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I'm Not Your Other Half
A high school junior finds the perfect boyfriend, only to feel smothered by their constant togetherness.
Hardcover
First published October 1, 1985
About the author
Caroline B. Cooney
131 books1,790 followersCaroline Cooney knew in sixth grade that she wanted to be a writer when "the best teacher I ever had in my life" made writing her main focus. "He used to rip off covers from The New Yorker and pass them around and make us write a short story on whichever cover we got. I started writing then and never stopped!"
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
- Scholastic.com
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
- Scholastic.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 3, 2014
This is a realistic book for tweens that highlights the issues of getting too obsessed with boys. I think this is a good novel for tweens to read, because that is around the time that girls start getting boy crazy. I'm Not Your Other Half stresses the importance of keeping your own identity and hobbies even after starting a relationship with a boy.
The only thing I didn't like was that the women in the story acted as though they were living in the 1950's. I can understand a teenage girl having the world revolve around a boy, but for grown women to act like nothing matters but a man's happiness was somewhat disturbing.
Overall I think this is a good book for girls between the ages of 12-14.
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2020
This was a good 80s teen novel, dealing with first relationships and the effect it has on friendships. As Fraser soon finds out, it becomes hard to concentrate on other things in your life when you first fall in love. And as a teenager, you always seem to fall in love when your mind needs to be focused on other things! Pretty relatable.
August 13, 2016
Awww, I really liked this. High school junior thinks her life is perfect when she starts dating another student, but in order to spend as much time with her boyfriend as they want, she has to give up all kinds of activities that she loves and he doesn't. Is she being selfish to want time and interests of her own?
It's very explicitly writing against the romantic ideal of becoming one with one's lover and against the romanticization of women accommodating their schedules and goals and tastes to their male partners. And it manages to do this while describing how nice romance feels and without making the boyfriend a villain. Good consciousness-raising, Cooney!
This was first published in 1984, but I would have definitely benefited from reading it when I was in high school, and it felt pretty therapeutic to me now (in my late 20s).
Also -- you know how in a lot of romances, the heroine doesn't really have specific interests or tastes or hobbies (so she can be a blank slate for Love to write upon)? Well, that obviously doesn't work with this story, which says a lot about what the protagonist is good at, bored by, does for fun, etc. As a result I found her a really interesting and sympathetic person. Amazing how that works!
I would like to distill I'm Not Your Other Half into a serum and inject it into most other romances I have read, especially ones with teenage protagonists.
Heavy-handedness is a bit of a problem -- the protagonist keeps noticing all the hobbies that girls and women of her acquaintance have given up in order to support the interests of their boyfriends or spouses -- but I found this kind of endearingly earnest. YMMV.
The only bit I wish were really different is
It's very explicitly writing against the romantic ideal of becoming one with one's lover and against the romanticization of women accommodating their schedules and goals and tastes to their male partners. And it manages to do this while describing how nice romance feels and without making the boyfriend a villain. Good consciousness-raising, Cooney!
This was first published in 1984, but I would have definitely benefited from reading it when I was in high school, and it felt pretty therapeutic to me now (in my late 20s).
Also -- you know how in a lot of romances, the heroine doesn't really have specific interests or tastes or hobbies (so she can be a blank slate for Love to write upon)? Well, that obviously doesn't work with this story, which says a lot about what the protagonist is good at, bored by, does for fun, etc. As a result I found her a really interesting and sympathetic person. Amazing how that works!
I would like to distill I'm Not Your Other Half into a serum and inject it into most other romances I have read, especially ones with teenage protagonists.
Heavy-handedness is a bit of a problem -- the protagonist keeps noticing all the hobbies that girls and women of her acquaintance have given up in order to support the interests of their boyfriends or spouses -- but I found this kind of endearingly earnest. YMMV.
The only bit I wish were really different is
June 29, 2025
YA. A little over kill on the message of smothering relationships…I usually love Cooney’s books,but this one was just okay.
August 13, 2014
I'm Not Your Other Half
A Cooney Classic Romance
Caroline B Cooney
Fraser is a high schhol girl with an unusal name and a crush on a peer of hers named Michael. She also has a best friend named Annie but before long Fraser is spending all her spare time with Michael always doing the things he wants to do.
When a little girl Fraser knows is seriously hurt Fraser begins to see Michael's true charscter when he is more concerned about missing a date than he is about a little girl whose fighting for her life.
Even her best friend seems to take Michael's side though and calks Fraser selfish when she breaks up with him.
This is a story of two yojng people Michael and Fraser discovering who they are and learning that some people are better off as friend's.
I give this book five out of five stars.
Happy Reading. ..
A Cooney Classic Romance
Caroline B Cooney
Fraser is a high schhol girl with an unusal name and a crush on a peer of hers named Michael. She also has a best friend named Annie but before long Fraser is spending all her spare time with Michael always doing the things he wants to do.
When a little girl Fraser knows is seriously hurt Fraser begins to see Michael's true charscter when he is more concerned about missing a date than he is about a little girl whose fighting for her life.
Even her best friend seems to take Michael's side though and calks Fraser selfish when she breaks up with him.
This is a story of two yojng people Michael and Fraser discovering who they are and learning that some people are better off as friend's.
I give this book five out of five stars.
Happy Reading. ..
August 9, 2014
Often the romances themes in YA novels are about making sacrifices so you can be with the one you love. But how much is too much?
Thank you, NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media, for this free book to review!
Fraser is a fantastic heroine who I find very relatable. She loves beginning things, not ending them, and enjoys the spotlight, if only in a few short doses. And she cannot give herself completely to a guy.
I may or may not have cheered when she released how demanding the relationship was. My only drawback about this book was how quickly Michael was resolved in the end. It felt too abrupt.
I would recommend this book to anyone who feels their relationship is suffocating. I, for one, would love to read more books by Caroline Cooney.
Thank you, NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media, for this free book to review!
Fraser is a fantastic heroine who I find very relatable. She loves beginning things, not ending them, and enjoys the spotlight, if only in a few short doses. And she cannot give herself completely to a guy.
I may or may not have cheered when she released how demanding the relationship was. My only drawback about this book was how quickly Michael was resolved in the end. It felt too abrupt.
I would recommend this book to anyone who feels their relationship is suffocating. I, for one, would love to read more books by Caroline Cooney.
October 13, 2012
This was a great teen romance, more because of the way they didn't get along and the way they ended up. There's more than one way to build a relationship and not everyone is meant to give up their life for the love of their life.
February 26, 2015
This is a typical teenage book, not many pages, but interesting, taking you back to your youth, o.k. for a quick read
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews