Kirkus Review (May 15, 2007)

Six years after What My Mother Doesn't Know sizzled onto the scene, Sones returns to continue the story of teen sweethearts Sophie Stein and Robin Murphy. Her signature free-verse poems give class-loser Robin voice this time, allowing him to describe his feelings as Sophie's public acceptance of him makes her a social pariah; as he explores the physical and emotional roller-coaster of first love; as he remakes himself from outcast to one-of-the-cool-crowd when he audits a Harvard art class--and finds himself attracted to one of that cool crowd. The excruciatingly painful dynamics of the high-school in-crowd receive a thorough treatment, as does Robin's ambivalence with them: He recognizes Sophie's pain at her rejection by formerly close friends, but at the same time, he understands that this very rejection makes her need him all the more. Robin emerges as an appealingly flawed character whose desires--for love, for acceptance, for sex--will be instantly recognized by readers. If this offering lacks some of the intensity of its predecessor, it nevertheless provides both an opportunity to revisit two likable characters and the advantage of a fresh viewpoint. (Fiction/poetry. YA)
Publishers Weekly (June 18, 2007)

Returning with a sequel to the well- received What My Mother Doesn't Know, Sones delivers another engaging story about young love, this time from the boy's perspective. This free-verse novel opens with 14-year-old Robin worrying that he will soon be dumped by his girlfriend, Sophie (star of the previous book), who is being ostracized at school for dating 'the guy whose last name people use as a diss.' ('Let's face it./ I'm the type of guy/ who doesn't even have any buddies/ on my buddy list,' Robin says.) But Sophie is her own person and together they form a plan to rise above the derision by laughing at themselves. Robin is believable and endearing as he struggles to make sense of his devotion to his 'amazing girlfriend,' his nascent sexuality and his attraction to Tessa, a girl in his art class at Harvard who is refreshingly unaware that he is the butt of jokes at his high school. When Sophie catches him kissing Tessa, Robin has to do something dramatic to win her back. Concrete poems and comics punctuate the text, adding interest to the form. The author's fans will be delighted to have a new installment written with the same raw honesty and authentic voice as the original. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 12-up. (June) Copyright 2007 ( )

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

Sonya Sones, well-known for her novels in verse, has written a sequel to WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW. The sequel continues to follow the unlikely relationship between Robin and Sophie.

Robin Murphy is still amazed that the beautiful and popular Sophie Stein is actually his girlfriend. They are getting closer by the minute. Their great conversations are turning into some equally great make-out sessions, and Robin's mind is spinning 24/7.

Now that their relationship is out in the open, Robin and Sophie are noticing the reactions of those around them. Sophie's best-friends-forever are stopping her to question her sanity. They are openly asking her why she's spending time with a dweeb like Robin. All it seems to do is further cement their feelings for one another.

Adding an extra boost of confidence for Robin is the invitation to audit a college drawing class at Harvard. How many high school freshmen get a chance to sit in on a college-level art class? Robin is nervous as he enters the classroom the first night. His nervousness goes off the charts when he discovers the figures he'll be drawing are real, live, nude models. Concentrate on drawing when there's a gorgeous, naked woman mere feet in front of him?

Unaware of Robin's actual age, the college students admire his drawing skill and begin to involve him in their after class plans. These new friends and their honest acceptance are great confidence builders for Robin. But after each college class, he must return to the high school scene and reality the following day.

Fun, fast, and full of surprises, Sonya Sones has another hit with WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW. If you liked the first book, be ready for a long waiting list at your local library when word gets out about this one. ( )

Its really cute but you should read the first book. It’s romantic in parts. AHS/AF

Richie's Picks: WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones, Simon & Schuster BFYR, June 2007, ISBN: 0-689-87602-5
"And they don't need no friends.
As long as they gaze on Waterloo Sunset,
They are in paradise."
--The Kinks, "Waterloo Sunset," the best song Ray Davies ever composed and performed.

"As Soon as School Gets Out

Sophie runs up to me at the goalpost.
And when we kiss,
her lips on mine are like CPR ---
breathing the life right back into me...

When we finally pull apart,
Sophie says, 'We can't let them beat us, Robin.
They'll get tired of it, tired of us.
And then they'll stop.'

'What makes you so sure?' I ask.
But before she even has a chance to answer,
I say, 'Wait. Let me guess --
sometimes you just know things, right?'

Sophie grins at me and punches my arm.
'Exactly,' she says..."

