The Bermudez Triangle - Maureen Johnson | Guest review by Raimy for Lesbian Teen Novels Week

This book review is part of

the Lesbian Teen Novels Week hosted here.

If you would like more information about the week,

head over here.

I am thrilled to welcome Raimy from Readaraptor 

to review this wonderful book by Maureen Johnson.

Raimy has been posting quite a few article for the week,

so don't hesitate to head over her blog to check them out!

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Summary from Goodreads:

What happens when your two best friends fall in love...with each other?
"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. But it's only the beginning of a sometimes painful, sometimes funny, always gripping journey as three girls discover who they are and what they really want.

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“Look at us, we are the three

Nina, Mel and there’s Avery

Shout it loud, shout it louder,

Shout it out, Triangle Power!”

Nina, Mel and Avery form the Bermudez Triangle. Best friends since childhood they picked up the name during one of Nina’s birthday parties when another girl was jealous of their closeness. Spending all time together no matter what their relationship is tested when Nina goes off to precollege the summer before their senior year. Everything changes that summer and when Nina gets back she realises that maybe the triangle can some distorted shape once in a while, especially when it transpires that Avery and Mel are now more than just friends.

Ok so let me just get this one out in the open straight away; The Bermudez Triangle is AMAZING! Go read, now!

I had been anticipating this one for so long that I was actually worried about reading it! Thankfully it really lived up to the hype that I’d given it in my head so I was really happy with the outcome!

The three girls reminded me of the type of friends I’d always wanted when I was growing up; those girls who I’d known forever and would be friends with for life no matter what happened. Unfortunately I didn’t get it and I met my awesome friends for life in Uni but I loved what Nina, Mel and Avery had so much and it felt so right!

The characters and what they were all going through seemed very realistic and I could easily picture them in my mind. I had all of their looks right down to their clothes and the way they wore them so clear in my mind that I could see them walking down the street in certain scenes! I loved their development throughout the book and I really think this book should be read by anyone and everyone because it captures the coming of age element brilliantly.

I read this one as a part of Caroline’s Lesbian Teen Novels Week but I wanted to read it anyway. LGBT books shout out to me because I love to see how well the authors can put these themes across. I think Maureen Johnson captured everything brilliantly, right down to the straight girl thinking about the possibility that she was gay just because her friends were. All the ups and downs of working out who you are and what you want were cleverly put across in this book and I just loved it. You got the arses that make wise-cracks about being gay and who are obviously too narrow minded to think more than “ooo two gay girls, come on then, put on a show!” But at the same time you got the beauty of finally realising who you are and being happy about yourself.

I loved that there were different aspects of this book, it wasn’t all about coming to terms  with your sexuality, coming out and having lesbian relationships, there was also the idea of becoming attracted to your best friends - male and female - and having straight relationships. All three girls had their own stuff going on so it wasn’t all just all Mel and Avery; they all had their own thoughts and feelings.

I loved the girls so much but I really got annoyed with Avery… She seemed really selfish and there were times when I just wanted Nina and Mel to tell her to bugger off. She grew on me though and I do think that maybe her selfishness and annoyingness was an avoidance technique. 

Obviously I have to give Parker a mention too! Parker is an awesomely cute, funny boy who I honestly wanted to adopt as my own! He was lovely and sweet and I felt so sorry for him sometimes as he was lumbered in the middle a lot. The Triangle kinda adopted him during the months that the book was set over and I think he made a brilliant addition to the story!

Overall I honestly believe that straight or gay, young or old, The Bermudez Triangle is one of the best coming of age stories I have read. I knew Maureen Johnson was a pretty damn cool author before I’d read this and now it’s confirmed, she is a genius! I couldn’t get enough of this book and Its definitely going in my top reads of all time!

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Thank you Raimy for this fabulous review!