OCD, The Dude, and Me

There are books out there that make you laugh, that make you cry, and that do a little of both. But when you find a book that leaves you stunned and speechless, you stand up and take note. Lauren Roedy Vaughn's OCD, The Dude, and Me is a story like no other. 

Danielle doesn't make apologies for the way she is, but that doesn't mean her mother likes it. What's worse than being chunky, having unruly orange hair, and being a general outcast? How about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to top it all off? When Danielle's English teacher encourages her to see the school counselor, Danielle is unhappy, to say the least. But at least in class, she can communicate through her favorite means- by writing. Her English teacher even advises the counselor to let Danielle conduct sessions through letters. She can't be all that bad, right? You would think, but then again, she seems to enjoy ripping apart Danielle's English papers, no matter how witty they are (or snarky). 

When everyone seems to conspire together to ruin her life, they decide to do so through a social skills class for other social rejects like Danielle. Even her parents are gung-ho for her attendance in this class. While Danielle inwardly wants to shrivel up and die before attending, her mother's thinly veiled threats to send her back to legit therapy keep her going. But something interesting happens. Danielle meets Daniel. An unlikely duo, as Daniel seems surly and sullen to Danielle's quirks, they find common ground in their relationships with the world. Both have wildly different reasons for how they relate to people, but the end result is fairly similar: outcast central. 

Oh I just loved this story. Danielle is the perfect blend of kooky, sassy, and snarky all rolled into one. And the best part of this story? For once, we have a really great blend of adults in the life of a student with a learning difference who support but don't shelter the main character. Too often we have overbearing parents who try to do everything for their child or protect them from the world, but that doesn't do anything to prepare them for the eventual time when they have to be independent. Or we get the oblivious, absentee parents who don't care the kind of pain their children are going through. In this book, it first seemed like the English teacher and Danielle's parents were too pushy or unforgiving, but really they were doing what was best for Danielle. It might not have been what Danielle wanted, per se, but it was what was best for her. From making her talk to the counselor, to the social skills class, to even forcing her to go on a class trip to England, everything they did was painful, but it actually helped Danielle. I liked that it took me a little while, especially since the story is told through Danielle's assignments and personal journal, to figure that out. Since she was not thrilled about these endeavors, it took her revelation that they had helped for the reader to have the same revelation. It really put the reader in Danielle's shoes in a marvelous and touching way. In addition, she has an aunt who is just fabulous. Seriously. Totally fabulous! We all need an aunt like this in our lives!

This story was so amazing it took me longer than usual to read because I felt like I had to digest every single word with care. It is so much more than meets the eye. My colleague and friend and co-blogger (if we can ever coax her back here!) left this book for me. I knew I would like it, but I wasn't prepared for just how much I would love it! Vaughn really captured the complexity and inner thoughts of her characters, and did so in a way that takes you through their lives alongside them. This is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished it, and just like Theresa, you will want to pass it onto someone you know will love it as much as you do!

The UnWholly Unwind

The Akron AWOL is infamous. The other whollies worship him and the Unwind Culture despises everything he stands for. But behind the moniker is Connor. Connor is just a boy who made it to 17 and can't be unwound, but the weight of the world rests on his shoulders in Unwholly, the second Unwind book by Neal Shusterman.

Connor is in charge of the entire plane Graveyard. He has hidden over 800 AWOLs there, but the fact that missing kids slated for unwinding are hiding there is no secret. He isn't sure why the authorities haven't come to get them yet, but he takes each and every day as a gift. While he and Risa can't be unwound anymore, there are a lot of kids whose lives are in his hands. He can barely feed the kids he has, but that doesn't stop them from the constant rescue missions to save more. Of course, not every kid is as grateful as they should be, and some, like Starkey, have only their interests in mind. When a bunch of kids are barely holding it together in the face of imminent unwinding, all it takes is one very smart, very devious rabble rouser.

