Twelve Long Months by Brian Malloy
Release Date: June 1, 2010 (paperback release)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher
Interest: Story
Challenge: None
Buy the Book: Amazon
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Molly Swain is hopelessly in love. Mark is broody, mysterious, funny, attractive, artistic…basically, the only interesting thing in her small Minnesota town. She wonders to herself if they'll ever be more than lab partners, until the fateful day that she discovers they'll both be moving to New York City after they graduate. They're clearly meant to be together. Right?
Wrong. In Minnesota, Mark has a secret. And in New York, Molly discovers it. Not only is she not his type, she's not even the right gender. But does she immediately fall out of love with him? If only it were that easy…
I think the thing that really made this novel for me was Molly's voice. It's so real and it was easy to relate to her and her insecurities. I remember all to well, having the same feelings about myself that Molly felt. Insignificant... average... never good enough, although unlike Molly, I didn't have the intelligence or strength to leave home and attend a prestigious college.
I loved the message that this novel held... that you can't help who you love, and that sometimes the love of a friend can be just as meaningful as the love of a significant other.
The supporting characters of Molly's two friends were fantastic. I loved the the dynamics of their own relationships with their boyfriends... Molly wasn't the only one that couldn't figure it out. Those two girls needed some help! They may not have known what a healthy relationship was, but I think that Molly's friends helped her come out of her cocoon of self doubt... she evolved into someone with more self confidence and someone that was finally comfortable in her own skin, even if things didn't work out in the way she wanted them to. She accepted what she had and made the best of it. Something that I know a lot of people wouldn't be able to do. The girl has guts!
So... we've got great character development, an awesome story and an enjoyable read. Add it to your reading piles!