I'll Love You When You're More Like Me

Gr 6–9—First published in 1977, this is the story of what happens when a famous teen soap star, Sabra, meets the boy next door, Wally, on the beach. Both teens are heavily controlled by their parents. Sabra is recovering from an ulcer caused by the stresses of her job and her domineering mother; Wally is slated to join his father's undertaking business while being engaged to a girl he doesn't love. While the two do not fall in love like listeners may expect, they do make decisions during the summer that will affect their futures. A highlight is Wally's best friend, Charlie, who comes out as gay and has the best line in the book: "All your life you're known as the straight-A student. Then, one day, in a moment of weakness, you confess you think you're gay. How do you think you'll be remembered afterward? Not as the straight-A student." The audiobook is competently narrated by Erin Yuen as Sabra and Nicholas Mondelli as Wally, who alternate reading chapters. Although the themes are timeless, dated pop references, and ludicrously low salaries pepper the book, giving this new audio recording a limited audience. Only purchase where Kerr books are still popular.—Julie Paladino, East Chapel Hill High School, NC