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A review by siijayreads
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I guess I can say that I am not the same after reading this book. At the surface it seems like this story is all about the feels of having your first crush/love and experiencing a developing infatuation with someone at a young age riddled with early life as a kid and as a young teen, but beyond the surface, there are deeper underlying lessons interwoven within this story which is fitting considering how much the concept of looking more beneath the surface is one of my key takeaways while reading this.
What I love about this is that you don't have to necessarily reminisce about your first crush to relate to this, because it makes you reflect on the premise of human admiration in general and how quick we are to judge, admire, and perceive the outside as opposed to what's inside, because most of the time, there really is more to what meets the eye.
Aside from Juli's initial attraction to Bryce because of his looks, the juxtaposition of the Baker family compared to the Loski family is also one of the things that depict how easy we are to judge at a surface level. The Loski family seemed like the perfect family from the outside but even Bryce came to realize that something was up with their family dynamics, a thing that he only realized once he got to know Juli's family. Juli's family is the opposite. Despite their financial struggles and problems, they were there for each other. I felt so bad for Bryce as he was coming to this realization.
One of the highlights for me is Juli. She is undoubtedly the most genuine a person could get. She feels deeply for everyone and everything around her. She has such a beautiful way of experiencing life and it was a absolute heartwarming to see the world through her eyes. She and her sycamore tree have a soft spot in my heart. I didn't think a tree could have that much power to make me cry but it did. Bryce and Juli's alternating perspectives were very interesting to me because it shows how they perceive one another and their interactions and later on how the tables t̶u̶r̶n̶e̶d̶ flipped ;) for them. Once upon a time it wad Juli who can't get over Bryce, then all of a sudden, it was Bryce who can't stop thinking about Juli, meanwhile Juli is trying to move on from Bryce. I literally can't stop thinking abou them! They remind me how it feels like to have a crush on someone.
I echo the sentiments of most readers about the sequel. Funny thing is, I didn't give much thought to how this story will end until I was like halfway already through the book when I thought, this better have a happy ending *insert clown emoji* I watched the movie right after and I also enjoyed the movie, so much so that I cried at certain parts. Safe to say this has become one of my comfort book and movie <3
What I love about this is that you don't have to necessarily reminisce about your first crush to relate to this, because it makes you reflect on the premise of human admiration in general and how quick we are to judge, admire, and perceive the outside as opposed to what's inside, because most of the time, there really is more to what meets the eye.
Aside from Juli's initial attraction to Bryce because of his looks, the juxtaposition of the Baker family compared to the Loski family is also one of the things that depict how easy we are to judge at a surface level. The Loski family seemed like the perfect family from the outside but even Bryce came to realize that something was up with their family dynamics, a thing that he only realized once he got to know Juli's family. Juli's family is the opposite. Despite their financial struggles and problems, they were there for each other. I felt so bad for Bryce as he was coming to this realization.
One of the highlights for me is Juli. She is undoubtedly the most genuine a person could get. She feels deeply for everyone and everything around her. She has such a beautiful way of experiencing life and it was a absolute heartwarming to see the world through her eyes. She and her sycamore tree have a soft spot in my heart. I didn't think a tree could have that much power to make me cry but it did. Bryce and Juli's alternating perspectives were very interesting to me because it shows how they perceive one another and their interactions and later on how the tables t̶u̶r̶n̶e̶d̶ flipped ;) for them. Once upon a time it wad Juli who can't get over Bryce, then all of a sudden, it was Bryce who can't stop thinking about Juli, meanwhile Juli is trying to move on from Bryce. I literally can't stop thinking abou them! They remind me how it feels like to have a crush on someone.
I echo the sentiments of most readers about the sequel. Funny thing is, I didn't give much thought to how this story will end until I was like halfway already through the book when I thought, this better have a happy ending *insert clown emoji* I watched the movie right after and I also enjoyed the movie, so much so that I cried at certain parts. Safe to say this has become one of my comfort book and movie <3