What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

A couple of months ago I came across a list of YA books that were written in verse. I had actually already read this one and it magically showed up in the used book sale at the library. I couldn't help but read it again.

This is a really cute book about Sophie, a girl who has a father who works a lot and a mother who is addicted to television. She feels disconnected from her parents and even, I would say, weighed down by all of the things she wants to say to them. But even though she feels so disconnected, she wants to reach out to her mother. There is so much that she doesn't tell her that she really wants to tell her. She wants her mother to be a part of her life but she is also afraid of becoming her mother.

All of this family stuff happens in the background while Sophie goes through three boys. The first is her first love and her first heart break. The second she adores until he refuses to say anything to his mother about using Jew as a negative slang word. Suddenly, he doesn't seem so awesome. Then she re-meets Robin, a boy who is the butt of everyone's joke, an outcast at school, and finds that he is perfect for her. The only problem is, how does she tell her friends that she loves the class nerd?

This is a light, fun read. The first time I read it, I remember thinking that it was pretty vapid but this time I caught on to a lot more of what was going on. I laughed, commiserated, and cringed in all of the right places.

Do you like books in verse? I really think that I do. I have been playing with writing one for about a month now and I love the freedom that the style gives me. Being able to narrow into one topic at a time is a lot of fun and a lot different than writing actual prose. I like to read it too. It's just a completely different experience. Fast and refreshing. What do you think?