1,000 Reasons Never to Kiss a Boy

Once again Martha Freeman shows her understanding of adolescents and the every day challenges they face. Jane has a busy life with a job and dealing with boys who seem capable of complicating your life in ways you'd never expect. Jane's story is told with candor and humor and provides a very real look at the ups and downs that make up the life of teens today. The book is another "keeper" for any teenager's library.

I've waded through a ton of young teen literature because I work with "tweenies" for a living. Freeman's books have just the right combination of seriousness and offhanded humor to make reading about the multiple problems of puberty a palatable experience. "1000 Reasons" has forty-four chapters, each with an epigraph reason why Jane being jilted by her boyfriend Eliot wasn't such a bad thing after all. The reasons and accounts of Jane's life as she copes with the aftermath range from: the downright funny, "#19 Because when you consider what men and boys like to eat, it's enough to give you a bellyache"; to the slightly painful, "#23 Because after you break up every place you look, you'll see something that reminds you of him; to the reflective, "#33 because unlike a screwball comedy a romance may not have a happy ending." Overall, it's a fun and reassuring read for young persons who are grappling with the unpredictable aches of boy-girl relationships.

1,000 Reasons makes for entertaining reading for both teens and adults. Teen girls will identify with Jane, her heartbreaks, friendships, and adventures. The book is filled with humorous yet believable characters as well as subplots that keep the reader's attention. The author has done a good job of telling the story from a teenage girl's point of view. If you have teenage daughters, get the book, read it, and pass it on to them!