Meanwhile, Camus Comprix tries to find his way in a world where he shouldn't exist. The product of dozens of unwound kids, he is made of the parts of others. He was created, not born. When he struggles to find his way in the world with so many conflicting thoughts and memories swirling around his head, his handler feels a companion will keep him on the right track as the most revolutionary advance for humans in their existence. The only problem is the girl Cam wants is an unwilling participant in the experiment. When Risa is captured and blackmailed into joining Cam, she is forced to support the Unwinding movement, the single thing she hates the most. While everyone at the Graveyard thinks she has betrayed them, Risa is trying everything to hold them together. For a group of kids who no one cares if they exist or not, the responsibility sitting on their shoulders is overwhelming.

This was such an interesting follow up to Unwind for a number of reasons. First, it was a book that came out after a significant hiatus. Shusterman took a while to get this book together, so if you followed the series from its inception, you needed a refresher at the beginning of this sequel before you started the new story. But who wants to read an info dump or a recap? So Shusterman created a really ingenious "index" that catches you up quickly and efficiently at the beginning of the story so you know where you are without some silly recap. I also really liked how he balanced the story between the main characters from the last book, Lev, Connor, and Risa, and the new characters Starkey, Cam and Miracolina. The addition of the focus on new characters made it more interesting while still keeping me connected to the previous book.

On a whole, this is one of the creepiest premises I have ever read. I mean, seriously, unwinding kids?? People fighting to preserve the unwinding? The public service notices to convince people what a wonderful solution to abortion? CRAZY! But a brilliant fictional examination of just how far people can go and how blinded they can be in the face of fear and propaganda. It is the kind of series that can be related to everything from the Holocaust to the battle over same sex marriage or abortion. I love a book that is going to elicit passionate discussions from my students, and unwinding is definitely one that will get them fired up. But in addition to the infinite discussions, you will get wrapped up in a really crazy, really interesting story. Shusterman always does that to me!

Converse over Cranium

Families are as different as people themselves. The definition of family is so broad that it doesn't just cover a mom, a dad, and children. Sarah Tregay gets to the heart of this growing cultural difference in Love and Leftovers with a variety of different kinds of family, but they all have one thing in common: love. 

Marcie's mother drags her to New Hampshire after finding out Marcie's dad has been lying and cheating on her- with another man. Usually they just vacation at their family's old summer house, but fall has arrived, school has begun, and they should have left by now. Back in Idaho, Marcie left her father, her best friends (the Leftovers), and her perfect boyfriend, Linus. She didn't even pack for the move, and her aunt has to donate some clothes to the cold and changing cause (including underwear the size of Idaho). 

At first Marcie just wants to go back to Idaho, but she begins to settle in to her new school. In fact, she even starts hanging out with a boy named J.D. and starts to forget about the life she has back home. When her own father's lies and life choices start to invade her own thoughts, she finds herself uncertain about what to believe. Could Linus be gay like her father is? Is it easier to go after a boy who is so clearly not gay but might be a player?

There are so many layers to this book, it is hard to unravel them all. First you have the catalyst for the whole story, Marcie's dad. This whole relationship is handled so well, I was happy to see it in this book. Yes, the realization that he was no longer in love with Marcie's mother was difficult, but he still cared about her. And Marcie struggled with the separation and divorce, but eventually she accepted it and was actually quite understanding about her father's new relationship. She even becomes close with Danny, her father's boyfriend, and realizes how much happier her father is now. I loved the way this relationship unfolded, and it gave this added depth and love to the story that doesn't often come out of one parent cheating on the other.

Next were the supporting characters. In Idaho, Marcie's friends call themselves the Leftovers, the unclassifiable kids who don't belong to any group. They are an eclectic bunch, but they are truly fabulous- the kids you wish you were brave enough to be at that age! But they all have their skeletons too. Emily got pregnant and gave her son up for adoption. Linus' father lost his job and Linus spends most of his time babysitting his brother's daughter. All of these backstories make this group of kids enough for an entire book for each of them! But the backstories aren't hokey or cheesy, they just are what they are, and they all care about one another. I loved these kids!

