What I'm Reading Wednesday

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Summary from goodreads.com: It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.  She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?  Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

Another book from the teen section at the library (but a break from my beloved dystopian genre), while not my favorite book, North of Beautiful was definitely an enjoyable read.  You guys know how much I love teen fiction.  Well, I think that there are teen books that EVERYONE should read (Hunger Games...), and there are teen books for, well, Teens.  This book is definitely one I would recommend to a teen.  The themes and topics discussed in it are important ones for teens to read about: inner beauty, being true to yourself, recognizing and celebrating your gifts, and finding someone who loves you for YOU, not in spite of you.  I liked that fact that while there was a little romance, the romance didn't drive the plot--it was more about Terra's self-discovery and journey to acceptance.  (Don't get me wrong, I love a good romance, but there's a time and a place.)  My gripes were that Terra's inner monologue was a little annoying a few times during the book, and I could not STAND reading her dad's dialogue.  Her father is verbally abusive to Terra and her mother, and we are definitely SUPPOSED to hate his character, but I just literally couldn't stand him.  Yes, I know, that's the point, but it really annoyed me.  Oh well.  Anyways, this was a heart warming story and one I would especially recommend to teens.


As usual, cover photos and italicized summaries are from the wonderful goodreads.com. :)


What have you been reading this week??