Mona Lisa Corsella has never felt that she lives up to her famous namesake, so she's shied away from dating and boys. That is until Julio Avila, star of the Chavez track team, asks her to come watch him run at his next race. Mona is thrilled and more than a little nervous because why would someone as cute and popular as Julio be interested in her? Julio is sweet, caring, and dedicated, and he shows Mona that she's hiding behind her insecurities. The only thing standing in the way of these two young people is Mona's mom. Julio isn't good enough for her baby girl and she won't see Mona waste her life on a boy who is nothing but trouble.

MISJUDGED by Anne Schraff is a moral tale about not judging people based upon their wealth or circumstances. For me, this reads a little bit like a church play. The majority of the cast are nice, helpful, and supportive while there is one character who must learn a lesson the hard way. The dialog is written so it revolves around this moral lesson, and because of that it feels unnatural and stilted. The characters are also just a little too nice to be realistic or have much depth. While there are mistakes made by the characters, they aren't mistakes that expose weaknesses or flaws in their character. They're "mistakes" that are turned into examples of the person's selfless behavior. I prefer grittier, realistic characters in YA, so MISJUDGED wasn't the right book for me. If you're looking for a sweet romance with a strong moral theme and characters who exemplify caring and thoughtful teens, then MISJUDGED could be for you.