Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Graduation offers the promise of the future, but that same future offers the promise of uncertainty and fear. Three friends are about to graduate. They have plans. There are the plans made with the support and dreams of their families. There is the secret plan known only to the three of them, of an escape to California. And then, there are the separate plans, sometimes made privately, even subconsciously.

Boy - Larry is smart, but he's also gay. His friends understand, but others - not so much. Struggling to be sure he really is what he is takes up most of Larry's time and effort. Maybe California would answer his questions. Maybe not ...

Girl - Teresa is a straight student, but she struggles with issues from the past. She's never totally understood why her mother left her. Doesn't a girl need a mother? Her father is too busy with his "Tiny Town" hobby project in the basement to really understand what she needs. Her friends understand her pain. Maybe California would offer her a fresh start. Maybe not ...

Boy - Elliot is going to play ball for U of I. It's his father's dream. Elliot's dream is being a butcher in his father's store. Since he is not the student that his friends are, the academic side of college scares Elliot. Maybe going to California would take U of I out of the picture. Maybe not ...

Koertge tells his story from alternating viewpoints, allowing readers to see into the minds and fears of the trio. The struggle to understand one's life in the past, present, and future is reflected in Larry, Teresa, and Elliot. There is something for everyone in BOY GIRL BOY. ( )

Grade Levels: 9-12 Category: Realistic Fiction

Read Alouds: pp. 1-10 (meet Elliot); 11-15 (meet Teresa); 16-19 (meet Larry); 74-84 (Larry harassed by Billy); 116-124 (after Larry’s “accident”); 158-164 (last chapter)

Summary: Three best friends and high school seniors; Elliot, Teresa, and Larry, decide to leave their small town and move to California after they graduate. Each has their own issue to deal with. Elliot is the handsome wonderjock, but he knows he’d rather be a butcher than flunk out of college. Teresa is a genius who mourns the fact her mom ran away while her father hides in the basement with his miniature hobby version of their town. Larry is gay. As the novel progresses the three discover that maybe they can live without each other.

Themes: Larry’s sexuality drives a lot of the plot of this book. First of all, he is a very non-stereotypical character (which I think adds strength to the story line); one of his two best friends is Elliot, the golden boy of the basketball court and high school hunk. We get to experience each of the main characters’ (Elliot, Teresa, and Larry himself) reactions when Larry discovers he is gay. We also get to experience their reactions when he is beaten nearly to death. These experiences show how their friendship transcends the idea of “boy girl boy.” Another major issue in the book is how the kids and parents relate to one another. It seems that Elliot and Larry’s parents expect their children to be something they really aren’t. And it seems as if Teresa’s parents are absent. Her mother has run out on her and her dad. Her dad retreats to his fantasy world in the basement and only emerges when it looks as if Teresa has disappeared. This is reassuring, as it lets us know that despite his preoccupation; he does love his daughter.

Discussion Questions:
Why is the pasture so important to Elliot, Teresa, and Larry? What does the housing development there signify?
How do Elliot, Teresa and Larry react to Larry discovering that he is gay?
Describe the relationship each of the main characters has with his or her parents.
Do you think the drug use in this book is portrayed in realistic manner? What would the story be like without it? Does it affect the plot?

Reader Response:
This is a wonderful book about friendship and how friendships change and grow over time. I loved that. What I hated was that these characters seemed to smoke a lot of weed. Looking over the story, I don’t think that was really necessary to plot (unlike in the book, Stoner & Spaz also by Koertge, where a main character ODs). The main story lines could have easily been written and had the same impact without all the pot smoking. I think the superficial usage of marijuana in this book could send the wrong message to kids. ( )

Three troubled high school seniors, who plan to run away together from Illinois to California after graduation, try to figure out who they are who they want to be. ( )

http://interactivereader.blogspot.com... ( )

This book read really quickly. It was a decent coming of age story about three friends who've known each other forever. Not something I'd be dying to read again, or recommend to everyone. ( )