Two distinct, thoroughly likable voices emerge in Van Draanen's (the Sammy Keyes series) enticing story, relayed alternately by eighth graders Bryce and Juli. When Juli moved in across the street from Bryce, just before second grade, he found the feisty, friendly girl overwhelming and off-putting, and tried to distance himself from her but then eighth grade rolls around. Within the framework of their complex, intermittently antagonistic and affectionate rapport, the author shapes insightful portraits of their dissimilar families. Among the most affecting supporting characters are Bryce's grandfather, who helps Juli spruce up her family's eyesore of a yard after Bryce makes an unkind remark about the property, and Juli's father, a deep-feeling artist who tries to explain to his daughter how a painting becomes more than the sum of its parts. Juli finally understands this notion after she discovers the exhilaration of sitting high in a beloved tree in her neighborhood ("The view from my sycamore was more than rooftops and clouds and wind and colors combined"). Although the relationship between Bryce's grandfather and his own family remains a bit sketchy, his growing bond with Juli is credibly and poignantly developed. A couple of coincidences are a bit convenient, but Van Draanen succeeds in presenting two entirely authentic perspectives on the same incidents without becoming repetitious. With a charismatic leading lady kids will flip over, a compelling dynamic between the two narrators and a resonant ending (including a clever double entendre on the title), this novel is a great deal larger than the sum of its parts. Ages 10-14. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 6-10-Julianna, one of those most unconventional innocents who forges ahead through life regardless of not fitting in, worships her new good-looking and conventional neighbor, Bryce, from the day he moves in. The inauspicious beginning of their relationship at age seven is told and retold from the perspective of both in this audio version of the book by Wendelin Van Draanan (Knopf, 2001). With outstanding narration by Andy Paris in Bryce's chapters and Carine Montbertrand in Julianna's chapters, listeners can grow with the two children until we find them in eighth grade, a time of many changes. Bryce has come to look at his family and father in a new way, and Julie has also experienced seeing her family and its situation through the lens of greater maturity and experience. Bryce grows to see his pesky and un-cool neighbor in a new and very positive way just as Julianna develops a determination to continue on her own path without ever connecting with Bryce, complicating the potential for romance. Still, the story's major events are told from a dual perspective, and listeners are treated to readings with a great deal of emotional depth. This believable story has many humorous as well as touching scenes, making it lively and engaging. It shows characters developing an understanding of the adults around them in very positive ways. The book's simple but attention-getting cover illustration is repeated on the cassette package, and each tape includes a chapter listing on the label. Any collection for teen and older preteen readers will find this an appealing addition, especially as it focuses on accepting and valuing the inner person over outer superficialities.-Jane P. Fenn, Corning-Painted Post West High School, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Ever since second grade, Juli and Bryce have had one thing in common: JuliÆs affections for Bryce are as unyielding as BryceÆs efforts to evade them.áThen in eighth grade, the roles are reversed, as Bryce begins to open his eyes to the truth about those around him.áJuli and Bryce's individual viewpoints--presented in alternating, first-person chapters--are adeptly portrayed in this tale of maturation and first love. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Proof that the course of pubescent love never runs smooth. When Bryce and Julianna (Juli) meet, they are both seven and Bryce has just moved in across the street. For Juli, it is love at first sight: "The day I first met Bryce Loski, I flipped. Honestly, one look at him and I became a lunatic. It's his eyes." As far as Bryce is concerned, the feeling is definitely not mutual: "All I've ever wanted is for Juli Baker to leave me alone. For her to back off-you know, just give me some space." Six years after their meeting, Bryce is something of a judgmental priss (just like his father), and Juli is full of passion and enthusiasm for life. But in their eighth-grade year, Juli's fight to save an old tree from being cut down causes Bryce to look at Juli with growing admiration-just at the same time that Juli finally realizes that Bryce's character does not measure up to his eyes. The story is told in both voices, in alternating chapters that develop from a sort of "he said, she said" dialogue into an exploration of perception, misapprehension, and context. Van Draanen (Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy Mystery, 2000, etc.) deftly manages the difficult task of establishing and maintaining the reader's sympathy with both characters. The text stretches credibility in a couple of ways, especially with the premise that a seven-year-old is capable of a long-lasting romantic infatuation. It is, nevertheless, a highly agreeable romantic comedy tempered with the pointed lesson (demonstrated by the straining of Bryce's parents' marriage) that the "choices you make now will affect you for the rest of your life." (Fiction. 10-14)

Gr. 5-8. The author of the popular Sammy Keyes mysteries proves herself just as good at writing a charming romance. From the moment seven-year-old Bryce moves into the neighborhood, Julianna is enthralled: "It's his eyes . . . they're dazzling." Bryce, on the other hand, is horrified. In typical second-grade boy fashion, he believes that "All I've ever wanted is for Juli Baker to leave me alone." Six years later, however, the two have flipped: now Bryce is enthralled with Juli's uniqueness, and Juli is repulsed by Bryce's selfish immaturity. Told in alternate chapters from each teen's perspective, this is a wry character study, a romance with substance and subtlety. Juli gradually learns the painful lesson that she must look beyond gorgeous eyes and popularity. Bryce slowly realizes his grandfather's wisdom: "Every once in a while you'll find someone iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare." Both teens realize that standing up for what--and whom--they believe can be a difficult challenge, one faced best with true friends and close family. --Frances Bradburn