Then Again, Maybe I Won't

In a classic coming-of-age story, Judy Blume writes with all the compassion and understanding she can muster for a young boy. A woman writing about the trials and tribulations of adolescence (including all the baddies: wet dreams and all) might seem a dangerous undertaking. Blume makes it work. This is a grand story that has you truly understanding what the protagonist is going through. It's primarily a book for and about boys; however, a girl would do well to read this and at least start to understand what boys have to deal with. A well-written story with well-developed characters, this book is on any number of must-read lists for teens.

I first read this book when I was about ten-years-old. That first time, I really enjoyed it, but I didn't understand a lot of it (like the stuff about wet dreams). About a year later, I read it again, and learned so much more than the previous time. I am now 14-years-old and have read this novel about five times, and I plan on reading it many times more, regardless of whether I now am supposedly "too old" for it. I am a girl, but I have gotten as much out of this book as any of Blume's involving female characters. In fact, I have probably learned more; now I understand guys so much better than I would have if I had never read this book. It is amazingly realistic and hilariously funny and I can see Tony in so many of the guys I know! I learned more from this novel than from any health class, and enjoyed it more than any T.V. show. All I can say in conclusion is, you absolutely must read this book, whether you are aged 9-12 or not!

I got this book for Christmas from my aunt. I am a girl, and just like Tony, I am 13. This book was so good that my friends and i read it together! We use to think that guys didnt have to go through anything at all when it came to puberty, or that they had no inseccurities, but boy, were we wrong! We now realize that guys go through almost the same emotional and physical changes as girls. We have now learned to be more sensitive to things we say to guys. Without this book I am sure my friends and I would still be believing that only girls had it bad. I recommend this book to all girls (or boys) who think the way I use to!

I first read Then Again Maybe I Won't when I was about 13, and it has remained one of my favorite books. It is the only novel, in fact, that I have read more than 3 times. I enjoyed everything about this book, but most especially I was impressed with the maturity and insight of the main character, Tony. He was someone I could identify with, and at that tender age, he was also someone I would have loved to have met and spoken to as a friend. Ms. Blume has a way of fleshing out her characters and making them seem human. I have yet to read another children's book that captured so effectively the trauma of puberty, the confusion of adult relationships, and the painful reality of shirking your childhood to embrace the challenges of manhood. Read it! It's a great book.

This book has been a favorite of mine ever since I read it in sixth grade, fourteen years ago. Since then I have read it countless times, relishing every page. The hero in the story, Tony Miglione, is very likeable as he goes through the trials and tribulations of growing up, searching for friends and dreaming of the beautiful girl next door. Reading this book should be mandatory for all boys!