s teacher about how you shouldn’t be afraid of labels because they can help you know who you are and blah, blah, blah, but it doesn’t really stick with the reader.
Not to mention this book falls into the category of ‘adult who thinks they know how to use teen slang when they really, really don’t.’ It’s painful to read some of this stuff.
The only reason I gave it two stars on Goodreads instead of one is because I did manage to finish reading it without feeling the need to toss my Kindle across the room, so at least there’s that. But it goes into the increasing pile of ‘coming out stories that I wouldn’t recommend.’
This book was received from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Femme isn’t all that impressive. I finished it in a single day, but that’s only because it was so short. I’ve never read a book in this series, but looking at other reviews, there are a lot of them saying they don’t expect much from it, and I feel like this isn’t an exception. There’s too much going on and it’s glossed right over within a half a page to a page. The entire climax of the book is resolved in a page when they get into the school and Sophie’s friend is like “Oh it’s over.” It’s some buildup for a resolution that isn’t satisfying at all.
There’s also a lot of stereotypes. The entire book focuses on it, in fact. You have Clea the butch lesbian, Sophie the ‘femme’ lesbian, the stereotypical mean girls. There’s a talk with Sophie’s teacher about how you shouldn’t be afraid of labels because they can help you know who you are and blah, blah, blah, but it doesn’t really stick with the reader.
Not to mention this book falls into the category of ‘adult who thinks they know how to use teen slang when they really, really don’t.’ It’s painful to read some of this stuff.
The only reason I gave it two stars on Goodreads instead of one is because I did manage to finish reading it without feeling the need to toss my Kindle across the room, so at least there’s that. But it goes into the increasing pile of ‘coming out stories that I wouldn’t recommend.’
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January 10, 2016I'm glad I read other reviews before leaving mine because the book makes much more sense to me now that I know it was meant for more reluctant readers. It's very short, and fast, moving from confidently straight through questioning and to confidently queer with rapid-fire speed. It's nice to read about girls falling in love and looking toward the future, and it's easy to see what the girls bring out in and like in each other; it just would've been great to see a lot more development, especially internally, to accompany their getting together and bring them into the future.
April 16, 2015
I did not love this book. I felt that it had far too many stereotypes in it. And I know that it is a hi/lo book, but everything wrapped up far too nicely and happened far too quickly. I also felt like it had way too many references to specific brands (Tim Horton's , Starbucks, Candy Crush to name a few).
April 3, 2015
Title: Femme
Author: Mette Bach
Publisher: James Lorimer & Company Ltd. Publishers
Year: 2015
Pages: 87
[Disclaimer: I was provided an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. I was neither compensated nor compelled to write a positive review of the book.]
I had my suspicions when the email arrived in my inbox announcing I was pre-approved for this ( and a couple other) books from Lorimer that this book would be a challenging read for me. It was. I will tell you at the outset, before you read too far, that I did not like this book, that it was not a well written book, and that I cannot recommend this book to any readers--let alone the ages 13+, reading level 3.0 that it is designed for. I have a suspicion that Bach sat down one afternoon and started writing in her journal and the next day sent it off to Lorimer for publishing. I simply cannot envision a scenario where this book took more than 3 or 4 hours to write. It is predictable and stereotypical in every conceivable way.
The problems begin very early in the book when the protagonist begins identifying other characters who will play some role or other in the story. Predictably, Rachel Mackenzie is the 'prettiest girl in the school' and Brooke-Lynn Bradley is another pretty, spoiled, rich girl who will cause Sofie problems in the story. And of course there is Paul, the boyfriend whose only interest seems to be in finding new places (as in, the car) to kiss, or otherwise, his girlfriend Sofie and playing video games.
The book reads like a manual for how to stereotype characters--from the pretty blonde bullies, to the rugged butch lesbian Clea (13), to the popular dumb boyfriend Paul, to the confused and 'femme' Sofie--not one character is original or appealing.
