Flipping the Script

In Flipping the Script by Paula Chase, the crew from Del Rio Bay are back! However, they are different and things are changing. Mina's man, Brian, is away at college and she misses him a lot. Mina is very concerned about what Brian is doing while away and she is also concerned about her own feelings changing. In times past, Mina has been able to rely on her friends for guidance and support but the crew is not as tight as it once was and everyone is dealing with their own issues. Will the crew be there for each other or will maturity cause them to split and take separate paths as they grow? Ms. Chase does a wonderful job exploring teen relationships and current events. Even more intriguing are the back stories, in particular the one that deals with homophobia in high school. The storyline, while fresh and current, deals with age-old issues in a way that will appeal to teens and that may be of benefit to older readers. It is wonderful reading about how young people mature and deal with the ever changing world around them. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Del Rio Bay novels and recommend them to all readers. Angelia Menchan APOOO BookClub

Mina's boo is at Duke playing ball and she's trying so hard to deal without becoming super obsessed when it's apparent that their relationship doesn't have the fit she'd become familiar with. Obviously Mina is having issues, yet she's going to try adjustments. The problem is, she keeps getting these feelings and she's afraid that "out of sight, out of mind" may lead to something more. It really doesn't help that she's encircled by couples. Luckily for Mina, as she drowns in a sea of loneliness, her boy Michael tosses her a life jacket. It becomes tensely evident that the clique isn't exactly as thick as it once was. Everyone is now off doing their own thing and hanging out as a group has become progressively few and far between. When Mike, the already estranged member of the clique, gets an opportunity to finally chase his passion for fashion, it threatens to shred the fabric of him and JZ's unique camaraderie. Will the clique be able to handle a colossal alteration? Flipping The Script by Paula Chase bought out the waterworks in this episode. It's stitched with so many emotions, hopes for the future, a first in the love department and within the folds, we see the gradual maturity of the clique. I truly love this series and I'm fretful for the next segment. While I can easily recommend this series to all teens, I do advise parents to also read with their teens as it deals with current issues. Reviewed by Nardsbaby for Urban Reviews

Brian has left Del Rio Bay to attend Duke University on a scholarship. His Del Rio Bay High School junior girlfriend Mina misses him. However, as he acclimates to freshman life at college while playing ball, he communicates with her less and less. As she thinks of Brian and wonders WHO ARE YOU WIT? she panics that she is losing her boyfriend to a cheerleader, but though he wants to remain faithful, her uncertainty and lack of trust are driving him crazy. Michael is euphoric but also frightened. He has an opportunity to spend time away from Del Rio Bay in DC attending a creative arts program that fits his fashion dreams. However, he fears going so turns to a friend Rob the dancer for guidance. Meanwhile Rob's hanging around the jocks upsets star athlete JZ whose latent homophobia ignites. He struggles to control himself as he wants to beat sense into Rob, but knows the trouble he could get into including kicked off the team and besides he wants Jacinta; who is uninterested in him. The latest coming of age Del Rio Bay teen drama, FLIPPING THE SCRIPT, adds immense complications to the relationships with geography and sexual preference causing difficulties for everyone. The recurring cast has matured considerably since the days of SO NOT THE DRAMA, but so has the issues they face. Fans of the series will enjoy the continuing adventures of the crew; newcomers will appreciate this fine young adult novel while seeking out the previous four escapades so they DON'T GET IT TWISTED as to how far the group has come. Harriet Klausner