This was a really great book written in verse with short but powerful sentences that suck you in and throw you into the spin cycle. I would love this book, which deals with such mature topics, to be used for an older, mature, struggling reader because the chapters are super short, the language is melodious but simple, and the verse is acceptable. They would be able to read it successfully but not feel like they were reading a story that was beneath them in terms of maturity. I really liked this story and applaud Tregay for fitting in so much material with so few words! Brilliant!

Cinderella, Cyborgs, and a Plague

My brother-in-law went to see Snow White and the Huntsmen a couple of weeks ago, and when he told us about it, he said it was "predictable". My response was, "It's Snow White you goof! What about that story don't  you know already?!" But then I went to see the movie and was blown away by how innovative and unique it was despite being a fairy tale we can all recite by memory. In fact, it was that experience that made me get over my preconceived notions about Marissa Meyer's Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles and just read it already. I mean, Cinderella and cyborgs? How much more creative can you get?!


Cinder is a cyborg: a person with machine parts. She has more machine than most cyborgs, but she suffers the same second-class citizen status as every cyborg. In fact, the cyborg draft solidifies their status as "non-humans" to the non-cyborg folk. It allows the government to draft cyborgs against their will to be used as guinea pigs in the race against the plague to find a cure. And no one seems to mind that the cyborgs never return from these tests. But the plague is threatening the very existence of the country... almost as much the Lunars are. Luna is the country that conquered life on the moon, but over generations, the Lunars have developed "powers" or the ability to control electro-magnetic pulses that can alter emotions, feelings, and perceptions. Now their crazy Queen wants to make an alliance with the kingdoms on earth and she isn't afraid to bully or blackmail her way in. 


But Cinder's life is a lot less complicated. Not a lovely life by any means, but less complicated. She goes to work, the money she earns goes to support her stepmother and stepsisters (only one of which is awful), and she tries to hide her cyborg parts as carefully as possible. But when the crowned Prince Kai comes to her booth for help with an android, she is more worried than ever about someone learning of her cyborg parts. When the plague hits too close to home, Cinder is sent to the labs for experiments, but the results are nothing she could ever have dreamed of. Now, she is more than just a cyborg outcast, but her lot in life is no easier. Especially when all she wants is Prince Kai, a desire she won't even allow herself to dream about because there is no way a man in line for the throne who could have any girl he wanted would ever want to love a cyborg... or is there?


OK. Let's get this out in the open. Marissa Meyer is a bloody genius! Who would have ever thought to make Cinderella into a cyborg? And if you think you are going to go into this book to find something predictable, you are totally mistaken! This is an old, well-known story that has been taken, stripped to its bare elements, and transformed into something FANTASTIC! It is Cinderella like you have never seen before, and you will love what Meyer has done to the story. Take the fairy tale element away and this is still a phenomenal story. First, I love the twists on the old story Meyer has created. Cinder's character is every bit as lovely as Cinderella, complete with the same issues and troubles, but her situation is even more dire than before. With the plague and the division of the cyborgs, she couldn't be more of an outcast. Then you have the strong science-fiction element with the androids and Cinder's family's droid Iko who has a personality chip that makes her more person than machine but completely unwanted for it. And the prince? Oh Kai is fantastic. He would even submit himself to the most awful of situations to save and protect his people. It is no wonder everyone loves Kai! I know I did!


This is a great story for any strong middle reader through adult reader. It has a brilliant Science Fiction twist on your tried and true fairy tale, and you will be thrilled to have it on your shelves. Don't let yourself be discouraged by "Cyborg Cinderella" like I was. This story is so much more than that. This is a book that would appeal to a wide range of readers from your SF junkies to your dystopian fans to the average modern lit readers. Trust me. This isn't one to ignore! And with the way the story ended, you will be dying to get ahold of the next three books in the Lunar Chronicles!

A Need to Help People

We all want to help people in one way or another. We want to help a little old lady cross the road, donate to charities, save abandoned dogs, and Adopt families during the holidays. But how far would we go to give to someone or help them in a time of need? In Suzanne Young's A Need So Beautiful, Charlotte must ask herself that question on a whole new level.