The book is filled with terrible language--especially if it's for kids to read (I understand kids talk 'this way', but there's no reason to perpetuate it). There is a drinking involved in the book (8 and elsewhere). There are hints at sexual intercourse in the book (20, 46). There's yet another 'terrible father' in a book (10). The language is appalling (20, 28, 48, 54, 56, and elsewhere). And besides all this, there is the under-current of problems with the 'church' and the church's view of homosexuality (59) and predictably a 'counter-church' church where the all-inclusive minister is 'married' to his homosexual partner for '25-years' (64; which means they got married in 1990 when this was scarcely an issue).
I'm no prude and am certainly opposed to censorship, but the bottom line is that this book simply had no thought put into it. It manages to cull every stereotype conceivable about homsexuality, the church, bullies, school, friends, and put them all into the hopper that produced this book. The book is filled with meaningless drivel that is supposed to be dialogue--yet this dialogue does nothing to advance the story or help develop a plot. In fact, I'm not really sure there was a plot other than the constant tension of whether or not Sofie and Clea would kiss each other which they do after a back rub, a road trip together, a visit to a gay party, an episode of spooning, and some petty Facebook jealousy.
I'm amazed, frankly, that a girl who starts out the book infatuated with a boy--the best looking boy in the school no less--is able to decide in a few pages that she is, in fact, gay. She does wrestle a bit with this tension in the book, but it seems so strange to me that this all resulted from her being paired with Clea in a Literature class. So it made me wonder: If Sofie had never been paired with Clea in class would she have decided she was a lesbian after all or would she have stayed 'straight'?
In my opinion, the best and most realistic part of the book was the interaction Sofie had with her mother in chapter 15. In this chapter, they visit a church that is gay-friendly (whatever that means). The minister comes in 'wearing rainbow colors' (more stereotyping) and mom is 'puzzled' (63). On subsequent pages, we see the mother crying (we are told several times on the following pages that the mother is crying) after Sofie confirms she is gay. I think this is probably the most honest part of the book because it speaks to that aspect of 'coming out' that we do not hear about. We frequently hear about the supportive families or those who utterly reject their children, but we don't often learn about the families for whom this 'coming out' becomes a sincere moment of emotional upheaval.
I cannot imagine it is easy for a mother or a father to learn about such things, but we are never given this sort of middle ground response. Typically people are either throwing parties for their new gay child or they are casting them into hell. I think both responses are reactionary and thoughtless. I think the response given in this book by the author is honest: I imagine it to be a heartbreaking experience for most people. This was the best part of the book because I think it was the most honest and if I applaud the author at all, it is here.
The bullies are predictable (calling her a 'dyke'; although I sensed that the main bully, Brooke-Lynn, was more offended that Sophie had Paul than she was that Sophie was a lesbian): there's a Facebook page set up by the bullies, there's the name calling, and there's the bullies getting caught and all being made well in the world. The book ends rather predictably with all the conflicts resolved and Clea and Sofie as girlfriends happily in love.
There's nothing about this book that is interesting. There is nothing about it that is unique. There is nothing about it that is driven by a sense of creativity. It is rife with stereotype and predictability. It's not a good story (there really is no plot). It's not well written (too much reliance upon base language). I understand the book is written for young people (13+ according to the cover), but I think authors ought to hold their readers to a higher standard and I think publishers ought to hold their authors to a higher standard as well. The book is billed as a girl whose 'new friendship with the only out lesbian at school' leading her to question her own 'sexuality and future.' It really wasn't so much a matter of questioning such things in the book. It was about the inevitability of her deciding she was a lesbian.
This is not one of Lorimer's better publications and not because it deals with some serious questions regarding homosexuality, but because it is just a terrible story and poorly written.
1/5 Stars
Author: Mette Bach
Publisher: James Lorimer & Company Ltd. Publishers
Year: 2015
Pages: 87
[Disclaimer: I was provided an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. I was neither compensated nor compelled to write a positive review of the book.]
