North of Beautiful

North of Beautiful
by Justina Chen Headley
373 Pages
Young Adult Fiction
Little, Brown and Company
February 2009

We all have things that we would change about ourselves, ears, nose, feet, something. What if you could cover up what haunted that image of perfection that you had? Terra, the heroine of North of Beautiful has always done just that. Beautiful, tall, blond, and incredibly fit, but she will never be good enough-all because of the port wine stain on one half of her face. Her mom has taken her through many painful laser removal treatments that have had no impact on the intensity of the mark on her face. Over the years she has just learned to cover it up and really, what no one knows can't hurt them- or Terra. She is known at school for her jock boyfriend, and that she hangs with the popular crowd and none of them have ever seen her without her mask on.

Through some interesting events Terra meets Jacob, makeup or no make up he has the ability to see right through the image she is trying to live. He seems to know her before she has even said a word. This is disarming to Terra, as not even at home is she able to be honest. Terra's father is verbally abusive, her mother takes the brunt of any mistake the kids make- Terra isn't allowed to be imperfect. Will honesty feel too uncomfortable after so many years in hiding?

I have a HUGE claim to make and maybe to some even preposterous. All that Twilight gets so wrong- North of Beautiful gets just right. This, not Twilight, is the book I think teens should read. Forget the sickly-super-vamps and feeble-minded-females, this Young Adult novel is worth its paper and much more. Justina Chen Headley rocked the world of Young Adult Literature when she typed this one up. I can't say enough about it. The writing is great, the characters are flesh, the truth is true and there are no mind games. This one goes in my 'must keep' pile.

North of Beautiful brings the message to kids that imperfection isn't what we should hide, but what we should be proud of. Beauty comes from security and knowing that you are just as you should be- no matter what way our world goes. Beauty-shmooty...who is the judge of that?

And with easy, relaxed strides it takes my Stellar Five Chicken Award. This is what Young Adult should be like!

Author Justina Chen Headley Links:

Blog: Wordlings by Justina
Website: Justina Chen Headley

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Other Young Adult Books You'll Eat Up! Enjoy.

The Hunger Games
The Boy in Striped Pajamas
The Invention of Hugo Cabret