Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story by Various Authors

Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story by Various Authors

Release Date: December 28, 2011
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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What do guys and girls really think? 

Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he said/she said" stories-he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches us that relationships are complicated because there are two sides to every story.

An anthology of stories is always hard to review. I've only read one or two, but I've got to say– this is the probably the most original one up to date. I can't believe it hasn't been done before. Or at least, I think it hasn't.
Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story is one heck of a emotional roller coaster. It features stories from James Howe, Ellen Wittlinger, Chris Crutcher, Kelly Milner Halls (who's also editor), Terry Davis, Rebecca Fjelland Davis, Rita Williams-Garcia, Terry Trueman, Joseph Bruchac, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Sara Ryan, Randy Powell.


The first story, Love or Something Like It / Some Things Never Change, was about a jock falling for a girl who lives on the dangerous side. In this story, I liked the guy's view much better, because he's the sweet, great-natured jock, and I just happen to have a soft-spot for those kind of people. The girl's view was much more interesting, but I didn't like her character at all, and thought that she was a player from the start.


Falling Down to see the Moon / Mooning Over Brken Stars, was about an artistic boy falling for a Native American Basketball player. I found this story very cute, I loved how the story progresses, although at first it was a little confusing. Both sides were very good– as both characters were good, I found reading both enjoyable to read.


Want to Meet / Meeting for Real is about a gay boy chatting online, trying to find love. Enter Alex, the girl that changes everything. In this story, I loved both sides as well, but I found that the girl's side of the story was much more interesting, as it added more background and had a stronger foundation.


In No Clue, aka Sean / Sean + Raffina, racial difference is explored. We have the African-American girl and the white boy who both fall in love. I loved this story because two different backgrounds come together, both characters were loveable, and the whole inner conflict worked well in this story.


Another story which had racial and different upbringings was Mouths of the Ganges / Mars at Night. It's a story about a Bangladeshi boy growing up in Iowa and his experience having a girlfriend (who's white) who loves him back. I was kind of skeptical about this story, and found it somewhat difficult to understand in some places. I liked the idea though, the basis of where this story came from. I thought that it drifted to far away from the plot at times and some questions were left unanswered in the end.


The last story, Launchpad to Neptune was confusing at first, but then ends with quite a shocking twist. The story was different, I love how it builds up with flashbacks and the present alternating, and since it was one story, I liked the change in perspectives when the time change occurred. A very original and captivating story.


Overall, Girl Meets Boy is one anthology that has everything for everybody, no matter who you are. New love, heartbreak and change– all told magnificently in a very different concept, using the he-said, she-said idea. This collection of stories will enthrall readers– both teens and adults.

**Thank you so much to Chronicle Books for sending Girl Meets Boy for review!**

If you like this, try...

• If I Tell by Janet Gurtler ◆ Goodreads
• Kiss by Jacqueline Wilson ◆ Goodreads
• M or F? by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tebbetts ◆ Goodreads
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith ◆ Goodreads

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