Looks

Argh, a week. A whole week without updating or really getting much reading done. Is this what this stupid college thing is going to do to me? And I'm not even there yet! I am extremely sorry for the lack of updates, but I cannot make any promises--these next two/three weeks are probably going to be the most hectic of my life. Here's hoping I can find some time to get at least some reading done! Anyways, silly ranting is over, time for a long overdue review.

Looks
written by Madeleine George



Looks is a really amazing unique book, written in a vividly honest perspective. It is one of the best embodiments of high school awkwardness that I have read in a long time, and that is very refreshing. I was glad to see a teacher, Mr. Handsley, playing a role, giving this book even more parallels to Speak than the already evident ones (narration by a "invisible girl", fly on the wall high schooler). The really striking thing about this is that all of the characters, no matter how minimal a role they play, are extremely well-developed, and you will get emotionally attached to at least one of them, no matter who you are. It's an interesting commentary on life, particularly a teenage one, where everyone tries so hard to break out of that invisible mold we're all at one point or other stuck in. We are all connected, and yet we barely notice it. The moment when the girls are at long last given names to match personalities is a powerful one, reminding us that thin or overweight, we are all one.

Rating: 5/5