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My Best Friend, the Atlantic Ocean, and Other Great Bodies Standing Between Me and My Life with Giulio
Who knew that non-boy-crazy-jock Brady would return from Europe with an Italian boyfriend? In this sequel to Four Things My Geeky-Jock-of-a-Best-Friend Must Do in Europe , Delia launches a sneaky plan to grab Giulio the very moment he and Brady break up, which, according to all Delia's research, should be in about 41 days.
174 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
2 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Jane Harrington
8 books7 followersJane Harrington teaches creative writing and literature at Washington & Lee University and is a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA). Her short fiction has appeared in an array of journals and anthologies, including Chautauqua, Feminine Collective, New Square, Big Fiction, Anthology of Appalachian Writers, and Mountains Piled Upon Mountains: Appalachian Nature Writing in the Anthropocene (West Virginia UP 2019). She has also authored best-selling books for the youth market (Scholastic, Lerner). Jane's novel In Circling Flight was the winner of the Brighthorse Books Prize and long-listed for Crook's Corner Book Prize. Her most recent book is Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance from Black Dog & Leventhal. www.janeharrington.com
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 23, 2008
Jee-oo-lee-oh is how the handsome Italian foreign exchange student’s name is pronounced according to Delia who is in love with him. Mispronouncing his name is a small problem compared to the fact that he is her best friend’s boyfriend. But, thanks to the always reliable Internet, Delia calculates that their relationship will last the standard 34 days that high school relationships normally last. However, Delia’s plotting does not go as planned and she realizes that what she originally thought she wanted, she no longer wants. The book is written in journal style, but because Delia writes during her English class and they are on a poetry unit, several entries are written in pseudo poetry form (to fool her teacher). Though the plot is the conventional silly girl chasing after a boy, the integration of poetic styling and Delia’s ever-constant shenanigans put this book above the average line.
June 4, 2008
I really wasn't expecting to like this book, based on the whole "I'm in love with my best friend's boyfriend and I'm going to steal him!" plot line. But, I was pleasantly surprised. The main character, Delia, wasn't the boy crazy mean girl I expected her to be and I loved the journal format used to tell the story, particularly since it showed that a journal assignment for an English class isn't the end of the world. Just like the prequel to this book, the supporting characters were a little lacking but it was an enjoyable read.
November 16, 2015
(Actual rating: 4.5 stars)
My Best Friend, the Atlantic Ocean, and Other Great Bodies Standing Between Me and My Life with Giulio is a much-needed reminder that a book doesn’t have to be serious, overly dramatic, or dripping with angst to leave a lasting impression. Harrington’s novel is light-hearted, hilarious, and easy to read, and I absolutely loved it. I can’t think of a single thing I’d change about this book, and I have a feeling that the good mood it put me in will easily carry me through the rest of the week.
The premise of My Best Friend… is pretty simple. Delia, a ditzy high school student, has the hots for her BFF’s boyfriend Giulio. She doesn’t try to seduce him away from her BFF, just does whatever she can to put herself in Giulio’s path so that when he and the BFF eventually break up – it’s inevitable, you know – Giulio will move on to her.
Plotting to snatch up your best friend’s man may sound pretty low, but in Delia’s case this behavior is more humorous than reprehensible. Delia’s not manipulative or bitchy, just clueless. She truly believes that her best friend and Giulio are destined to break up within approximately 34 days of beginning their relationship (a statistic she read online somewhere), and she wants to be ready to step in as Giulio’s new girlfriend as soon as possible. The entire book hinges on the schemes Delia comes up with to get closer to Giulio, and the results are hilarious, as she’s not particularly gifted in the field of boyfriend thievery.
My Best Friend… is narrated in the form of a journal for Delia’s English class. I’m usually wary of books written in this format, but in this case it’s quite effective. The journal allows Delia’s unique voice, which is the source of most of the humor in the book, to come through loud and clear.
