Is He Or Isn't He? [Paperback]

John Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2006

In the glittering world of New York City's richest and most famous prep school, best friends Paige and Anthony become equally entranced by the enigmatic, ever–so–cute new guy Max, but in order to snag him, they must first use their charms and wit to discover the truth–is he or isn't he?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–Best friends Paige and Anthony are seniors at a New York City high school, and they're both looking for boyfriends. Anthony is still trying to get over being dumped by Ian, and Paige can't seem to attract a nice guy. Into their lives walks Max, who is friendly to everyone and extremely attractive. Anthony and Paige are both interested in him but they can't tell if he's gay or straight–Anthony's gaydar seems to be off, giving rise to the book's title, so they come up with a series of contrived ways to find out if Max likes guys or girls. Other than the main characters' occasional internal struggles to stay true to themselves, most of this fluffy romance centers around how others are never quite what they seem. By the time Paige and Anthony learn Max's sexual orientation, they have discovered that their interest was just an infatuation and that it no longer matters. Paige discovers she enjoys the company of Anthony's brother, and Anthony discovers that his coffee-shop server is both gay and interested. Fun summer romance reading and that's about it.–Karen Hoth, Marathon Middle/High School, FL
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About the Author

John Hall can still remember the first book he ever read. It was Harry The Dirty Dog. Since that day, he's always loved reading. When he was in fifth grade, he decided he was going to be a writer when he grew up and wrote his first novel, The Mystery of the Leopard's Eyes (unfortunately, it was never published and to this day, still sits in his desk drawer). But years later he did become a published author. John grew up in Brooklyn, with a younger brother and twenty-one cousins (yes, 21!), but now lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; 1st Avon Ed edition (July 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060787473
• ISBN-13: 978-0060787479
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is He or Isn't He ( a good read? Yes!), August 16, 2006

By 

Johnny Diaz "Johnny Diaz, Beantown Cuban" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Is He Or Isn't He? (Paperback)

If you're cute and the new guy at school, watch out for Anthony and Paige.
These 17-year-old bestfriends at Peppington High in NYC are determined to have dates for their senior prom by year's end.
Their object of affection: the new kid on the block, the ever-adorable Max.
But there's one tiny setback - they can't tell if Max bats for Anthony's team or Paige's. So the bestfriends embark on a year-long quest to find out if Max is or isn't gay.
Their mission, with help from the richie-rich-wanna-be reality-TV star twins Rachel and Bianca Torres and plus-size teen model Colleen who loves her full figure, sends the daring duo on covert operations that involve a guy-to-guy kiss for Anthony's play, a weekend at Paige's father's home in the Hamptons, a good-bad movie night, and a win-a-date-with-a-bachelor auction.
While author John Hall humorously plants the reader in the life of today's teens, with their abbreviated vernacular (No prob!), Hall also explores some deeper issues with his young cast of characters.
Paige, who is sweet and pretty, doesn't want to stand out for her looks because of her strained relationship with her absent starlet mother, who has made a living off her looks on The Yields of Passion daytime soap opera.
Anthony tries to fit in with his click of friends even though he feels different from them because he likes guys. As a gay male teen, he can't seem to find other cute guys like himself in his small social scene at school and that only frustrates him. It's so much easier for his girlfriends, he says, because as a gay teen, sometimes it's difficult discerning who is gay or not. He also wrestles with having a super butch and guy's guy older brother Paolo who is in college and seems to have all the right answers and an easier time dating girls.
And then there's Max, who keeps himself guarded as the new kid in school and that only drives Paige and Anthony to find out who he really is.
But it's Anthony who shines the most here. You can't help but love this little guy, with his flair for fashion and throwing outdoor parties for his friends. He has big dreams of being a filmmaker and he hopes to find real love one day.
When he sees some gay couples in a supermarket late at night after a gay birthday party where he saw his ex with a new boyfriend, Anthony becomes hopeful that he too might find that right guy one day.
Hall writes, "Watching these couples, Anthony suddenly felt hopeful. Here was proof that you didn't have to be part of the gay party scene in order to be happy. You could be a regular person who washed clothes, cooked pasta, clipped coupons, did weekly grocery shopping and happened to be gay.''
The book moves at a nice pace and keeps the reader engaged and asking all along, Is Max or Isn't Max? The writing is also very conversational, making the reader feel like he's eavesdropping on a conversation among friends. You are right there in the school hallways, the highrises, the parties and even the Frosted Cupcake shop with the gang.
For teenagers struggling with fitting in at a new school or a social scene, Is He or Isn't He might help them realize that you're never alone for long, especially if you are lucky enough to come across friends like Anthony and Paige.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 18, 2006

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Is He Or Isn't He? (Paperback)

Paige and Anthony are two best friends who are both rather desperate to find boyfriends before they end up going with each other to their Senior Prom. When Max moves to New York and becomes a part of their social circle (made up of rich New York teenage children of famous people), they are both entranced.

One of them has got to end up with this super-cute and charming guy. Who, though? It all comes down to answering one question: is he or isn't he? If he's gay, Anthony and he will certainly end up together. The same holds true of he and Paige if Max is straight. Right? It would be too simple to just ask, though, so Paige and Anthony come up with a number of
entertaining schemes to figure it out, from buying new clothes to asking him to star in a movie as a gay character. The truth has got to come out sometime!

IS HE OR ISN'T HE? is a fun read, although predictable; from the first couple of chapters it will be pretty obvious how it's all going to turn out. It's still fun, though, and Paige and Anthony's schemes had me laughing out loud at points. The characters themselves, however, are a little flat. But if you're looking for a few hours of entertainment, you'll definitely enjoy this book!

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Priceless Friendship, December 10, 2006

By 

Teresa LeYung Ryan "Writing-Career Coach / Ed... (writingcoachteresa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Is He Or Isn't He? (Paperback)

IS HE OR ISN'T HE? is a wonderful page-turner. I connected with both Anthony and Paige--loyal friends extraordinaire. There were many funny moments in this story, and all the while I was cheering for Paige and Anthony. I love the ending and wonder which rising stars will get to play our protagonists and their friends in the movie version.