Wendelin Van Draanen is the author of the SAMMY KEYES series, but if you are looking for a funny mystery, FLIPPED is not the book for you. This book is something totally different. FLIPPED does just what the title says; the story is told from two alternating viewpoints: the boy and the girl. It begins when they are 7 years old and ends when they are 13. And boy do they have a lot to learn about relationships and love! Juli learns that to-die-for blue eyes are not the best reason in the world to fall in love. Bryce learns that people who live in houses with dumpy yards might be cool people.

Bryce's first concern with Juli is definitely not her house. It's Juli herself. The girl won't leave him alone! She runs over while his family is still moving in, climbs into the moving van, and absolutely takes over. It's downhill all the way from there. Bryce runs through most of the book, sometimes literally, just to stay away from her.

And of course, Juli sees all this from an entirely different perspective. The guy needs help in life; she's more than happy to give it to him. Besides, his eyes make her feel weak all over. Sometimes, she just sits in her driveway and stares at his house, wondering why he won't come out.

Kids aren't the only ones in this book who have things to learn, either. So do parents. There's an eye-opener! And if you read it, you'll come to see things differently, yourself. Like, should you be honest or should you be polite? And what do appearances have to do with reality?

You'll want to read this book to find out what happens when everything flips and Bryce stops running from Juli and she starts running from him. Is there something more to Juli than a dumpy yard? Is Bryce nothing but a gorgeous pair of blue eyes? Are these two made for each other, or should they avoid each other like the plague?

   --- Reviewed by Tamara Penny