I had my suspicions when the email arrived in my inbox announcing I was pre-approved for this ( and a couple other) books from Lorimer that this book would be a challenging read for me. It was. I will tell you at the outset, before you read too far, that I did not like this book, that it was not a well written book, and that I cannot recommend this book to any readers--let alone the ages 13+, reading level 3.0 that it is designed for. I have a suspicion that Bach sat down one afternoon and started writing in her journal and the next day sent it off to Lorimer for publishing. I simply cannot envision a scenario where this book took more than 3 or 4 hours to write. It is predictable and stereotypical in every conceivable way.
The problems begin very early in the book when the protagonist begins identifying other characters who will play some role or other in the story. Predictably, Rachel Mackenzie is the 'prettiest girl in the school' and Brooke-Lynn Bradley is another pretty, spoiled, rich girl who will cause Sofie problems in the story. And of course there is Paul, the boyfriend whose only interest seems to be in finding new places (as in, the car) to kiss, or otherwise, his girlfriend Sofie and playing video games.
The book reads like a manual for how to stereotype characters--from the pretty blonde bullies, to the rugged butch lesbian Clea (13), to the popular dumb boyfriend Paul, to the confused and 'femme' Sofie--not one character is original or appealing.
The book is filled with terrible language--especially if it's for kids to read (I understand kids talk 'this way', but there's no reason to perpetuate it). There is a drinking involved in the book (8 and elsewhere). There are hints at sexual intercourse in the book (20, 46). There's yet another 'terrible father' in a book (10). The language is appalling (20, 28, 48, 54, 56, and elsewhere). And besides all this, there is the under-current of problems with the 'church' and the church's view of homosexuality (59) and predictably a 'counter-church' church where the all-inclusive minister is 'married' to his homosexual partner for '25-years' (64; which means they got married in 1990 when this was scarcely an issue).
I'm no prude and am certainly opposed to censorship, but the bottom line is that this book simply had no thought put into it. It manages to cull every stereotype conceivable about homsexuality, the church, bullies, school, friends, and put them all into the hopper that produced this book. The book is filled with meaningless drivel that is supposed to be dialogue--yet this dialogue does nothing to advance the story or help develop a plot. In fact, I'm not really sure there was a plot other than the constant tension of whether or not Sofie and Clea would kiss each other which they do after a back rub, a road trip together, a visit to a gay party, an episode of spooning, and some petty Facebook jealousy.
I'm amazed, frankly, that a girl who starts out the book infatuated with a boy--the best looking boy in the school no less--is able to decide in a few pages that she is, in fact, gay. She does wrestle a bit with this tension in the book, but it seems so strange to me that this all resulted from her being paired with Clea in a Literature class. So it made me wonder: If Sofie had never been paired with Clea in class would she have decided she was a lesbian after all or would she have stayed 'straight'?
In my opinion, the best and most realistic part of the book was the interaction Sofie had with her mother in chapter 15. In this chapter, they visit a church that is gay-friendly (whatever that means). The minister comes in 'wearing rainbow colors' (more stereotyping) and mom is 'puzzled' (63). On subsequent pages, we see the mother crying (we are told several times on the following pages that the mother is crying) after Sofie confirms she is gay. I think this is probably the most honest part of the book because it speaks to that aspect of 'coming out' that we do not hear about. We frequently hear about the supportive families or those who utterly reject their children, but we don't often learn about the families for whom this 'coming out' becomes a sincere moment of emotional upheaval.
I cannot imagine it is easy for a mother or a father to learn about such things, but we are never given this sort of middle ground response. Typically people are either throwing parties for their new gay child or they are casting them into hell. I think both responses are reactionary and thoughtless. I think the response given in this book by the author is honest: I imagine it to be a heartbreaking experience for most people. This was the best part of the book because I think it was the most honest and if I applaud the author at all, it is here.
The bullies are predictable (calling her a 'dyke'; although I sensed that the main bully, Brooke-Lynn, was more offended that Sophie had Paul than she was that Sophie was a lesbian): there's a Facebook page set up by the bullies, there's the name calling, and there's the bullies getting caught and all being made well in the world. The book ends rather predictably with all the conflicts resolved and Clea and Sofie as girlfriends happily in love.