There are relatively few books published as far back as 2001 that I continue to booktalk on a regular basis. As the years and the presentations go by, I am constantly adding exciting new books to the hundred-pound rolling suitcase library that follows me around from school to school. It is generally the kid-tested, proven winners that remain in the mix for more than a year or two.

The 2001 verse novel, WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones, has steadfastly remained part of my middle school booktalking repertoire for good reason. Middle school students love Sophie's lyrical tale of her crushes, her friends, her relationship with her parents, and her innermost thoughts. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW has won readers choice awards in a whole pile of states. In fact, it recently won the Iowa Teen Award for grades 6-9, receiving the kind of adoration that the top tier presidential candidates can only dream of attracting in next year's caucuses.

But -- from my guy point of view -- the long-awaited sequel is even better. Sonya Sones does an amazing job here of capturing the formative adolescent male mind in all its...err...splendor.

"Before We Leave

I call back my parents
to tell them where I'm going.

Because if they called the house
and I didn't pick up the phone,
and then they tried my cell
but they couldn't get through
because Verizon sucks so bad,
they'd probably call Mrs. Jeffries again,
not to mention the local police and the F.B.I

And my picture would be on
every milk carton in the country
before Sophie and I even got back to the house.

So I tell them I'm going to the museum,
but I don't tell them
that Sophie's going with me,
and that afterwards,
we're gonna be here alone together
for hours and hours
before her mother comes to pick her up.

Because not telling someone something,
when someone's not even asking,
is not the same thing as lying. Is it?

Besides,
I don't have to tell my parents
about every single thing
that's going on in my personal life.

In fact, I don't have to tell them
about anything that's going on
in my personal life.

That's why they call it
personal."

WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW is told from the point of view of Robin Murphy who, in the first book, we know simply as "Murphy." Robin, like Sophie, is now a high school freshman.

"Though nothing will drive them away,
We can beat them just for one day.
We can be heroes just for one day." --David Bowie

Robin Murphy is a kid who has long been the butt of cruel jokes. In fact, his name "Murphy" has become a synonym among kids for being a fool, a dork, a klutz, a whatever, as in "Don't be such a Murphy!" But then Sophie, having seen something in Murphy that everyone else has missed, decides to go with her instincts and her heart and lets nature take its course. As a result of her daring to be seen publicly with him, Sophie is ostracized by her friends and subjected to the same sort of abuse by her peers that Robin has been dealing with for a long time. And, now that he's upset the social order, everyone's participation in dumping on Robin is ratcheted up a few more notches.

But WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW goes far beyond the bullying theme and far beyond the "us versus them" theme. At its core this is a joyful and a hopeful book, not an angry one. Sonya Sones treats us to the sweet, often humorous, and --to a guy's mind -- oftentimes perplexing emotional evolution of a relationship.

"When you reach the part where the heartaches come,
The hero would be me.
But heroes often fail."
--Gordon Lightfoot, "If You Could Read My Mind"

And, most importantly, it is Robin Murphy this time whose innermost thoughts are revealed.

Robin's being such a sensitive, artistic kid, one with a great heart, provides the perfect counterweight to the author's candor in revealing this young adolescent's upwelling of male sexuality.

This is going to make for a heck of a discussion book and, as with Sophie's story, a book that will undoubtedly be spoken of enthusiastically between kids. Woe is the middle school or high school librarian who doesn't figure on having a couple of copies of this one in the collection.

Richie Partington
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
Moderator, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
http://www.myspace.com/richiespicks ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 8-12

Plot Summary: Sophie chose Robin Murphy, the biggest "loser" at their school over her friends. Told in verse from Robin's perspective, the reader gets into a 14-year-old boys mind as he thinks about his status on the social totem pole (people use his last name as an insult), getting to second base, and the nude models he draws in a Harvard art class he's auditing.

Setting: Boston, MA

Characters: Robin, 14 years old
Sophie, Robin's girlfriend
Tessa, Harvard student
Grace and Rachel, Sophie's friends

Recurring Themes: bullying, popularity, classic rock, art, expressing emotions, relationships

Controversial Issues: This book is told from a teen boys point of view, and his thoughts are not "pure." However, he respects girls when they say stop. Robin also gets drunk from jello shots at a party with his friends from Harvard but he doesn't realize what he's drinking/eating, and he faces consequences (being sick and having a hangover), though his parents don't realize he's drunk when they pick him up.

Personal Thoughts: I really enjoyed this well-written book. I thought it was humorous, insightful, and honest.