''What My Mother Doesn't Know'' (2001) is a

novel in verse A verse novel is a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose. Either simple or complex stanzaic verse-forms may be used, but there is usually a large cast, multiple voices, di ...

by Sonya Sones. The free-verse novel follows ninth-grader Sophie Stein as she struggles through the daily grind of being a

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or colloquially frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational in ...

in high school, her romantic crushes, and her family life. It has been translated into French, German, Indonesian and Swedish, and published as an audiobook read by

Kate Reinders Kate Reinders (born December 10, 1980) is an American actress and singer, who has performed as lead and understudy in several Broadway shows. She is best known for appearing as Miss Jenn in the Disney+ musical mockumentary series '' High Schoo ...

. The companion book '' What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know'', written from the perspective of Sophie's boyfriend Robin (Murphy), was published in 2007.

Plot summary

At the start of the novel, Sophie finds herself dumped by her current

boyfriend A boyfriend is a man who is a friend or acquaintance to the speaker, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is platonically, romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suito ...

Lou, then immediately falls into a new relationship with Dylan, a boy considered the height of masculine beauty by her friends. As they date, Sophie discovers she does not really love or even like Dylan all that much and ends their relationship in favor of not actually liking his personality. She then forms a secret romance with an internet chat-room boy named Chaz. Before she meets Chaz in person, Sophie discovers he is a pervert and ends the relationship quickly. Now on her own, in real life, she encounters an outcast classmate, Robin Murphy, at the local art museum and is astonished to realize that while he is not physically attractive or liked by her friends, she falls in love with him. The book ends with Sophie choosing to sit with Robin in the cafeteria instead of her friends, knowing that revealing her secret relationship to her friends and classmates would be okay.

Reception

The book received a

starred review A starred review is a book review marked with a star to denote a book of distinction or particularly high quality. A starred review can help to increase media coverage, bookstore placement and sales of a book. Outlets that published starred review ...

from ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'', which said, "Drawing on the recognizable cadences of teenage speech, Sones poignantly captures the tingle and heartache of being young and boy-crazy". It also received a starred review from ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'': "Sones has crafted a verse experience that will leave teenage readers sighing with recognition and satisfaction".

Controversy

The novel appears on the ALA’s list of most frequently challenged books in 2004, 2005, and 2011.

Awards

* Winner of the Iowa Teen Book Award (2005–2006) * Michigan Thumbs Up Award Honor Book (2002) * Chosen an

American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults The American Library Association's (ALA) Best Fiction for Young Adults, previously known as Best Books for Young Adults (1966–2010), is a recommended list of books presented yearly by the Young Adult Library Services Association The Young Ad ...

(2002

* Chosen an American Library Association Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2002) * Named an International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice (2003) * Named a Booklist Editor's Choice (2001) * Voted a Voice of Youth Advocates, VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers (2003) * Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award: YA Recommended Title (2003–2004) * Named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age (2002, 2003, and 2004) * Named a Texas Lone Star State Reading List Choice (2003–2004) * Named a Top Ten Editor's Choice by Teenreads.com (2001) * Named a Bookreporter.com Best of 2001 for Teens

References

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External links