There's nothing about this book that is interesting. There is nothing about it that is unique. There is nothing about it that is driven by a sense of creativity. It is rife with stereotype and predictability. It's not a good story (there really is no plot). It's not well written (too much reliance upon base language). I understand the book is written for young people (13+ according to the cover), but I think authors ought to hold their readers to a higher standard and I think publishers ought to hold their authors to a higher standard as well. The book is billed as a girl whose 'new friendship with the only out lesbian at school' leading her to question her own 'sexuality and future.' It really wasn't so much a matter of questioning such things in the book. It was about the inevitability of her deciding she was a lesbian.
This is not one of Lorimer's better publications and not because it deals with some serious questions regarding homosexuality, but because it is just a terrible story and poorly written.
1/5 Stars
September 3, 2020
I don't really remember.
February 25, 2024
Femme is a hi/lo book for struggling readers that I received for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
It's about a girl named Sofie who isn't doing very well in school. She'd rather spend time on the internet, play Candy Crush and hang out with her boyfriend, Paul. When she's paired with smart over-achiever (and out lesbian) Clea she finally starts applying herself and things change for her.
I feel like the book tries to tackle a lot of subjects in a short amount of pages and just kind of touches on each of them, which has been my issue with all of the Lorimer books that I've received. Some of the issues that are talked about in this book are expectations (personal, parental and societal), labels (from society and oneself), bullying/cyberbullying, friendships, coming out, relationships and graduating. The bullying here is basically done and over with once they find out who did it. It's not quite realistic.
I do like how the relationship between Sofie and Clea develops. I think that part of the book was well done and realistic.
It's about a girl named Sofie who isn't doing very well in school. She'd rather spend time on the internet, play Candy Crush and hang out with her boyfriend, Paul. When she's paired with smart over-achiever (and out lesbian) Clea she finally starts applying herself and things change for her.
I feel like the book tries to tackle a lot of subjects in a short amount of pages and just kind of touches on each of them, which has been my issue with all of the Lorimer books that I've received. Some of the issues that are talked about in this book are expectations (personal, parental and societal), labels (from society and oneself), bullying/cyberbullying, friendships, coming out, relationships and graduating. The bullying here is basically done and over with once they find out who did it. It's not quite realistic.
I do like how the relationship between Sofie and Clea develops. I think that part of the book was well done and realistic.
January 12, 2016
Femme is a hi-lo book, published in Canada, and focuses on the budding romantic relationship between high school seniors Sofie and Clea, and Sofie’s struggles with realizing she’s gay.
To be honest, I didn’t put two and two together when I picked up this book, but the title and cover (which is horrendous) really should have tipped me off. The subject matter is sensitive, but certainly timely (and always will be); I don’t know how often LGBTQ themes are front and center in hi-lo books, so I was happy to see it here.
Femme does a good job of skimming the surface of LGBTQ issues as an introduction, although some parts seem a bit unbelievable. It may be difficult for readers to believe that Sofie has no inclination whatsoever that she’s gay, until she meets Clea; and that she had no previous knowledge of bullying and discrimination of LGBTQ individuals. Having said that, the author does a fairly good job of building Sofie’s understanding of her own identity as a femme lesbian.
Stereotypes are pretty common if you couldn’t already guess; Clea is the “butch” lesbian, but owns this label. Paul is Sofie’s somewhat controlling boyfriend (he wants all of Sofie’s time and attention); Sofie’s mom is overworked, and is just barely accepting of Sofie coming out.
In the end, everything works out for both Sofie and Clea and their respective futures at university. Their romance is sweet and pretty innocent; they both want to take things slow and are content with just being around one another, kissing and hugging.
There are a few Canadian slang words that may be confusing for some U.S. readers, but overall, it was a fast-paced read with good possible discussion points.
Recommended for teens ages 12 and up; low-level readers with an interest in romance, high school relationships, and potential readers of LGBTQ.
3 stars
To be honest, I didn’t put two and two together when I picked up this book, but the title and cover (which is horrendous) really should have tipped me off. The subject matter is sensitive, but certainly timely (and always will be); I don’t know how often LGBTQ themes are front and center in hi-lo books, so I was happy to see it here.
