Book Review: What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

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Title: What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know
Author: Sonya Sones
Series: What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know #2
Genre: YA - Contemporary, Poetry
Original Release Date: June 5, 2007
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 304 (Hardcover)
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★★☆

Don’t get me wrong—my girlfriend’s amazing.
But the way things have been going lately,
I’m starting to believe that the only thing worse
than not getting what you want,

is getting it.

Picking up where What My Mother Doesn’t Know leaves off, this is the story of what happens next—told from the perspective of Murphy, Sophie’s new boyfriend. And even though Murphy’s thrilled to be with Sophie, the consequences of their relationship—and the temptations outside of it—force him to consider everything he knows about love. Told in free verse and brimming with authenticity, this novel provides unique insight into the mind of a young man.

My Thoughts

This is the second book in the What My Mother Doesn't Know duology, and I have to say it is significantly better than the first book. The story is more cohesive and I actually emotionally connected with the characters much more than I did in the first book. The story immediately follows where the previous book left off, but from Robin's point of view instead of Sophie's. Robin is now experiencing his first girlfriend, who is viewed as an outcast by the rest of the school because of the choice she made to date him - a choice that she continues to stand by no matter what her peers think.

In my previous review, you might remember me saying that I loved Sophie's two best friends. Well, I take that back in this book. They are not the best people in the world. I feel like they were written to be hated on purpose as it really drove the "being an outcast" point across. If that was intentional, bravo Ms. Sones! I really did hate everybody except for Robin, Sophie, and Robin's art class. Since this book was written from Robin's point of view, it really gave him more depth.

The pacing of this book was much improved over the pacing of the previous book. It was more consistent. I also felt like this book was easier to read than the first book. Reading the poetry felt more natural, but that also may be because I'm used to reading stories written in verse now.

Overall

I enjoyed reading this book. It's definitely my favorite of the duology. I recommend this duology mostly because of this book - I really enjoyed it. I was a bit reluctant to continue reading books in verse, but this one changed my mind. It showed me that books written in verse can be cohesive and present a memorable story.