Review Detail

The premise of What Boys Really Want is simple enough. Boy and girl are friends. They hang out and have a light-bulb moment where they think it would be fun to tell girls how guys really think. Only, the boy takes it one step further by deciding to write a book about it - without the girl. What follows is a disastrous amount of miscommunication and the threat of the demise for a great friendship.

Pete Hautman really hit the nail on the head with this YA contemporary read. The story is told in alternating points of view between Adam and his best friend Lita. The switched between their views, I think, makes one of the best parts of the story because it gives us an insider's look as to how the reactions of each gender vary to the same situation. Obviously, for me, it was much easier to relate to Lita, but it was also nice to know what Adam was thinking and why he did what he did. It's much easier to understand both parties. Aside from Adam and Lita, we have an array of supporting characters that really help to flesh out the story well. No matter how minor a part, each character has a very distinct voice.

Although it begins a little slowly, the pace of the story really begins to pick up during the second half of the book. With the snippets of advice or blog entries introducing each chapter and it's witty dialogue, I have no doubt that readers will be devouring this romantic comedy like it's nobody's business.