Charlotte has always experienced the Need. When she feels the Need, she has to follow it to whomever is in need of the knowledge she has, whether it be to warn a pregnant woman that something is wrong with her baby or to guide a criminal to the right path. In the past, the Need only came once in a while, but the crippling need to answer the Need is becoming more and more frequent. So frequent in fact that her adoptive mother, best friend, and boyfriend are starting to notice that it isn't just asthma (which she uses to explain the loss of breath when she feels the Need). She just can't hide her secret anymore


But something else is wrong. Charlotte is starting to get scared and seeks out the help of her family doctor, the man who runs the local free clinic. She shows him that something strange is happening to her skin, almost like it is peeling away, but she isn't ready for the answer he has for her. Trapped in an impossible decision with catastrophic consequences on either end, Charlotte comes to a crossroads that will ruin her. The question is, will she help herself or help others?


This story was a strange and unique angle on the whole angel genre that has flooded YA novels in the past few years. I had never thought of this type of angel and was really interested in the impossible decision Charlotte had to make. The worst part about it is that she is a good person who just wants a little happiness for herself after being abandoned at the age of 6. Luckily, she was adopted by a wonderful woman and had a supportive best friend and loving boyfriend. Her life wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad, either. But this choice... this choice is horrible to ask of anyone, but particularly horrible to ask of Charlotte. If you ever needed to see a main character pushed to the brink, this is the book for you.


On a whole, though, there were times this book was a little slow for me. The unraveling of the true nature of the Need was paced well, but I still found myself wanting it to just move along. But overall, it wasn't a bad book and I intend to check out A Want So Wicked when it comes out. This is a good book for a middle school through emergent older reader as it is interesting, but has fairly simple language. It isn't a book I would throw at everyone who came by, but it was a fun and decent read. You will enjoy it!

Many Wounds Never Heal

Susan Beth Pfeffer has proved with this book that she is a skilled author. I read her post-apocalyptic series a while ago, and it was a character driven, thoughtful, realistic series. I am surprised she can bring that same thoughtfulness into a very, very different kind of story- one about a young girl struggle with her own demons, both internal demons and very tangible demons. This story made me think about Pfeffer in a whole new light.

Willa and her mother escaped an abusive father and ended up with a very kind man named Jack who only wanted the best for them. Jack and Willa's mothers life is a financial struggle, but Val, Jack's ex-wife, pays for her daughters to do anything they want. While Willa loves her two sisters, it is very clear there is a discrepancy between what they get to do thanks to their mother, and what Willa gets to do because her mom can't afford it. Willa barely remembers her biological father, except his temper. When frantic phone calls followed by a police visit reveal her father, Budge, may have murdered his new wife and children and is on the run, Willa feels she is living in a surreal world.

Budge was spotted outside Ohio, and is on his way towards Willa and her mother. For their own safety, they are moved to a hotel. When Budge arrives at their house, he attacks a police officer and is killed on Willa's front lawn. In a few short hours, Willa's entire life is turned upside down when she learns about his brutal murders, 4 other children, 3 of which he murdered, and the life she and her mother left behind when they ran from Texas. She decides to go back to the town to pay her respects to the family she never knew she had. It is there she learns a lot about her life, both before and after she left Texas. What Willa uncovers will change everything about the way she sees the people around her.

This is a beautiful and terrifying story all in one. The characters are unconventional, and they have very real problems. I had a lot of trouble digesting Willa's mother through most of the story, especially how she literally tread on eggshells around Jack so as to "not ruin anything". But when they stopped acting like a Stepford family and faced the troubles their family was having, I understood why she was the way she was (although I still didn't really like it). The strange relationship between Willa and her sisters was also confusing at first until it became clear they were just as confused and unhappy as she was. These characters really grew and developed as the story went along.

