2gether 4ever: Notes of a Junior High School Heartthrob

by Dene Larson

Love! Heartbreak! Homeroom! This collection of real junior high school love notes from an incorrigible recess Romeo captures the high drama, low gossip, and emotional rollercoaster ride of dozens of youthful romances. Intricately folded and secretively passed under desks in the 1970s -- to and from his best friend and his many, many girlfriends -- these notes lay bare the triumphs and tragedies of young love, from the thrilling promise of TLA (True Love Always) to the devastating letdown of "let's be friends" (with maybe a quick trip to Make Out City). Also included are a note-speak decoder ( Sorry So Sloppy) and a handy diagram for folding a triangunote -- the only way to pass notes to your beloved of the week. In the cynical era of the "elimidate," 2gether 4ever is a sweetly hilarious reminder of a time, and an age, when it was okay to wear your heart on your sleeve.

Genres: Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2004

About the author

Dene Larson broke hearts all over the U.S. & Canada. He now lives a stable romantic life in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love! Heartbreak! Homeroom! This collection of real junior high school love notes from an incorrigible recess Romeo captures the high drama, low gossip, and emotional rollercoaster ride of dozens of youthful romances. Intricately folded and secretively passed under desks in the 1970s -- to and from his best friend and his many, many girlfriends -- these notes lay bare the triumphs and tragedies of young love, from the thrilling promise of TLA (True Love Always) to the devastating letdown of "let's be friends" (with maybe a quick trip to Make Out City). Also included are a note-speak decoder (SSS: Sorry So Sloppy) and a handy diagram for folding a triangunote -- the only way to pass notes to your beloved of the week. In the cynical era of the "elimidate," 2gether 4ever is a sweetly hilarious reminder of a time, and an age, when it was okay to wear your heart on your sleeve.

So i thought this was going to be this amazingly cool real life story told in notes. But what it was is what I feared it would be, a one sided story. He basically told the whole story from one side of the story, the other peoples whom we has the notes from and their replies to the notes he sent. I was disappointed by that fact that you most of the time didn't have his side except on a few notes. It seemed like only bits and pieces of a bigger story was being played out in the book and I had a hard time putting any of the pieces together and knowing what was going on at any part of the book. But love the concept though and I have a book that's similar in style called The Notebook Girls and I hope it will be better then this one. My one other big complaint is that the notes were hard to read. Some where faded and written in pencil or just the simple fact of horrible penmanship. Either way it was hard to read some of them, I ended up taking a break in the middle of the book and read a different one for a while just so my brain didn't have to do as much work just having to comprehend the individual words. Even though the book is only 96 pages long it takes awhile longer to read then a normal 96 page book as its slower reading. If you don't mind those annoying facts, go ahead read it but if you have those pet peeves like I do, don't bother. I was seriously hoping for some much more with this book and was let down.

[Amanda Lucero · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this because I thought the premise was really cool. I could not make it through. I couldn't read many of the notes and there was really no continuity.

[Benjamin Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exclusively made of notes passed in middle school between a guy, his best friend, and the many ladies in their lives. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, always overwritten with that urgency and importance one only feels (or confesses to) when a teen.

An excerpt: " hate you! (I wish not.) (But I will always love you.) -Ann"

The thing that struck me is just how open these kids are about their feelings. They say things that as adults I think we keep to ourselves, not letting the rest of the world know we feel a certain way. Love, affection, fear, hatred. It's all there and they are not shy about anything—except maybe holding hands in public.

[Salsabrarian]

A collection of actual notes by and to the author when he was in junior high. Passed among him, his friend Charles and various girls, the book is a funny glimpse into the fickle, tumultuous and fumbling world of teen romance. The reprints of the actual notepaper with all the folds, smudges and crossouts give the reader furtive access to intimate and charged exchanges just as if they were sitting behind the notewriter himself. Teen spirit captured at its essence.

[Brooke Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good!!!It kinda felt like being in the story because it was based on being in a school/middle school but I recomend this book being a young adult book but anyways!!!!!!!!!!..........................People need to read this book it doesnt take much time at all soo i hope yall will love it like I loved it<3<3!!!!!!!!

[Yadira · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the book, it reminds me of when I was in middle school and there was a lot of drama going on.
I was kind of hard to read and to follow because there are a lot of characters and the notes aren't so clear.

[Reedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was cute, but lacked context, which might have been helpful. sometimes, it felt a little like looking at an album full of other people's pictures- you get it, and the universal elements, but it's not too interesting after a while.

[Rob Fisch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book. It's interesting to revisit the mind of grade schoolers as they attempt to understand love.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute. Good coffee table book. This guy saved all his little notes from junior high from girls and his friends and there is some funny stuff in it.

[Ibtihaj Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book

[Erik Swedlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

2Gether 4Ever: Notes of a Junior High School Heartthrob by Dene Larson (2004)

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book...it tells you what goes on in high school Jr. high and what drama goes on....girls...boys...school dances...stuff like that

[Amy Maynard:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

drama?? all i gotta say...

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

awkward and embarrassing - captures junior high perfectly.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. Notes that high schoolers have written back and forth to each other.
A blast from the past. Great idea for a Teen Program