Femme does a good job of skimming the surface of LGBTQ issues as an introduction, although some parts seem a bit unbelievable. It may be difficult for readers to believe that Sofie has no inclination whatsoever that she’s gay, until she meets Clea; and that she had no previous knowledge of bullying and discrimination of LGBTQ individuals. Having said that, the author does a fairly good job of building Sofie’s understanding of her own identity as a femme lesbian.
Stereotypes are pretty common if you couldn’t already guess; Clea is the “butch” lesbian, but owns this label. Paul is Sofie’s somewhat controlling boyfriend (he wants all of Sofie’s time and attention); Sofie’s mom is overworked, and is just barely accepting of Sofie coming out.
In the end, everything works out for both Sofie and Clea and their respective futures at university. Their romance is sweet and pretty innocent; they both want to take things slow and are content with just being around one another, kissing and hugging.
There are a few Canadian slang words that may be confusing for some U.S. readers, but overall, it was a fast-paced read with good possible discussion points.
Recommended for teens ages 12 and up; low-level readers with an interest in romance, high school relationships, and potential readers of LGBTQ.
3 stars
July 25, 2015
I was excited to receive an invitation to read and review new young adult realistic fiction
I am always excited by new fiction that will appeal to my students that feature a multi-ethnic cast highlighting the daily struggles that youth encounter. I loved the description and title but quite honestly found the cover off putting. I was excited to see a beautiful young black woman on the cover but the fearful look of the young white woman made me a bit hesitant to read the book. So I put it off for a little while but kept coming back to it because of the strength of the description.
I am glad I did.
This was a lovely written hi/lo novel of a young woman coming to terms with her sexuality, her changing feelings for her significant other and a new friend. The novel did not become bogged down in just the romance but honestly explored the little moments that come in realizing who you really are as an adult and the quiet pressures of becoming an adult. I thoroughly enjoyed that none of the characters fell into a rote enigma and cardboard representation of a social status but came off the page as real teenagers. Teenagers that are capable of true nuance of character and not trite one liners. The first chapter was a little unwieldy with the high school trope cliches but by the third chapter, I begin to want to know and hope the best for the characters. This is the true sign of an engaging young adult realistic fiction especially for reluctant readers.
I am always excited by new fiction that will appeal to my students that feature a multi-ethnic cast highlighting the daily struggles that youth encounter. I loved the description and title but quite honestly found the cover off putting. I was excited to see a beautiful young black woman on the cover but the fearful look of the young white woman made me a bit hesitant to read the book. So I put it off for a little while but kept coming back to it because of the strength of the description.
I am glad I did.
This was a lovely written hi/lo novel of a young woman coming to terms with her sexuality, her changing feelings for her significant other and a new friend. The novel did not become bogged down in just the romance but honestly explored the little moments that come in realizing who you really are as an adult and the quiet pressures of becoming an adult. I thoroughly enjoyed that none of the characters fell into a rote enigma and cardboard representation of a social status but came off the page as real teenagers. Teenagers that are capable of true nuance of character and not trite one liners. The first chapter was a little unwieldy with the high school trope cliches but by the third chapter, I begin to want to know and hope the best for the characters. This is the true sign of an engaging young adult realistic fiction especially for reluctant readers.
March 29, 2015
Usually I find Hi-Lo books rather insufferable. With so little room, authors sacrifice good writing. This book was an exception. I fully enjoyed reading the story of Sofie finding out what she wants out of life. Mette Bach approaches the story in a very believable, non-judgmental way and handles all sides of the story with the utmost care. All characters are painted as realistically as possible. There are no true villains and no heroes. Every day people dealing with a major change in their perception as best as they can. It is one of the better "coming out" books I have read in YA lit. I particularly enjoyed how Sofie herself came about realizing her preference was not what she originally thought, how she came out, and how she dealt with the fall out. It makes me believe the author has either been through the experience herself or is very close to those who have. This book presents the reality and prepares students for the same experience from many different perspectives. Also, I loved that Sofie asked Clea many questions that folks have about young lesbians. Fantastic and well-written, this book will find its way into my hi-lo collection on my next book order. Highly recommended.
