Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Book Spotlight: FLIP & ROW80 Progress



Title: Flip
Author: Martyn Bedford
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: April 2011
Pages: 272


I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book to review.


Favorite Line/Passage: Alex dried himself clumsily, shaking so much he dropped the towel. His legs were hairier and more muscular, too, he noticed. When he went to pee, he had the next shock. Two shocks at once: a) pubes; b) size. No. No way. It'd be like holding another boy's thing for him while he peed. He did it sitting down, like a girl, hurriedly brushed his teeth and left the bathroom as quickly as he could so that he wouldn't have to look at himself in the mirror any longer.


DescriptionOne December night, 14-year-old Alex goes to  bed. He wakes up to  find himself in the wrong bedroom, in an unfamiliar house, in a different part of the country, and it's the middle of June. Six months have disappeared overnight. The family at the breakfast table are total strangers.
And when he looks in the mirror, another boy's face stares back at him. A boy named Flip. Unless Alex finds out what's happened and how to get back to his own life,  he may be trapped forever inside a body that belongs to someone else.  

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY + 1

My Splats: Flip is a story for the soul-searcher ~ anyone who's ever pondered what it's really like to me, myself, and I. And if the chance to be someone else presented itself, should and/or would you take it? It's a tale about courage and growth, finding one's true self and the layer beneath the daily grind to fit in and survive. 


The narration is engaging and thought-provoking, even charming at points, as the reader is introduced to fourteen-year-old Alex, who suddenly finds himself in another teenage boy's body that is nothing like his own. Said body belongs to a boy named Phillip or better known as Flip, who is more handsome, more muscular, more athletic, and definitely more popular--especially with the girls.


What teen wouldn't want to be a little more than average without doing the work him/herself?


Alex is likable from the first mention of his name. He's average ~ a teen in attitude, attire, and carefree spirit. He also has an honest quality about him that shines through. He's a thinker, a planner, a rational character. I enjoyed how Alex began questioning himself as Alex yet must react to his surroundings as Flip. Alex as Flip is thrown into a few scenarios that are unfamiliar to him, such as being on the lacrosse team and uh-hum, girls--which adds a spice of humor to the tale. 


The more the reader learns about Alex, watching him act and react to his situation, the more personal the story becomes. The reader empathizes with Alex and questions, "What would I do? What would I feel?" 


He'd love to go home, but that means leaving this body which just helped him get his first kiss. And how's he supposed to return to his body anyway? In trying to figure out Flip and what to do, Alex discovers himself and an inner strength he didn't know he had, which will be shortchanged if he doesn't find a way to flip back. As the story comes to its climax, Alex realizes how to flip the switch and maybe change back. But that could mean hurting the only person during this whole fiasco he's yet to meet ~ Phillip aka Flip. Can he do it?


The teen years are all about discovering who we are and who we want to be. But it's also about self-acceptance. Would we truly change who we are if given the chance? What would it mean if the me others knew was gone? 


There you have it. My review.


As far as my ROW80 Progress report, I'd like to elaborate more in my post on Friday. But why then don't you take a gander over to peek at what my wonderful Support Partners have been up to:  C.Lee McKenzieSusan Kaye Quinn, & Margo Berendsen.
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16 comments:

  1. Sounds like an intriguing book, even from the first paragraph. Thanks for sharing it.

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  2. This sounds great. Thanks for the review. I was hooked from the passage you posted, so thanks for adding something to my To Be Read pile!

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  3. great review, sounds like an intriguing tale - I know I often wanted to be somebody else (anybody else!) when I was fourteen.

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  4. Wow, I haven't heard of this book. Sounds good though.

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  5. I've not heard of this book but I sure want to add it to my wishlist! Thank you for the review.

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  6. I hadn't heard of this book, but it sounds like a really interesting story of self discovery.

    Good luck on your ROW80!

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  7. I remember hearing about this one a while back, glad to see its finally out! The concept is interesting.

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  8. I haven't heard of this book but your review convinced me I need to read it. Thanks. :)

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  9. I love good YA books. Thanks for sharing this one with us. It sounds great.

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  10. For another soul-searcher (and don't all writers have some element of that in them?) and someone who has thought how much easier life would be if you could just magic up a new body, this book sounds totally intriguing. Thanks for sharing, Sheri!

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  11. wow, this sounds like a really neat story. I loved your review- this kind of reminds me like a teenboy freaky friday. Very cool!

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  12. Oh, great review! I'm adding it to my TBR pile (which is propped up with several two-by-fours).

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  13. Sounds like an interesting twist on Freaky Friday. I hadn't heard of this title; thanks for the heads-up!

    Cinette
    http://cinettesmusings.blogspot.com

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  14. I take it you find out while reading WHY this happened...or at the very least where the heck those six months went. Otherwise, that could be highly frustrating. I like the teen boy/ Freaky Friday comparisons!

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  15. Well written review! The book definitely sounds interesting. Like others, it made me think of Freaky Friday, but maybe a more serious version.

    Tina @ Life is Good
    and I are joining forces in another challenge. We're going to visit and comment at each of the participants, starting with the reflections post. We hope you'll join us!

    Shannon @ The Warrior Muse

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