Teacher's review of YA fiction Sooner or Later by Bruce and Carole Hart.

(C)2/22/2017

This is a teacher'r review and includes a critique, a summary, and activity ideas for tying the book to experience for students. Being a literature, writing, and reading teacher for teens and young adults for more than 17 years, I have written a lot of book reviews this way.
Summary
Jessie Walters deceives a 17 year old boy when she meets him for the first time. The deception is compounded by her mature appearance, and the lies 13 year old Jessie tells. Jessie must reveal her deception to Michael, but will he ever forgive her?

Critique
Oh wow! This book really was awesome. The voice the authors used is so sincere and genuine. Feelings come alive with vibrant details and fervent accuracy. It's hard not to fall in love with Jessie and Michael.

The author takes me back to the time I was a teenager and blue jeans were sky blue. Hair was teased and feathered, and bright colors popped out of clothes like rainbows pop out in a misty sky.

The authors write with a dream-like quality that captures the reader's imagination. Jessie is a typical girl, blundering through adolescence as she faces the reality of her place in the world. Her innocent crush is breathtaking and realistic. Teens will understand her feelings and realize the importance of honesty.

Great, clean fun.

Activity
This is a great choice for a teen book talk or discussion group. Topics would include dating practices, appearances, maturity, parental roles, intimacy, and even age of consent. Character development, sensory details, and narrative voice are all aspects of this novel worth analyzing with a literary group. While this story takes place in the 80's and early 90's, the experience is universal. Teens will enjoy sharing their own experiences with honesty and deception in the name of affection. Adults will reminisce.

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