"Flipped" by Wendelin Van Draanen, a 212-page work of fiction, was a book that I really enjoyed. It took me only a week to finish reading it after starting on May 2nd. The author, who is currently alive, was born on January 6 in Chicago, IL and goes by the name Wendelin Van Draanen.
Wendelin Van Draanen has had diverse job experiences, including being a forklift operator on construction sites, teaching high school computer classes, and performing as a rock band singer. During her childhood, she was an adventurous tomboy who enjoyed outdoor pursuits until later in life when she decided to pursue writing. Her interests include reading, running, and listening to rock music. Van Draanen finds inspiration from the past, future aspirations and the desire for happy endings. Among her favorite foods are spicy Mexican dishes and dark chocolate; her pr
...eferred clothing attire consists of sneakers, shorts and sweatshirts with emerald green having a hint of midnight blue being her favorite color combination.
Flipped is a novel that narrates the story of Bryce Loski and Julianna Baker's encounter during second grade when Bryce became Julianna's new neighbor. Initially hesitant about befriending Julianna who attempts to introduce herself to him often he accidentally grabs her hand while trying to push away from her.
Both Julianna and Bryce have different perspectives on what happened in the past. Julianna believed that Bryce held her hand intentionally, developing a crush on him. But Bryce never meant for the accident to occur. Despite being in the 7th grade together, Julianna still had feelings for Bryce while he avoided her and her emotions. However, in the 8th grade, the tables turned. Juliann
lost her feelings for Bryce due to his lack of care and attention towards her throughout their lives, while he started developing feelings towards her. In their school, there existed a tradition known as "Basket Boys," where girls voted for the top 20 guys who were considered cute. The winning guys had to dress in fancy clothes and prepare a picnic basket lunch.
The tradition was for the winner of the bid to have lunch with the person they bid on. Bryce Loski was one of the top 20 guys picked, although he was not pleased about it. Despite his reluctance, he dressed up and brought lunch for the girl who would win. During the bidding ceremony, Bryce was bid on the highest with $122.50, which made him the most popular guy of the event. He ended up with two of the hottest girls in school. However, his jealousy kicked in when he saw Julianna eating lunch with his friend Tom, and she bid on Tom instead of him. In an attempt to make her jealous and prove himself, he grabbed Julianna and tried to kiss her. But Julianna was quick to react and turned away before he could kiss her.
After school ended, Julianna avoided Bryce while he tried to get her attention to no avail. However, Bryce discovered Julianna's love for trees and planted one in her backyard, taking care of it with the same level of love and care he had for her. Witnessing his nurturing nature towards the tree, Julianna saw a different side of Bryce and decided to give him another chance.
"Flipped" impressed me with its humorous and romantic portrayal of the
characters' feelings towards each other as they matured throughout middle school. The book's setting also caught my attention. I am excited to read more books by Wendelin Van Draanen, whose writing captures the essence of middle school life. I would give this book a full rating of 10 because it kept me engaged and eager to learn more.
