Young Adult Literature - What My Mother Doesn't Know

 

Bibliographic Data: Sones, Sonya. 2001. 

What My Mother Doesn’t Know. New York: Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689841140

Plot Summary:

What My Mother Doesn’t Know is a novel written in verse by Sonya Sones. It is the story of Sophie (or Fifi) and the verses read as if they are Sophie’s stream-of-conscious diary entries. She discusses the many trials and tribulations inherent to fourteen-year-old girls. Back zits, boy problems, love, lust, anger at parents, discontentment, periods, hormones; nothing is left uncovered by Sones. The novel is quick and exciting, as the reader does not have to wait long to figure out the secrets Sophie is hiding from her mother, and more often, from herself. The author is even able to touch on religious prejudice, depression, and the hazards of cyberspace.

Critical Analysis:
If Sones stated that this novel was written by transcribing a fourteen-year-old girl’s dialogue over the course of a year, the audience would be hard pressed to dispute her. The flow and rhythm of this novel is effortless and consistent with whatever new subject Sophie describes.

Sones clearly has a mastery of sound, as she uses subtle literary tricks like, rhyming (“I must confess, I would like him less”) alliteration, (“dirty-rotten, deceitful, despicable snake”) and repetition (“I’m gray through and through, even my thoughts are gray, if I cut my finger, I’d bleed gray blood”….”it’s going to be a long gray winter”) intertwined from verse to verse. Her similes are humorous (“I’m dancing with a bunch of girls, bouncing like kernels of popcorn in a hot frying pan”) and help create rich visual imagery.

What is perhaps most striking is Sones’ ability to write lines that are beautiful because of their simplicity. The language is just rich enough to be interesting, but concise enough that the readers will not be bored. Many times, I found myself cringing because I felt exactly what Sophie was talking about. I had experienced all of the parental problems, encountered the same mean girls, blushed through the same embarrassing conundrums, and cried and cursed until I thought my heart would rattle itself loose and explode right out of my chest.

Strengths/Weaknesses: 
This novel has so many strengths! It immediately draws you in, it is interesting, it is funny, it is realistic, and it is never slow! It will grab and keep a teen’s attention. The only weakness I found was in the religious aspect of the story. Sones introduces Sophie, who is Jewish, to her boyfriend’s parents. A boyfriend’s parents have previously discriminated against Sophie because of her religious affiliation. There is an excellent opportunity here to show the audience that her new boyfriend’s parents are absolutely tolerant and accepting of her regardless of her religion, and instead Sones makes Murphy/Robin’s mom Jewish. Yes, it is nice to see the characters bond over this, but it would have been so much more impactful if she had not taken this (seemingly easy) route! 

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 (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 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.

Connections: 

1. Will engage teens that are not reading lovers! 
2. Can be used to highlight the different literary techniques the author utilizes. 
3. Can promote journaling. 
4. Would be excellent to use in a book club! 
5. Read the sequel to WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW:
6. Sones, Sonya. WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN’T KNOW. ISBN 0689876033
7. Read other novels in verse by Sonya Sones:
8. Sones, Sonya. TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST: A NOVEL BASED ON AN UNTRUE STORY. ISBN 068987605X
9. Sones, Sonya. STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT CRAZY. ISBN 0064462188
10. Sones, Sonya. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. ISBN 1442493836