The Bermudez Triangle [Paperback]

Maureen Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 17, 2007

"Their friendship went so far back, it bordered on the Biblical-in the beginning, there was Nina and Avery and Mel." So says high school senior Nina Bermudez about herself and her two best friends, nicknamed "The Bermudez Triangle" by a jealous wannabe back on Nina's eleventh birthday. But the threesome faces their first separation when Nina goes away the summer before their senior year. And in ten short weeks, everything changes.

Nina returns home bursting with stories about Steve, the quirky yet adorable eco-warrior she fell for hard while away. But when she asks her best friends about their summer romances, an awkward silence follows.

Nina soon learns the shocking truth when she sees Mel and Avery . . . kissing. Their friendship is rocked by what feels like the ultimate challenge.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–Johnson begins this exceptional novel in a lightweight fashion but quickly segues into more serious issues that affect the three young women who make up the Bermudez Triangle. It is the summer before their senior year in Saratoga Springs, NY. At first, organized, serious Nina has trouble adjusting to her leadership workshop at Stanford University. Although she desperately misses Avery and Mel, who are waitresses at a restaurant back home, she quickly falls head over heels for eco-warrior Steve, who has grown up in a commune on the West Coast–so different from Nina's secure middle-class experience. When she returns to New York, she immediately senses that Mel and Avery are keeping secrets and soon discovers that they have become lovers. Rocked to the core, Nina wishes them happiness, but feels excluded and lonely, especially as her long-distance relationship begins to deteriorate. As is typical for teens, the girls obsess ad nauseam over their romantic relationships. Yet this narrow focus lends authenticity to the narrative, and readers become drawn into the characters' lives as they stumble toward adulthood, fall in and out of love, enlarge their circle of friends, and rethink their values. As the story deepens, Johnson does a superb job of subtly developing individual personalities for each one. Although all ends well, it's a long, hard struggle, one that perceptively reflects the real-life ambiguities and shades of gray faced by contemporary adolescents.–Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 9-12. In her latest novel, the author of The Key to the Golden Firebird [BKL Se 1 2004] explores how friendships grow and change, particularly as two friends escalate their relationship to the exclusion of a third. Mel, Avery, and Nina--the Bermudez Triangle--have been inseparable girlfriends since childhood. Then, the summer before senior year, while Nina is at Stanford for a leadership institute, Mel and Avery realize that their feelings for each other may be more than friendship. Johnson deftly portrays Mel's struggle to come to grips with her homosexuality, Avery's confusion and uncertainty about hers, and Nina's hurt and frustration at being left out and losing the comfort of old routines. Once again, Johnson creates believable, likable characters in very real, contemporary high-school situations, ensuring a place for herself among teen readers. She understands, articulates, and validates their lives. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (May 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595141553
• ISBN-13: 978-1595141552
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 1.1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #269,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Maureen Johnson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Like a lot of people who end up writing books, she was always reading. This paid off in the end, but also resulted in her not playing any sports, so she is spectacularly uncoordinated, and is easily injured by harmless household objects, like endtables.

She studied writing and theatrical dramaturgy at Columbia University. Before she could spend all her days writing, Maureen served up hamburgers in the company of mad scientists and talking skeletons in New York, tended bar in Piccadilly Circus, nervously worked alongside live tigers in Las Vegas, and once got mixed up with the entire cast of a major West End musical.

Maureen lives in New York City, and when she is not writing, spends her time in a relentless pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee. If you know where it is, get in touch with her at once.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Testing the boundaries of friendship February 23, 2006

By Green Marker Girl

Format:Paperback

Nina, Avery, and Mel have been best friends forever, They tell each other everything, and are completely inseperable. For the first time, Nina is leaving for the summer for a pre-college course. There she has a great time, with her nutty room mate. But when the guy across the hall takes and interest in her, everything gets better. Nina falls head over heals in love- eventually.

Meanwhile, back home, something is happening. After a night of partiying, Mel is drunk, and Avery takes her back to her house. They sleep in Avery's bed - and both have their first kiss - with each other. They accept they are Lesbian - but keep in hidden, because they know it won't be accepted. When Nina comes home, she is still clouded with lovesick thoughts. She doesn't even see it, until out on a shopping trip with Avery and Mel. They were acting strange, like they wanted to be alone, so Nina shopped by herself for a while. Then when she went to find them, she had the biggest surprise of her life- and caught them kissing.

