Joost Robben Robben itibaren Chinamamidipalli, Andhra Pradesh 534275, Hindistan itibaren Chinamamidipalli, Andhra Pradesh 534275, Hindistan

A very difficult book. In his telling of a story in which a plague of blindness descends upon the world, Jose Saramago is unrelenting. He follows the story of the first people to suffer not only unexplainable blindness, but the ensuing consequences as they are quarantined in an asylum. The asylum becomes a microcosm of the world as it falls into anarchy and despair. Unrelenting, unrelenting, unrelenting. It is a remarkable piece of writing. I was left shaken, with more questions than answers. At its root is an invented scenario which, in the hands of a lesser writer, would have come across as a cheap and obvious contrivance. I am still not sure what to make of it. But it was an unusual journey.

Luisa Perez and her best friends have mastered the art of not participating in their high school, Dunfield aka “Dumpfield”’s extracurricular activities. That is, until sophomore year brings a literacy challenge to the city, girls against boys. The prize for which group raises the most money for literacy awareness? Extra weeks of winter break. Lu is snagged to write an anonymous column about the fundraising effort, exchanging words with a male counterpart. The debate between “Scoop” and “Newshound” becomes heated and turns into a battle of the sexes, and their column gains more popularity as a result. However, heated exchanges occur in other aspects of Lu’s life, too. Her family life is not the best, what with her overbearing older sister constantly talking her down, and having to fend off the raucous male factory workers at the diner where she works. But there are plenty of opportunities for possible romance—sometimes in the most unexpected of places…unless the effects of the literacy column destroy any chance that Lu has at love. GIRL V. BOY was a pleasant, if predictable, read. I have trouble describing how I felt about it, and yet when I was reading it I couldn’t put it down. Lu and her friends and classmates are fun to read about. The ending was predictable, yes, but the beginning and middle were not as predictable, thus sparing me from reading something painfully boring. That being said, GIRL V. BOY was definitely an enjoyable read that will appeal to high school girls looking for a hearty dose of rapid-fire battle-of-the-sexes dialogue and a solid romance.

A 5-star and on my 'to re-enjoy list'. Now I know why its reviews are so elevated. Qualifies as a 'work of Art'.