Robin Friedman

Reviewed by Marie Robinson for TeensReadToo.com

It is a rare occurrence for me to read a book all the way through in one sitting, yet that is exactly what happened with NOTHING. I could not put it down.

It is the story of a high school senior struggling with bulimia. What makes this story unique is that the bulimic student is a boy. As he struggles with his illness, his younger sister struggles with her own feelings of inadequacy. It's tough for her to be the kid sister of a shining star. Both show more Parker, age seventeen, and his sister, Danielle, age fourteen, narrate the story, which alternates between their voices. Parker writes in prose, while Danielle expresses herself through free verse. It sounds contrived, but it isn't. The result is a beautiful portrait of the very real pressures that teenagers face. It is a story that is human, touching, and real.

The alternating narrative provides not only perspective to Parker's situation that readers wouldn't see if he were the sole narrator, but it also deftly, carefully, almost imperceptibly shows the effects of Parker's illness on his family. This narrative device also helps provide a window into the causes of his bulimia. Lastly, the free verse in particular adds a sense of beauty and melancholy that helps the reader relate to these two souls in a way that brings them to life and depicts an authentic teenage experience.

Parker and Danielle's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rabinowitz, are good people. They love their kids. They want what is best for them. They try very hard to be good parents. And they fall into the trap that many parents fall into with their kids - they push too hard in the name of doing what's best. These characters are on the periphery of the story, but they are still real human beings.

Friedman also creates friends for Parker and Danielle who ring true. The girlfriend/boyfriend relationships of the older kids are realistic without being risqué. The reader doesn't get too close to them, but then, neither does Parker. It is an effective way to help the reader feel how isolated Parker and Danielle both feel.

There is a countdown that accompanies each change of narrative. This device shows the passage of time within the story, but also effectively elevates a sense of suspense. As the book begins, the reader is told that Parker's narrative takes place "88 days before." The closer the story gets to that fateful day, the more that Parker and his family fall further apart. His bulimia and anxiety accelerate, Danielle's angst and identity struggle worsens, Mr. Rabinowitz struggles with his own challenging health problems, and Mrs. Rabinowitz struggles to keep it all together. Parker's girlfriend struggles, too, with his ever-increasing emotional distance from her. Yet because the story is so layered with each of these issues, it is impossible to predict just what will happen at the story's climax.

NOTHING grabs you from page one, draws you into the lives of these characters, and does not let go, culminating in a finale that is as satisfying as it is hopeful. It is a beautiful book. show less

This story is a gripping portrayal of a life spiraling out of control. Parker's frank tone is coupled with free-verse poems from Danielle's point of view, giving us a complete picture of a family falling apart. Parker doesn't know how to ask for help and Danielle, who would help him, has no idea what's going on. Mom and Dad are clueless, especially when Mr. Rabinowitz becomes ill.

A Looking-for-Alaska-esque countdown starts on the first page with "88 days before" and helps move the action show more forward. As the countdown crept down to zero, I found myself racing through the pages to find out what was going to happen. Robin Friedman has created characters that I really cared about and I liked that we get two different perspectives. Parker's voice is urgent and raw while Danielle watches from the sidelines, resenting her brother at times, though she doesn't know what he's hiding. show less

My first thought while reading this was that its written in such a 'now' way that it didn't feel as if it was the early 1980's. Other then some topical news mentions, this book could have been set today (2009) instead of nearly 30 years ago. Robin Friedman mentions in a blurb in the back of the book that she purposely set the novel in the 80's for several reasons--1) because she grew up in the 80's, 2) to avoid the whole 'technology' evolution with new tech always being introduced and 3) the show more post 9/11 world makes any story set about Israel or the Middle East complex, so she wanted to show that at one time the complex was a little more simple.

I've never had to worry about not fitting in because of a difference in race or religious creed, it's just always been a matter of course for me to want to be different. The other girls didn't want to read, I did, so well guess I'll be different then. The need that Roxanne feels to be as American as possible--going as far as to change her name so it sounds more anglicized and devoting most of her free time to watching The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie and shows like that depicting what a 'true American' family or girl was supposed to be like...I've never felt that. But reading about her insecurities, her all-encompassing fear of being left behind and considered uncool, I could relate with those feelings. Who hasn't felt like that at one time or another? Even the most confident person has doubts--they might not show them, or admit them, but they do.

I wanted so much for Roxanne to be accepted, but like her, once I met Liat I began to see a different way for her to belong. She could be Israeli and American at the same time, melding the two cultures together to make a more complete version of who she was. I did question her common sense though, especially her taste in crushes. But that could easily be blamed upon her obsession with being 'All American'. I don't think her crush reflected badly on who she was, but rather who she wanted to be.

The book feels slow in some passages and in others too quick (such as Roxanne's change of heart), so that led to some uneven reading at times. Since this is told from Roxanne's first person POV in the present tense, we don't get a real sense of what others are thinking. I would have liked to know what Liat was thinking at times, because sometimes it felt like she was just putting up with Roxanne and other times as if she really cared. I think she was exasperated with her often, especially whenever Roxanne would make a silly or insensitive comment about their own customs.

The title itself refers to a certain hairstyle from that era, but also to Roxanne's change in attitude. 'Wings' was the quintessential meaning of being an All-American girl to Roxanne and she felt that having the hairstyle was the most important thing in the world to her. With one remark Liat gives her such a hard metaphorical slap in the face that I could feel the sting. I didn't blame Liat for that though--Roxanne's remark was careless and ill-timed given the events before.

All in all I enjoyed reading The Importance of Wings--it was a different style for me, a different author in fact, but I'm glad that I had this chance. Roxanne reminded me of myself more often then not when I was her age--so desperate to be anything but what and who I was, just to escape the uncomfortable realities of the world around me. show less

Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com

Nice guys don't always have to finish last.

In THE GIRLFRIEND PROJECT by Robin Friedman, Reed Walton is a slightly shy high school senior who understands his AP classes much better than girls. In fact, he's never had a girlfriend before in his life. But his best friends, Lonnie and Ronnie, have decided that this year is going to be different. They have put together a 'girlfriend project' with the ultimate goal of finding a girlfriend for Reed. It show more doesn't hurt that over the summer Reed has grown taller, gotten his braces off, and the girls at his school now think he is smokin' hot!

Reed is pleasantly surprised by this change in attitude that the girls have towards him, but he adamantly maintains that he is still the same person. Watching Reed slowly morph from a completely awkward AP dork to a more confident and independent young man is amusing, with plenty of hilarious, embarrassing moments. It's great to get a look inside Reed's mind, and find out what high school guys are really thinking.

The website Ronnie sets up for The Girlfriend Project serves as a place for Reed to pose questions to the student body, such as "If a guy doesn't kiss you on the first date, what does that mean?" and "How important are looks to you?" These questions are followed by several comical and some very honest answers hidden behind the veil of anonymity that an online screen name provides.

After going out on a couple of unsuccessful dates, Reed realizes that maybe the girl he likes the most was right in front of him all along. Now, if only he could work up the courage to tell her how he feels about her.

Reed really dispels the myth that high school boys are only interested in the physical part of a relationship. He is a surprisingly sensitive and sweet guy, and maybe after reading this book, girls will give that shy guy at the back of the class a chance when he tries to talk to you. This book addresses the whole issue of high school dating very clearly, with a lot of humor, but also with a lot of truth. Robin Friedman has a great understanding of how confusing the teenage years can be, especially when you are trying to figure out just what 'being yourself' really means. show less