The story is really very deep and dark. It deals with some very heavy material that might be too much for a more sensitive reader. It isn't overly bloody or gory, but the murder is particularly brutal. The toughest part is seeing Willa suffer through so much and internalize her pain so much she turns to cutting in order to make it through each day. You just want to save Willa. You want to slap her parents and make them realize how hurt she is, even before her father came back into her life. Some of the emotions are difficult to decipher at first, but I think that is what makes the story so realistic. Although the reading level of this story would make it suitable for a younger reader, its subject matter might make it better for a more mature reader. And be prepared to have some discussions with your child or student after they are finished. This isn't a book to be taken lightly, and it proves Pfeffer is quite an adaptable author.

Bump this off the "To Read" pile

Let me premise this review with a little about my feelings toward mature information in young adult stories- I am not a teacher who feels censorship is right. I am not a person who stops students from reading mature books. I am not an adult who thinks young adults can't handle or will be swayed negatively by difficult topics. The only thing I require is that the mature situations are handled well, or in a way that will help the child see the moral of the scenario. I don't like when serious situations are trivialized or treated as a joke. Sadly, that is how I feel Megan McCafferty handled the terrifying notion of forced teenage pregnancy (mostly for profit) in Bumped.

Harmony and Melody were twins separated at birth. In a world where a virus has made most people infertile by age 18, children are being persuaded to have babies and sell them. Melody was adopted by a couple who instantly recognized the profit to be made by establishing a birthing contract for their daughter. They were pioneers in the "pregg for profit" business where girls score contracts with wealthy parents who desperately want babies. Harmony was adopted and raised by a cult-like religious group called Goodside who encourage marriages as young as 13 in order to produce as many "God-like" babies as possible before the fateful age when the virus kicks in.

Neither situation is perfect, but it is the product of a world where the virus dictates the population. When Harmony abandons Goodside and tracks down Melody, life becomes a little less clear for both sisters. Despite her groundbreaking contract with the Jaydens, Melody has never "bumped" (gotten pregnant) due to their hesitancy in locating the proper father of the baby. In school, she is starting to become irrelevant as girls get younger and younger with their first pregg and her friends work on their second and third deliveries. She desperately wants to bump, but the Jaydens have to pick a guy first. Harmony has come to Otherside to find her sister and bring her back to Goodside. What she isn't admitting to Melody or herself is that she is really running away from life at Goodside where she simply doesn't belong.

When Melody's agent, Lib, contacts her to tell her the Jaydens have scored the ultimate guy for her to bump with, Jondoe, he doesn't realize he is actually talking to Harmony. Harmony then meets with Jondoe and takes off with him, discovering there is more to this beautiful man than just an incredible fertility rate. When Melody finds out, she also begins to see the ugly side of babies for hire. Now she has to decide between her amazing contract and the nagging feeling that selling babies just isn't right. Harmony has to decide between a man she feels more connection to than her own husband and the life and morals she was raised with.

When I picked up this book, I was excited about the premise- it seemed really interesting. When I started reading, I spent the first 50 pages or so completely confused and bogged down by campy jargon that was completely unnecessary and made the book feel very cheesy (e.g. pregging, fertilicious, FunBumps, janky, reproaesthetic, maSEX, etc.). Then the book started to really bother me. At first I thought I was being silly about a book filled with teenage pregnancy when it is clearly trying to show the pitfalls of those pregnancies- not glorify them. I have never had a problem with teenage pregnancy in YA lit in the past, though, so that didn't make sense. Then I realized my problem- it was making a serious situation into a campy joke. The ridiculous jargon, absurd songs trying to get girls to bump and repopulate, and easy talk of drugs that are essentially roofies to "loosen girls up" made a mockery of a tale that could have been very serious and tactfully delivered. I am totally fine with fun, light stories using puns and silliness, but you can't have it both ways. You can't choose a super serious topic and "fun it up" with silly names and outfits.

I absolutely had a problem with the casual references to drugs to persuade girls to have sex. I was also horrified by the casual references to the masSEX parties that the cheerleaders attend where they literally have sex with tons of guys to ensure they all get pregnant together. These references would have been fine if they had been handled seriously, but they were trivialized. By the end of the story, the main characters started to make some revelations about society, but it was almost too little too late at that point. The damage was done. It was the equivalent of making a fun-spirited musical of the Holocaust- tactless.

