I read this book a looooong time ago when I was the librarian at Fairfield Community High School. I remembered that I liked it and that it was popular, but I had re-read so I could discuss it at ALA during the PPYA discussions this summer. John is one confused kid and his stream-of-consciousness narration is just as hectic as his thought process. He can't deal with his mom's boyfriend's beatings. John is physically and emotionally abused--his mom doesn't know, and John doesn't know what to do. He's showing all the signs of abuse at school, but when a teacher tries to reach out, John backs away. So, while this is a tale of John trying to understand girls like any fourteen-year-old, it's also about abuse. And, wow, it can be difficult to read at times.
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