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Describing the life of an ordinary and contemporary13-year-old-boy is what Judy Blume easily did in her almost one-hundred-fifty-page book. In this rather short book, the author, known for her controversial novels for children and teenagers, depicts the daily basis life of a middle-class family living in Jersey City, New Jersey. One day Tony and his family, moved to Rosemont, Long Island, because of his father's job. In addition to changing their house for a more luxury one, they changed their lifestyle. Now Tony had to mix with the spoiled children of his rich new neighbourhood which made him felt a bit homesick and lonely. But step by step he met new people, had new desires and began to act as if he belonged to that upper class. But hanging around with these wealthy people made him discover that they are far from being perfect. Although the reasons of the controversies about Judy Blume's books are the sensitives themes she chooses to write about, like in Then Again Maybe I Won't. Indeed she highlights the physical changes of boys of Tony's age. She talks with no taboos about Tony's wet dreams or about his secret love for Lisa, his neighbour, that he keeps spying though his bedroom's window. But to my mind it is a good way to deal with the subject of teenage years. That is one of the reasons why I would totally recommend this novel to a friend or even to a relative. I also enjoyed it because the main asset, for me, of this book, is that I found it easy to read, using a clear and basic vocabulary, the one used by children ; thus making it accessible to everyone. It is a kind of writing I really like and that I find more entertaining than more literary books. Judy Blume tells us about the story of this naive kid and his simplistic and touching but full of common sense, vision of life. « Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings come grains of truth », is for me that best sums up this book. It is this moving side of the story which made me loved it. Indeed my « favourite scene » is when Tony has just learnt that his brother is going to change for a better paid job. Tony is confused and feels betrayed by his brother for he was more interested in earning money than in doing the job he likes. He felt lonely and went to see his mute grandmother in her room, who is also unsatisfied but as powerless as him, in front of their new way of life and new principles about money. In the scene, Tony enters his grandmother's room and only through tears and clumsy gestures do they understand the distress of each other. I felt it was really touching, real and sad at the same time. We could feel this rueful atmosphere because both, the child and his grandmother regret their former life. Moreover it is also relieving and pleasant to the reader because finally Tony has someone who understands him and who he can confide in. So he is not alone anymore. Describing an ordinary scene in a realistic way and being able to translate emotions through words, is to me, another quality of the writer. However, sometimes the way she writes is a bit simplistic. Expressing a child's emotions with childish words is relevant but she doesn't avoid some clichés. For instance her division of social classes can be seen as too reductive and her vision of teenagehood is too commonplace.