So I can honestly say I was not impressed by this book. I am a teacher who has stuck up for books by Patricia McCormick, Julie Ann Peters, Sherman Alexie and others who talk about sex, teenage pregnancy, gay teens, bullying, suicide, eating disorders, masturbation, rape, etc. and I haven't seen anything wrong with those stories, because they handle their topics tactfully. This book was just silly. There is just too much out there in the YA world that is done BEAUTIFULLY to waste a student's time with a book like this one.

Unwound to a Better Place?

Ever wonder what will happen if two groups fighting over an unanswerable problem finally went too far? What about the pro-life/pro-choice debate? If both sides finally realize their futility and reach a point of no return, where would we be? In Unwind, Neal Shusterman has taken the abortion issue so far, you will be terrified to imagine such a world.

When the second civil war is fought over abortion, both sides agree to end the war if one rule is implemented: unwinding. A parent can choose to "unwind" a child only between the ages of 13 and 18. They must keep the child until they are 13 before unwinding. When a child is unwound, they are taken to a Harvest Camp and their parts are dismantled and used for other people awaiting the organs and limbs. The theory behind unwinding is that although a child is never alive "whole" again, they will always be alive in pieces, and therefore not be "aborted".

Connor, Risa and Lev are three unwinds who are all being sent to Harvest Camp for different reasons. Connor is a moderately bad kid whose parents are tired of dealing with detentions. Risa is a ward of the state and due to cutbacks, they are unwinding a bunch of kids to make room for more. Lev belongs to a religion where they believe 10% of their worth should go back to the community. As the tenth child, Lev becomes the "tithe" or donation to the community in the form of unwinding. While all came form different backgrounds, all three will end up the same way- as spare parts for the operating rooms.

During a freak accident, Connor runs away and causes an accident on Risa's bus to camp so she is able to escape. Then Connor rescues a reluctant Lev who just wants to fulfill his duty as a tithe. The three find themselves bumbling through town trying to find a way to escape the Harvest Camp. They find adults who are willing to sneak them and other runaway unwinds to a plane graveyard that doubles as hideaway for unwinds until they are 18 and free of the Harvest Camps. Unfortunately, for Connor, Risa, and Lev, it isn't as simple as just waiting, especially when someone is trying to take down the hideaway from the inside. Can they escape the camps? Or will they end up like every other unwind... pieced up like a junked car.

This story is so horrifying it would catch anyone's attention. And the creepiest part? It's delivery is almost casual, making it even more terrifying. Shusterman keeps you engaged from the first page and leaves you gaping at the ending. I think this is a great book for either a male or female student, as the main characters present both sides. Each chapter is told in the perspective of one of the three main characters, giving the story an amazing twist.

The most important part of this story is the discussions it will lead you into with your student or child. How far will people go to settle a long-standing argument? Can a compromise give up more than you imagined? What is death really? If your parts are still alive, are you? The discussion possibilities are endless. This is a book that will open up more than just your students reading fluency. It will create an opportunity to really talk a child about important topics. Shusterman hit a home run with this one- more than you can imagine!

Marked with the Stamp of Greatness!

Occasionally I read a book that is so good I have to read every review of the book, find the author's website, and hunt to find if there are signings, sequels or any other news about the book. This is rare for me, but when it happens, I feel as though I have been steamrolled! Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien sent me on just such a hunt!

Gaia and her mother are midwives in a dystopian community just north of Unlake Superior (no longer a lake since the climate change). The community consists of a walled in city called the Enclave and the small communities outside the wall. The Enclave requires every midwife to "advance" the first three babies born every month to the Enclave to be adopted to Enclave families. Gaia and her family serve the Enclave well until her parents are arrested and Gaia enters the wall illegally to find them.

