An article about efforts to ban this book in Oklahoma: http://www.examiner-enterprise.com/ar...

My response: I can't claim to be shocked that this book was challenged, since it does deal with teenage girls questioning and discovering their sexuality, but as always I'm disappointed when people choose to bury their heads in the sand rather than accepting that people are different, and choosing to recognize a book that deals with real issues in a sensitive and realistic manner.

I thought that Johnson approached her subject matter in an interesting way. Rather than just focusing on the one character who winds up coming out, and her struggle to come to terms with her own sexuality, Johnson sets her story within a group of 3 girls. When one of the girls goes away for the summer before their senior year of high school, the other two find themselves in a "more than friends" situation. Johnson sympathetically relates the story of any two people who try to negotiate going from being friends to having a romantic relationship, and possibly back again. Teenagers can definitely relate to this story, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Added to that well-drawn story, Johnson also gives us the third girl in the triangle, who comes home from her summer away and finds herself in the middle of the complicated relationship of her two best friends, while at the same time dealing with issues surrounding her own new long-distance relationship.

One criticism I have is that the characters weren't all that well-drawn. I had trouble at the beginning distinguishing the three main characters, and even after I could remember who was who, they all seemed a little fuzzy around the edges. None of the secondary characters were particularly clear either. In a book that is largely character driven, I wanted to get a better sense of the characters outside of the particular conflicts they were facing. ( )

I've read every Maureen Johnson book, I am proud to say. I always turn to her books or her blog when I'm feeling down, because her work is medicine for the soul. The Bermudez Triangle is one of the best Johnson books (right up there with Devilish and Suite Scarlett.) And, though I've read quite a few young adult LGBT novels, I would probably choose The Bermudez Triangle as my favorite if it came down to it. A few people have told me that they found it a bit average. I think The Bermudez Triangle is one of those books that came along at the right time in my life. And I want to talk about what struck me about it.

And I’m sorry of this review is a bit stream-of-conscious.

The thing I love most about Maureen Johnson novels is the atmosphere that she manages to invoke. The Bermudez Triangle, though, would get my vote for Most Atmospheric. And though it is labeled as an LGBT novel the true focus of the story is the friendship of three girls: Nina, Mel, and Avery.

I love these girls. They were the kind of characters that became your friends through the course of the story. They had their own quirks, their own hopes and concerns and their own trials and tribulations to deal with. The descriptions of the world they live in are fresh and familiar. (The weird people you knew in high school? All of the issues big and small that consumed your world? They’re all there.)

The other character I came to love was the sweet and witty Parker. He was what tied the story together and put a bow on top.

Now onto the book itself.

The book goes through the course of a normal school year and is divided into section by holidays. (St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.) The point of view rotates among Nina, Mel, and Avery who are each dealing with their own problems. Each girl provides a unique perspective of story events which is something that I love to find in a book.

I can’t really pinpoint a favorite part of the book since I love so much of it. Plus I wouldn’t want to accidentally give anything away. I can say, though, that my copy is marked up with dozens of colorful annotation flags—these are mostly witty lines, which this book is chock full of.

And despite what the description might suggest, it’s not a teen melodrama. (This was the first impression I got.) It’s also not a book that’s trying too hard to be spectacular or glamorous. It’s truthful, for lack of a better word, and that’s what made me love it so much.

This book has been challenged in a few places, which is a shame. I want to show my full support of The Bermudez Triangle with this review: not only does it belong in library and bookstore shelves, it belongs in your hands right now. Happy reading. ( )

I really enjoyed this novel. I laughed, I cried! I don't think there is enough fiction out there dealing with homosexual relationships for teens, and this is a good one. Three girls have been best friends forever; when one goes to a college program for the summer, the other two share a kiss. Maureen Johnson shows the complexities of teen relationships - friendly and romantic, gay and straight - realistically and well. Recommended. ( )

http://books.moonsoar.com/archives/20... ( )

This was a very refreshing change in the YA books I have been reading lately. I have been reading a lot of Fantasy (which I love) but this was a complete 180 from those books that I didn't know I would like so much. There was a good mix of romance, coming of age story and controversial issue to really grab my interest.

It tells the story of young girls falling in love for the first time, the changing dynamics between friends and the usual fear of what others think of them. The difference that I liked was that the romance develops between two of a trio of best friends. Mel, who is completely sure that she prefers girls to boys and falls completely in love and Avery, who is confused about her feelings and doesn't want anyone to know about her "relationship". The third friend, Nina, who is away for the summer when this all comes about, is surprised but supportive and yet feels a bit left out.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and likable, very sympathetic. The story line was refreshingly new to me and quite interesting. I really liked the way Maureen Johnson addressed the girls' discovery of their sexuality. The book showed a teen coming to terms with being gay in a very real and sensitive way. Definitely a must read. ( )