The Good Side of My Heart

In Ann Rinaldi's story, The Good Side of My Heart, there is a mix of love, hate, and lies that keep you interested until the very last page. Conflict with a young girl, her best friend, her brother, father and herself keep you captivated and wanting more. The Good Side of My Heart is full of conflict between almost every character. Brie, a young girl in high school, has a good life and a bright future until she falls head over heals for her best friends brother, Josh. Josh comes to Brie's town after being kicked out of his private school because of an intimate relationship with the Captain's kid. Brie would do anything to be with Josh, including lie to her father, sneak out of the house, cover up a drug scandal on her island, and keep things from her brother, whom she is very close to. Brie's brother, Kevin, is a priest who has always been there for Brie through everything to help her with her problems, but this time, they are both relying on each other when Kevin starts to question his faith, and Brie finds out a life altering secret from her love, Josh. The storyline is very intriguing, full of colorful characters and interesting conflicts; it is easy to relate to real life. The narration lets you know exactly what Brie is thinking and you can almost feel like you are in the story with her. You get mad when she gets mad, sad when she is sad, and confused when she is confused. The Good Side of My Heart is for all ages, but especially for young people, mainly girls, who are going through the stages of growing up, falling in love, and learning to fall out of love. The novels juicy conflicts and realistic themes make this story a real page-turner with a satisfying end.

Although written in 1987, this well-written fiction book is as relevant today as it was thirteen years ago. In fact, it was probably ahead of its time in discussing teenage homosexuality in young adult literature when it was originally published. This quality story focuses on realistic adolescent experiences and deals with the issue of sexuality in a sensitive and intelligent fashion. The story is told through the experiences of sixteen year old Brie, who like many adolescents, battles with a parent, faces peer pressure, and makes some decisions that, while seemingly important at sixteen, she will hopefully be able to look back at and laugh when she is an adult.Ann Rinaldi's style of writing makes this book easy to read and difficult to put down. The character development is well done, even in the most minor of roles in the story. Rinaldi's use of visual imagery is superb, as it is easy to imagine the experiences of the characters as they are described from Brie's point of view.Brie's experiences and the stages of understanding and maturity she goes through with those individuals closest to her make this a quality read for young adults.