He Said, She Said

Colasanti, Susane. 2006. When It Happens.

WHEN IT HAPPENS is a delightful and entertaining novel narrated by alternating our two main characters Sara and Tobey. Sara is a bit on the naive side, a hopeless romantic; someone waiting for something real to come along. Her dream for her senior year? To find true love and not just settle for any boy. Her plan...to imagine him, to picture him, to daydream about him, write about him, etc. She keeps a sketchbook where she glues words and pictures of what she thinks real love looks like. The problem? She's trying to attach these traits to 'cute' boys she barely knows. Case #1: Dave. Dave is a jock. He's cocky, arrogant, and not who Sara imagines him to be. Tobey is in a band. A guitarist. He writes his own songs. A bit on the shy side UNLESS girls approach him, he also has his nerdy side. He blends in with his classmates rather than being a target for bullies, but not really popular with the ladies. Tobey's dream senior year involves getting Sara to be his girlfriend. He has dreamed about her from afar for quite awhile. His friends help him with his plan which is slightly more concrete than Sara's. His plan? To 'accidentally' run into her in the halls. To stare at her in class until she (or one of her friends) notices. To make friends of HER best friend.

WHEN IT HAPPENS is an enjoyable read. The chapters narrated by Sara read like chick lit. They showcase the romantic, bubbly feel of your average romantic comedy set in high school...pure enjoyment if you like that kind of thing. As a reader I found myself just smiling through it all. The chapters narrated by Tobey are quite good as well. It's interesting to read 'romance' from the male point of view. This isn't the first YA book to do so by any means. These chapters remind me of KING DORK, THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL, MAYBE, LOOKING FOR ALASKA, etc. To read both perspectives is a real treat. You feel like you KNOW the characters, sometimes you feel you know them even better than other characters do.

http://www.susanecolasanti.com/