Author Stephanie Perry Moore struck upon a really creative way to tell a story from two perspectives in Always Upbeat/All That.  In Always Upbeat, high school student Charli Black is the main character.  Charli describes her social dilemmas, trouble with a boyfriend, and problems at home.  She learns the value of being a strong leader both in personal relationships and in roles of responsibility.    When the book is flipped over to All That, the reader can hear the same story from Blake’s point of view.  Blake is Charli’s boyfriend who struggles with his own problems.   This is a great way to introduce reluctant readers to the idea that each character has a story to tell.  As the reader, I felt compelled to side with Charli as I read Always Upbeat.  Then when I heard Blake’s side of the story, I could understand some of his actions and emotions.  I liked that the two books were in one so that readers could have the experience at once.  Also, there was no bad language in the book which is always a plus for me.

The characters of the story are African American and this is obvious throughout the book.  The dialogue, descriptions, and culture are all centered around the ideals of a young black woman or man.  The adult role models in the story (parents, coaches) were flawed yet held high expectations for the teens.  Most teens could relate to this book, regardless of race or gender.  In my opinion, the reading level of this book is significantly lower than its target audience as a young adult book.  I would expect it to be on a high elementary school/low middle school reading level.  However, the characters are in high school and the issues they deal with are quite mature and I would hesitate to allow my middle school student to read the book without my guidance.  Read with a parent, it could be a really great opportunity to discuss some coming-of-age issues such as sexual morality and peer pressure.

Stephanie Perry Moore has published many titles in both Young Adult fiction and adult fiction.   Visit her website to learn more about her activity in her community.   She currently resides in Atlanta with her family.

(Disclosure:  I received this book to review.  The opinions are 100% mine.)