April 3, 2015
Sofie seems to have it all – the hottest guy in school and popular too – but she’s always been a loaner – single mom and not the cash other kids have – and when a teacher pairs her up with one of the smartest girls in school, Sofie begins to see, with the help of her class partner, that she’s smarter than she realized and that her new class partner may have more to offer her than she realized.
Because her new partner, Clea, aside from working hard in school also has a rep as a lesbian – and when Clea tells her she is going on a road to trip down to Portland to look at schools for next year, Sofie decides to go along as well.
And this turns out to be a life changing decision – she and Clea get invited to a wild party and they go as close friends – it’s about then that Sofie sees she really wants not only to do something with her life so she’ll pull up her grades, but she sees that maybe she and Clea are
closer than they thought.
Read this enticing page turner that everyone, young and old, should read, of how one person discovers her true self – you will learn a lot about life about yourself and others.
Because her new partner, Clea, aside from working hard in school also has a rep as a lesbian – and when Clea tells her she is going on a road to trip down to Portland to look at schools for next year, Sofie decides to go along as well.
And this turns out to be a life changing decision – she and Clea get invited to a wild party and they go as close friends – it’s about then that Sofie sees she really wants not only to do something with her life so she’ll pull up her grades, but she sees that maybe she and Clea are
closer than they thought.
Read this enticing page turner that everyone, young and old, should read, of how one person discovers her true self – you will learn a lot about life about yourself and others.
May 31, 2015
Before I start this, let me explain the situation. I'm reading about 10 other books and I get this email from Netgalley asking about reading and reviewing this one. I dropped everything else I was reading, because I do what I want, and started reading this one.
After first, I wasn't sure how I feel about it or what to expect. Sofie was so ... superficial. And I don't mean to judge, but people like that frustrate me. I was interested, but it wasn't clicking. I was really hoping something would pick up.
And it did... once Clea is introduced.
Being able to read as a young adult experiences the realization that she is attracted to someone of the same sex and the consequences that come from admitting it to those around her, it was both heart breaking and exciting. I enjoyed the romance aspect and how the characters change throughout the story. Even if it was totally cheesy.
I highly recommend this book. It has feels, romance, an obsessive use of the letter u in words that totally don't contain the letter u, and I adored it.
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/f...
After first, I wasn't sure how I feel about it or what to expect. Sofie was so ... superficial. And I don't mean to judge, but people like that frustrate me. I was interested, but it wasn't clicking. I was really hoping something would pick up.
And it did... once Clea is introduced.
Being able to read as a young adult experiences the realization that she is attracted to someone of the same sex and the consequences that come from admitting it to those around her, it was both heart breaking and exciting. I enjoyed the romance aspect and how the characters change throughout the story. Even if it was totally cheesy.
I highly recommend this book. It has feels, romance, an obsessive use of the letter u in words that totally don't contain the letter u, and I adored it.
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/f...
May 6, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest reveiw This is the story of two girls trying to find themselves and find love. Sophie is a beautiful girl dating the high school soccer star. She thinks she is in love with him, but his kisses fail to move her the way they should. Clea is a straight A student and the only openly gay female at school. These two are paired up for an English assignment. At first Sophie want to try to get out of the assignment because she is worried she will bring Clea's grade down. They stay English partners, then began a friendship. Sophie invites herself along on a weekend trip with Clea, who is going to Portland to check out a college. On the trip, Sophie realizes her feeling towards Clea are more than friendly. This story tackles serious issues like coming out in high school, coming out to your parents, bullying of LGBT teens. This book handles these issues and more with respect. I found I couldn't put the book down and wanted to keep reading to find out what happens. I really enjoyed this book.