A very good insight into getting used to a huge change in an unbreakable friendship.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly wonderful book!! March 2, 2005

By Devon Black

Format:Hardcover

During girl's teenage years, most of their time is occupied by homework, boys, friends, and trying to figure out who they really are. The book The Bermudez Triangle is a very realistic and exciting book about three best friends having a pre mid-life crisis. Nina, the ultra organized, straight a student, president of the student council committee and the glue that keeps the group from falling to pieces, goes to a pre college summer camp before their senior year and leaves Mel and Avery at home. While she is away, Avery, the wild party hopper, and Mel, the girl all the guys want, have a bunch of extra time to themselves. While Nina is busy at camp falling head over heels for Steve, Mel and Avery are at home getting much closer then any of them would have thought. Then, after going to a party and getting drunk, Mel and Avery have a sleepover that leads to a long kiss between them. They begin to date behind Nina's back.

When Nina returns, she feels left out of the group. Like Mel and Avery have some sort of secret, which they do. Then, while shopping at the mall, Nina walks in on a very personal moment between Mel and Avery. Now, the secret is out of the closet. Of course, open-minded Nina is very happy for them. But there are still many long, hard struggles to come for all of them. Nina is not sure weather to stay with Steve, who lives on the other side of the country, or go out with cute, nice, Parker. Avery is worried about her audition for a big music college, and Mel is still trying to figure her out.

This is a wonderful, lighthearted novel that I would recommend to any teenage girl. It is a realistic view of three girls and their struggles and triumphs on the path to womanhood.... Although the road may be bumpy at times, as long as you have your true friends, you can get through the hardest of all things... growing up. I promise, you will not be able to put it down. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book! February 28, 2005

By Arielle Moskow

Format:Hardcover

"In the first moment, Nina thought Avery was helping Mel with a necklace. Then she realized that Mel wasn't wearing one. Also, putting on or removing a necklace doesn't usually involve putting you lips on someone else's." This excerpt is from the exciting book, The Bermudez Triangle, by Maureen Johnson.

The book is about three best friends, Nina, the outgoing, responsible leader of the group, Mel, the shy one who attracts all the guys, and Avery, the partier, and what happens when they cross the line from friendship to love. The summer before senior year, Nina goes away to a summer program at Stanford where she meets and falls head over heels in love with her earth conscience west coast boyfriend, Steve. Without Nina, Avery and Mel are spending more and more time alone together. One night when Avery spends the night at Mel's house, they share a kiss. They soon begin to secretly date, not even telling Nina. When Nina returns home, she feels left out and excluded from her best friends, sensing that they are keeping something from her. She soon discovers their secret, and as happy as she is for them, can't help but feel partially depressed, as her friendship seems to be crumbling while she is having the same problems with her long distance relationship.

The Bermudez Triangle is one of few books that I have read that I never wanted put down. It showed me the hardships that so many teenagers face and the ways that they deal with them. Not only was this book compelling, but it really made me think about the fact that true friendships can conquer anything, no matter what the circumstances are. It also showed me that true friends are hard to come by and will stick together no matter what.

I definitely give this book five stars.... It is unlike any book I have ever read. If you want to read a good book that you will never want to put down, I would definitely recommend The Bermudez Triangle! Read more ›

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bermudez Triangle - a compelling story about love, loss, and friendship September 1, 2005

By fiona

Format:Hardcover

The Bermudez Triangle is a compelling, poignant teen novel that engages the reader with the characters, plot, and emotion of the book.

The Bermudez Triangle (I liked this title; it made me think of the Bermuda Triangle) centralizes around three high school best friends: Nina, an activist and the president of student council, who goes away for the summer for a college program; Avery, with her short hair and love of music; and Mel, the shy but adorable girl that guys always seem to go after.

The summer finds one of these three best friends separated. Nina is off to a college program for the summer, and Mel and Avery work at P.J. Mortimer's as waitresses. Then, one day, Mel and Avery kiss, which complicates their relationship. They soon start "dating" and it is evident they are in love with each other. When Nina finds out, she is shocked, and she feels their friendship will no longer be the same.

The Bermudez Triange takes us on a journey of heartbreak, loss, identity, friendship, and love. Nina, Mel, and Avery all have their fair share of problems, but their bond is enough to bring them together and help each other out. Other characters come into play as well, including Steve Carson, Nina's environmentalist boyfriend whom she meets at her summer program, and Parker, a waiter who works at P.J. Mortimers but who soon becomes involved in the girls' friendship.

Maureen Johnson has done an excellent job with this novel. Not only is it an engaging page-turner, but The Bermudez Triangle makes readers sympathize and care for the characters. I felt I grew very close to each of the best friends, especially Nina. Sometimes the subject of sexual identity and homosexuality are written about so much that the topic starts to become tedious.... But Maureen Johnson is not one of those tedious authors; she brings a fresh voice to the YA scene and approaches the subject of sexual identity in a sophisticated and mature way.

The Bermudez Triangle is a pleasure to read. I found I couldn't stop turning the pages - the plot just flowed so nicely and the characters were so interesting. The Bermudez Triangle is definitely one of the finer YA novels out there.

I also recommend Maureen Johnson's other book, The Key to the Golden Firebird. Read more ›