Starred Review In What My Mother Doesn't Know (2001), 14-year-old Sophie, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, teen, describes her surprise when she is drawn to Robin, the school-appointed loser who makes her laugh. In this sequel, Robin picks up the narrative in rapid-fire, first-person free verse as he describes their school's reaction to the relationship: "They're gawking at us / like Sophie's Beauty and I'm the Beast." Sophie compares the two to outlaws: "It's just you and me against the world." But after Sophie's friends dump her, Robin feels guilty for the "random acts of unkindness" she endures: "Sophie may feel like an outlaw, / but thanks to yours truly, / what she really is / is an outcast." A talented artist, Robin finds escape in a Harvard drawing class, where a new friendship threatens his closeness with Sophie. The story of a thrilling and faltering first love may be familiar, but Robin's believable voice is distinctive, and Sones uses her spare words (and a few drawings) to expert effect. From bad puns to breathless accounts of locking lips to anguished worries about losing Sophie, Robin reinforces the picture of an awkward, likable, intelligent, and realistically flawed young man. Many teens will see themselves, and they'll cheer when Sophie and Robin thwart the bullies and reclaim their social standing. Like Sones' other titles, this is a great choice for reluctant and avid readers alike.

In What My Mother Doesn't Know, pretty, popular Sophie risked her social status to date Robin. Now Robin relates (in verse) the aftermath of their decision to go public. The teens' relationship is believably flawed, due in part to Robin's burgeoning self-confidence, though Robin's previous too-good-to-be-true boyfriend behavior makes his dalliance with another girl that much more difficult to believe.

<p>Six years after What My Mother Doesn't Know sizzled onto the scene, Sones returns to continue the story of teen sweethearts Sophie Stein and Robin Murphy. Her signature free-verse poems give class-loser Robin voice this time, allowing him to describe his feelings as Sophie's public acceptance of him makes her a social pariah; as he explores the physical and emotional roller-coaster of first love; as he remakes himself from outcast to one-of-the-cool-crowd when he audits a Harvard art classa"and finds himself attracted to one of that cool crowd. The excruciatingly painful dynamics of the high-school in-crowd receive a thorough treatment, as does Robin's ambivalence with them: He recognizes Sophie's pain at her rejection by formerly close friends, but at the same time, he understands that this very rejection makes her need him all the more. Robin emerges as an appealingly flawed character whose desiresa"for love, for acceptance, for sexa"will be instantly recognized by readers. If this offering lacks some of the intensity of its predecessor, it nevertheless provides both an opportunity to revisit two likable characters and the advantage of a fresh viewpoint. (Fiction/poetry. YA)</p>

Returning with a sequel to the well- received <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">What My Mother Doesn’t Know, Sones delivers another engaging story about young love, this time from the boy’s perspective. This free-verse novel opens with 14-year-old Robin worrying that he will soon be dumped by his girlfriend, Sophie (star of the previous book), who is being ostracized at school for dating “the guy whose last name people use as a diss.” (“Let’s face it./ I’m the type of guy/ who doesn’t even have any buddies/ on my buddy list,” Robin says.) But Sophie is her own person and together they form a plan to rise above the derision by laughing at themselves. Robin is believable and endearing as he struggles to make sense of his devotion to his “amazing girlfriend,” his nascent sexuality and his attraction to Tessa, a girl in his art class at Harvard who is refreshingly unaware that he is the butt of jokes at his high school. When Sophie catches him kissing Tessa, Robin has to do something dramatic to win her back. Concrete poems and comics punctuate the text, adding interest to the form. The author’s fans will be delighted to have a new installment written with the same raw honesty and authentic voice as the original. Final art not seen by <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. Ages 12-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(June)

Gr 8 Up-This sequel to What My Mother Doesn't Know (S & S, 2001) stands completely on its own. Robin's life at Cambridge High School is miserable. The arty outsider's last name becomes the pejorative slang of the school-as in, "Don't be such a Murphy." His lot improves, however, when popular Sophie becomes his girlfriend despite the detriment to her reputation. Better still, the freshman is invited to audit an art class at Harvard. It is his homecoming; for once, he is the comedian rather than the butt of jokes. One of the college freshmen even shows some romantic interest in him. Written as a novel in verse, this title is a fast-paced, page-turning romp that gives authentic voice to male youth even when it is painfully truthful.-Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

This book picks up almost immediately where What My Mother Doesn't Know (Simon & Schuster, 2001/VOYA October 2001) left off. Popular Sophie and outcast Robin-better known by his last name, Murphy, which has become synonymous with "loser"-have just spent an amazing winter break together falling in love. Now it is back to reality-school. Robin is nervous that Sophie will ignore him, even expects her to do so, but when Sophie joins him for lunch, Robin's happiness is only dampened by the fact that her association with him has now made Sophie a pariah as well. Even Sophie's two best friends have abandoned her, so it becomes Sophie and Robin against the world. Unfortunately their classmates are not the only problem that they face. As Robin starts taking a college-level art class and Sophie's friend Rachel sees the error of her ways, the couple spends time apart and it could be the downfall of their relationship. Sones's wonderful free verse comes from Robin's point of view this time, but it is just as authentic and heart wrenching as Sophie's voice in the first book. Teens will devour this book and again will be left wishing for more at the end. Both Sophie and Robin are unforgettable characters, and their trials and triumphs are completely recognizable and easy to relate to by teens their age. It is not necessary to have read the first book to understand the second, so buy multiple copies-it will fly off the shelves.-Kimberly Paone.