February 8, 2016
During the years I worked as the Teen Librarian at Pawtucket PL, I became aware of high interest/low reading level titles for teens. For kids who have difficulty reading, it's great to have these books on the shelf. Most titles I acquired for the collection there were published by Orca. This one is from Lorimer and I was given this copy at the ALA Midwinter by a rep at their booth. At less than 200 pages, it's a great size for offering to reluctant readers. A high school girl who finds herself attracted to a female classmate is depicted realistically with the usual high school drama. Social media taunting, in school harassment and typical dating jealousy. This is a title I will offer to teens here.
April 6, 2015
Very well written and this book has a tentative and sweet feeling to it.
From the first chapter, you can feel the lack of passion between Paul and Sofie - its almost sad to read. Yet, it is an interesting and necessary prelude to Sofia slowly questioning herself and her lack of sexual feelings for this amazing guy.
The Clea character is actually fun to read about. She is bossy and direct and appears to have it all figured it out - perfect contrast to Sofia.
Again, these books are fairly short, so I would have liked de development to be set up slowly, but, in the end, the author does an excellent job of showing us the struggle Sofia feels.
Very well done.
From the first chapter, you can feel the lack of passion between Paul and Sofie - its almost sad to read. Yet, it is an interesting and necessary prelude to Sofia slowly questioning herself and her lack of sexual feelings for this amazing guy.
The Clea character is actually fun to read about. She is bossy and direct and appears to have it all figured it out - perfect contrast to Sofia.
Again, these books are fairly short, so I would have liked de development to be set up slowly, but, in the end, the author does an excellent job of showing us the struggle Sofia feels.
Very well done.
July 16, 2016
Not the best book I've read this year, but not the worst. The writing is quite stiff and I feel like teenagers don't really act like that today. When I intially read the book I was annoyed by the title character sudden realization and self-acceptance of her queerness, but than I reminded myself that coming out experiences are not monolith. I also like that unlike a lot of LGBTIAQ+ teen romances, or a lot of teen romances in general, the central conflict in the later part of the book didn't necessarily stem from romance drama or drama about the characters' queerness, but from more petty drama between the protagonist and the antagonist.
January 13, 2016
It is a short story about three teenagers, a straight guy who was the boyfriend of a 17 year old girl, now attracted by another girl, and wondering if she is gay. I did not like the indifference with which she dumped her boyfriend, nor the passion she feels for Clea. Sofie is quite young and does not know what she wants. The only interest of the book could be to prevent some bashing of gays but the lightness the girls prone won't be in their favor.
What it tells you is that in 94 pages, you can write a long short story, but not make a portrait of teens. Not enough depth.
What it tells you is that in 94 pages, you can write a long short story, but not make a portrait of teens. Not enough depth.
April 11, 2015
Received an ARC from NetGalley.
Story was easy to read but I thought that the important story elements were underdeveloped. Especially near the end, the problem was resolved in one page before it was allowed to fully develop. Overall, a decent story for the YA set on this issue, but the lack of depth keeps the story from becoming great.
Story was easy to read but I thought that the important story elements were underdeveloped. Especially near the end, the problem was resolved in one page before it was allowed to fully develop. Overall, a decent story for the YA set on this issue, but the lack of depth keeps the story from becoming great.
May 29, 2015
I was invited to review this book by the publishers from NetGalley. I hadn't read the blurb for the book before I started it and happily sat down and read it in one sitting. The book is really a coming of age story with a twist from what is normally written and this tale features two girls. The books is easy to read and flows well.
June 13, 2015
A decent premise too lightly constructed. Everything happens too simply and with almost no thought or reflection. Lots of sudden revelations and snap decisions and actions without prelude or consequence. Decent characters and an okay premise but ultimately throwaway. I know it's hi/lo but those can be done well. This one isn't.
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May 31, 2015Because of my work on the Stonewall Book Award Committee, I cannot publicize my opinions regarding any book with LGBT themes. I may update these reviews after the announcement of the 2016 Stonewall Book Awards.
November 18, 2015
I was given this book at the AASL conference -- and what a delight. This lovely story shares a (Canadian) high school girl, facing the struggles of high school. Does she have everything she ever dreamed of... or is there something else she wants & needs from her future.
February 16, 2016
A light fast read and rather conventional, but a clean well-told story with some appealing characters.
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