Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Wittlinger wanted to write a novel with a teenager who was comfortable with her lesbianism. At the time she wrote Hard Love, she didn't see many gay characters on the shelves, much less ones who were proud of who they were.
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If you're looking for a sequel for Hard Love, then you're in luck. Love & Lies is told from Marisol's perspective, but worry not: John gets his fair share of page time, too.
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The novel won the Printz Honor Award for excellence in Young Adult literature in 2000. It also won a ton of other awards. Like, for real.
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