They are called Weird Girl and What's His Name la because she is from L.A. (an oddity in their small North Carolina town), and Rory because he is a self-described big fat guy who is easily made-fun-of-able. They are also obsessed with The X-Files. And did I mention they are best friends and that Rory is gay? The two are each other's only friend, in fact, and they tell each other everything. Or so Lula thinks until she discovers that Rory hasn't told her about his affair with Andy, his 40-something boss. Devastated, Lula runs away from home and toward, she hopes, a long-absent mother who abandoned her when she was 3. Will she find her mother? Will she return home? Will she and Rory reconcile? Answers are found in the book's two halves: Rory tells the first half and Lula the second. Lula's half drags, and the book is generally overlong, but the characters are wonderfully likable, the story is smartly written, and at's this? ere's a possibility for a happy ending? Read and find out.

Gr 6 Up-Rory and Lulu share an affinity for all things geek: The X-Files , Buffy, and conspiracy theories. When Lulu discovers that underage Rory had an explicit relationship with his divorced boss and hid it from Lulu because of her crush on him, she begins to question her own sexual orientation. After she is rebuffed by her favorite teacher, Lulu decides to hunt down the skeletons in her family's closet. This buddy/misanthrope novel explores the difficulties in LGBTQ relationships, as well as teen angst in general. While the narrative is uplifting, some readers may have a hard time with the slow burn pace and minimal plot movement. The overuse of The X-Files as a metaphor for character complexity may keep some of the core audience at arm's length. However, Brothers's pitch-perfect dialogue and well-polished prose make her an author to watch. VERDICT Recommended for fans of realistic fiction with relationship drama and an LGBTQ focus. Brian Hoff, Elmwood Park High School, IL