JCPL Teens

Opposites attract, right? Jesse wears huge fisherman boots to school every day, cuts her own hair with a Swiss army knife, and, as her parents say, “Very bravely and bossily came out of the closet when she was only fourteen years old [saying] we can’t choose who we love. We just love the people we love, no matter what anyone else might want for us.” She knows who she is and she’s proud of herself. She’s not so proud of the secret affair she's been having with Emily, who is super popular, the vice president of the student council, and has been dating her baseball-player boyfriend since she was too young to be dating. Jesse and Emily have nothing in common, but once they start kissing nothing else matters.

When a big-box superstore tries to move into their town, Emily and Jesse are very obviously and very vocally on opposite sides of the debate that takes over their school and their town. Will it take over their relationship as well?

I loved all the characters in this story and I thought they were so funny and realistic. The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George is one my new favorite books! You can look forward to Emily's horrifying description of her boyfriend's slobbery kissing techniques, Jesse's manifestos for her organization, NOLAW (National Organization to Liberate all Weirdos), and a zany group of supporting characters who tie it all together.