When I started reading, I was initially alarmed by how much of an airhead Delia is. There are times when she seems to be completely oblivious about pretty much everything. Roman numerals, vending machines, sarcasm, basic vocabulary – you name it, she’s clueless about it. I was mildly put off by this at first, but after a while the humor that results from her obtuseness made me laugh loud enough, and often enough, that the ditziness became a strength of the book rather than a weakness.
The fact that Delia is tremendously likable also helps make up for her lack of, shall we say, book smarts. Delia has a big heart and makes friends with just about everyone she meets, getting close to people that most other popular girls wouldn’t look twice at. She comes across as a very sweet person. Even when she’s doing something that’s generally considered despicable, such as plotting to steal her best friend’s boyfriend or suckering a guy who has a crush on her into doing her homework, she does it with such genuine naïveté that you find yourself unable to fault her for it.
Delia’s quest for winning Giulio’s heart, combined with her total lack of common sense – she’s like a teenaged Amelia Bedelia, I swear – gets her into some pretty hilarious situations. She ends up managing the high school football team, becoming vice president of a gender neutral club, and joining an alliance of costume-wearing X-men enthusiasts. If that’s not enough to pique your interest in this book, I don’t know what is.
Overall, I can’t say enough good things about My Best Friend, The Atlantic Ocean, and Other Great Bodies Standing Between Me and My Life with Giulio. It is an absolute delight to read, and I love that it didn’t leave me heart-broken and exhausted from sobbing like many other books I’ve given 4.5 stars.
This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.
My Best Friend, the Atlantic Ocean, and Other Great Bodies Standing Between Me and My Life with Giulio is a much-needed reminder that a book doesn’t have to be serious, overly dramatic, or dripping with angst to leave a lasting impression. Harrington’s novel is light-hearted, hilarious, and easy to read, and I absolutely loved it. I can’t think of a single thing I’d change about this book, and I have a feeling that the good mood it put me in will easily carry me through the rest of the week.
The premise of My Best Friend… is pretty simple. Delia, a ditzy high school student, has the hots for her BFF’s boyfriend Giulio. She doesn’t try to seduce him away from her BFF, just does whatever she can to put herself in Giulio’s path so that when he and the BFF eventually break up – it’s inevitable, you know – Giulio will move on to her.
Plotting to snatch up your best friend’s man may sound pretty low, but in Delia’s case this behavior is more humorous than reprehensible. Delia’s not manipulative or bitchy, just clueless. She truly believes that her best friend and Giulio are destined to break up within approximately 34 days of beginning their relationship (a statistic she read online somewhere), and she wants to be ready to step in as Giulio’s new girlfriend as soon as possible. The entire book hinges on the schemes Delia comes up with to get closer to Giulio, and the results are hilarious, as she’s not particularly gifted in the field of boyfriend thievery.
My Best Friend… is narrated in the form of a journal for Delia’s English class. I’m usually wary of books written in this format, but in this case it’s quite effective. The journal allows Delia’s unique voice, which is the source of most of the humor in the book, to come through loud and clear.
When I started reading, I was initially alarmed by how much of an airhead Delia is. There are times when she seems to be completely oblivious about pretty much everything. Roman numerals, vending machines, sarcasm, basic vocabulary – you name it, she’s clueless about it. I was mildly put off by this at first, but after a while the humor that results from her obtuseness made me laugh loud enough, and often enough, that the ditziness became a strength of the book rather than a weakness.
The fact that Delia is tremendously likable also helps make up for her lack of, shall we say, book smarts. Delia has a big heart and makes friends with just about everyone she meets, getting close to people that most other popular girls wouldn’t look twice at. She comes across as a very sweet person. Even when she’s doing something that’s generally considered despicable, such as plotting to steal her best friend’s boyfriend or suckering a guy who has a crush on her into doing her homework, she does it with such genuine naïveté that you find yourself unable to fault her for it.
Delia’s quest for winning Giulio’s heart, combined with her total lack of common sense – she’s like a teenaged Amelia Bedelia, I swear – gets her into some pretty hilarious situations. She ends up managing the high school football team, becoming vice president of a gender neutral club, and joining an alliance of costume-wearing X-men enthusiasts. If that’s not enough to pique your interest in this book, I don’t know what is.