Inside the wall, the truth and reality about the advancements comes out. The small city has had so much inbreeding due to the ambiguity of the adoptions that the population will soon be extinct due to infertility and hemophilia if something isn't done quickly. Now the Enclave wants to get their hands on the secret, illegal records the midwives have been keeping. When Gaia is caught inside the wall after she delivers a baby from a woman who was just executed, she is put in prison with the other doctors and midwives. While her time inside the wall is haunted with worries of her imprisoned parents, she learns more about healing and about the genetic nightmare inside the wall than she ever would have on the outside. Now, with the help of the kind guard, she must betray her parents records of the birth in order to prevent her mother's execution. More importantly, though, she must save her mother and escape the Enclave.

I love a good dystopia, especially with a strong heroine who can see through the corruption of the government. Gaia is just such a heroine, and she is determined to do what is right regardless of the consequences. The bizarre but haunting troubles with the Enclave are an interesting and disturbing take on a society's downfall. This is particularly interesting when the forced adoptions are factored in and the Enclave's only hope are the people outside the wall they have used essentially as slaves for generations.

The writing can be a bit more mature than most YA (the word avuncular is used in the first 20 pages!), but the story is so gripping, it might challenge a struggling reader. While the story isn't stiflingly complex, the higher reading level and intricate story might be best for older students. I would give this to students grades 10 and up. There is no content a parent might find objectionable, such as drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. Instead, the disturbing parts are upsetting for a whole new reason- what could happen after a very real threat: climate change. This was an excellent YA dystopia and I am very excited O'Brien's publishing company decided to make this a trilogy instead of one book! Now I just have to wait (im)patiently for the second book!

What does "Beautiful" mean anyway?

I have had this book for a while, started it a couple of times, but never gotten very far. I finally picked it up again over the holiday and looking back, I don't know how I ever put it down. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley is a beautiful story about physical beauty, inner beauty, pain, humiliation, and coming to terms with who you are.

Terra is a senior in high school who is determined to keep her body as beautiful and physically fit as possible. She obsesses over her body to compensate for the rather large port-wine birthmark that is splayed across her cheek. Despite years of trying to lighten the birthmark through painful laser surgeries, nothing has worked. But Terra has become a master at camouflage. She has enough make-up to cover her face, and sometimes her soul, from the rest of the world.

The birthmark isn't Terra's only source for humiliation. Her father is great at making her feel small and insignificant. When he isn't picking on Terra's mother for being overweight, this washed up cartographer waits for opportunities to keep his children down, humiliate them, and hurt them in anyway possible. Terra's two older brothers have escaped the tension of the household, but Terra is still stuck there. Each moment in the house is spent listening to her father abuse her mother and being torn between wanting to intervene and not wanting to be the next victim.

When her brothers come home for Christmas, Terra's father pulls his usual attack which causes the boys to leave- the eldest returning to China where he has lived for two years. When he sends Terra and her mother tickets to visit him in China, they immediately dispel the idea- Terra's father would never let them go. It takes the gentle push of a new-found friend and her son, Jacob, who offer to go with them to get Terra and her mother on the plane. Once in China, both Terra and her mother are forced to look at themselves, their lives, and most sadly, Terra's father and his verbal and emotional abuse.

This is an amazing book that put a knot in my stomach from the first word to the last. The description of the father's emotional and verbal abuse is so haunting, I felt as though I was Terra. Having known victims of such abuse, and having been a witness to such abuse, I have no idea how Headley could put those emotions and feelings on paper. I had a friend whose father was just like Terra's, and the tension, anxiety and fear Headley describes is what you felt the moment you walked into my friend's house. But at the same time, this book is beautiful. We are all flawed, but that is simply what makes us stronger.

I would recommend this book for students only if you can be sure they have never suffered this kind of family situation. I can honestly say the descriptions of the father are so painful and hurtful that if a student who had a similar home life were to read this book, the consequences could be great. However, this is an amazing book for that student who may need a "little touch with reality". We have all had the student who thinks the latest high school drama and who sat where in the cafeteria are the biggest happenings in the world. This book is certainly an eye-opener to how those silly high school dramas aren't really as important as kids think they are. My only caution is to please read this book before you give to a student and know the student you are recommending this book to- it isn't for everyone.