North Of Beautiful By Justina Chen Headley Book Review

Name of book:North Of Beautiful

Publisher:Little Brown and Company

Published:2009

Age group:9-12

Number of Pages:373

 Summary

Born with a port-wine stain birthmark covering her entire right cheek, Terra Rose Cooper is ready to leave her stifling, small Washington town where everyone knows her for her face. With her critical, reproachful father and an obese mother who turns to food to deflect her father's verbal attacks, home life for Terra isn't so great either. Fueled by her artistic desires, she plans to escape to an East Coast college, thinking this is her true path. When her father intercepts her acceptance letter, Terra is pushed off-course, and she is forced to confront her deepest insecurities. After an ironically fortuitous car accident, Terra meets Jacob, a handsome but odd goth Chinese boy who was adopted from China as a toddler. Jacob immediately understands Terra's battle with feeling different. When Terra's older brother invites her and her mother to visit him in Shanghai, Jacob and his mother also join them on their journey, where they all not only confront the truth about themselves, but also realize their own true beauty. North of Beautiful is the engaging third YA novel by Justina Chen Headley. This is a gorgeously-written, compelling book featuring universal themes of defining true beauty, family bonds, personal strength, and love.

Review

This book was full of compassion and feeling-unlike any other that I've read. Amazing!

Terra has to battle herself to realize how truly beautiful she is even with the port-wine stain on her cheek that she believes fully disfigures her. As the story passes on and Terra realizes how jolie ladie she is (pretty ugly) Jacob helps her throughout everything, to realize the specialness that she holds within her.

On her visit to Shanghai, a girl named Peony helps her realize what jolie ladie means more than ever. As the time comes and Terra goes back to her art studio, her life changes. Her Mother finally gets the courage to stand up to her Father and gain her independence, while Terra rips up her past 'Beauty Map' full of beautiful people that she wishes that she could be.

I have to say, this was  full of emotion and surprise-and fulfills every persons craving for a great read.

Rating

Grade-A

Luv,
Bethany <3