Overall, I can’t say enough good things about My Best Friend, The Atlantic Ocean, and Other Great Bodies Standing Between Me and My Life with Giulio. It is an absolute delight to read, and I love that it didn’t leave me heart-broken and exhausted from sobbing like many other books I’ve given 4.5 stars.
This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.
July 22, 2011
Hilarious! As a high school English teacher, I loved it! Kittle and Gallagher and Atwell fans MUST READ THIS! This is a great alternative for any student who might want to read the TTYL books, but parents might be opposed. This only alludes to sex once or twice and I think there are two times characters kiss. I will probably buy a couple of copies and use pages in my classroom as writing prompts. Hilarious!
June 11, 2014
Try this "journal" novel for a fun, goofy, light-hearted read. Clever word play and witty conversation abound in this sequel to Four Things My Geeky- Jock-of-a-Best Friend Must do in Europe which, BTW, is equally as entertaining.
February 7, 2009
Delia is in love with her best friend's boyfriend...and writes in her journal describing all she does to try to get him to notice her. Fun, light read.
August 9, 2009
Two best friends like the same guy.
December 10, 2021
This book is a magnum opus. I am so passionate about how genius the writing is in this book. Even from the title, the pun with "great bodies" is astounding. I appreciated the likability of the main character, and unlike many books written for teenage audiences, the teenage girl in the book is written as normal rather than a "not like other girls" tomboy. Her individuality and more airheaded qualities are actually her strength and make a fun read. I would definitely recommend this short read and charming book that is very unique for its market.
August 29, 2022
The book was entertaining - the main character writing in her journal about being in love with her school's Italian exchange student (Giulio) and how she plans on winning him over. It would've been better if Giulio wasn't already her best friend's boyfriend. I mean, come on!
Plus everyone can predict the ending.
Plus everyone can predict the ending.
July 20, 2018
I didn't expect to like this book at all but it was very cute, funny, and enjoyable. an easy quick read that is light and full of humor.
July 26, 2018
It's cute! Some of it is written in poetry. However, I couldn't really get into the characters.
April 16, 2012
Jane Harrington’s book, is an easy read and very quirky, the main character Delia is a young girl who’s best friend is dating her future husband, Giulio, the story is about her waiting for the two of them to break up, which according to the internet is around 34 days. While she is waiting she goes to all sorts of lengths to try and get Giulio to like her, and along the way unexpected feelings start to occur between her and Richard, a friend from years ago. Harrington’s book is a funny, quirky read and I loved it from finish to end, there were moments throughout the book where I laughed out loud from how she has written the book. Really good read and I would recommend it to others.
November 28, 2012
second book in the series. i kind of liked this one better because it is written in journal form by the best friend of the first book's main character. she is a total ditz and the author makes it kind of fun and cute - not mean. i have known girls like this!! these are a couple of fun, easy reads that i can recommend to my jr high girls.
July 23, 2012
This was actually the next book after Four-things-my-geeky-jock...yada. Yeah the one with the long name (makes sense? ;) Anyuway, this was a halarious read! kinda wandered off at times but the ending was great!! I love me some great ending'ed stories xD
May 13, 2013
Enjoyed revisiting the teenage drama from Four Things My Geeky-Jock-Of-A-Best Friend Must Do in Europe from a different point of view. Particularly liked the discussion of writing and journals in the high school English class.
October 7, 2025
One of the most accidentally gay books I stumbled across as a child. Proof that no how matter hard you try to strawman your feminist character some 9 year old will still end up thinking wow that’s pretty cool, and find out about neopronouns the way the DARE program taught me about weed
August 22, 2008
It was a cute, fast read. It bothered me a little how shallow she was, but otherwise pretty good.
November 13, 2008
This book was vair vair cute. I really enjoyed it.
October 27, 2009
RAT book
January 20, 2012
very cute and fun to read
March 9, 2016
Very cute and silly. Written in journal format, this story has lots of humor and appeal for reluctant readers.
January 12, 2010
cute fun YA chick-lit...Rennison-esque
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews