2gether 4ever: Notes of a Junior High School Heartthrob

I bought this book because Dene is my friend and I'm supportive that way (and I thought it would be cool to have a book on my coffe table signed by the author.) I wasn't planning on writing a review, though, because that sort of thing is kind of cheesy, don't you think? But anyway, I opened it up and started reading, and couldn't stop laughing. I found Together 4ever absolutely perfect for perusing alone in a coffee shop or giggling over with buddies in the break room. I wanted to throw a party right away so all my friends could enjoy using it to break the ice. I never finished it, although I'm dying to. In fact, I'm here to get another copy. Couldn't get past flipping through it, then dropping it to cross my legs and crack up, before giving my only copy to a cute guy I just met. He loved it so much we're good friends now, the book is that good. For what it is--and I have a lot of integrity so don't take it lightly--I give my friend Dene's book 5 stars.

I bought this book for my friend's daughter who turned 12. I saw this book get passed around and saw the girls reading page after page very intently. Curiosity got the best of me so I asked if I could read the book. Wow! It was flashback of my teen-age years when friends and I used to pass notes to one another. The notebooks's contents were hush-hush letters about crushes and puppy love. Its a great gift for a teen to let them know that we have all been there.

I couldn't put it down till I had finished the whole thing, then I went back and read it again. It is just a slender collection of notes passed to and from the author during junior high school, but it packs an emotional wallop that you just don't expect -- and it's funny. The notes awaken memories of your own first loves and deepest friendships, a time when you were most vulnerable and most seriously attracted "in that way" to someone (and then someone else, and then someone else). You'll suddenly remember the exact names and faces and voices of the people you loved, befriended, envied and desired when you were 12 or 13 years old. You may find yourself reading it out loud to friends, and then they'll want to grab it and read it without stopping. If you survived junior high school, or are living with someone who's there now, you'll enjoy this.

Wow, this book really brought me back to my junior high days, when life was full of drama and passion. Rather than silly, the romantic tales in Dene's book feel as meaningful as they were back then. Sure, I laughed, but I was left with a warm, fuzzy glow of nostalgia and a new appreciation for the trials of youth.

What a delightful book! If you're getting jaded by all the bickering discord of the couples that populate reality television and talk shows a la Dr. Phil, this book will give you a welcome respite. Here's a reminder that love *is* sweet, and never sweeter than when you're young and ever-so-certain that you've found your True Love.