Review: The Pretty One

Klam, Cheryl. The Pretty One. New York: Delacorte, 2008.

Megan is perfectly used to living in her sister Lucy's shadow. Lucy is the pretty one. Megan is the other sister. You might describe the sisters as day and night. Lucy is day with her blond hair and blue eyes. Megan is night with her dark hair and dark eyes. More than coloring, Megan's features aren't what you'd call pretty. Despite this, Megan is content with her life. When she finds out what Lucy really thinks of her, she's distraught and walks out into to traffic. Luckily, most of the damage done is cosmetic. Doctors reconstruct Megan's face. She looses weight. She has become the pretty one. When Megan goes back to school, she struggles to retain her identity. Her new face gives her new friends, but she wonders why they never bothered to befriend her before. Do they truly like her or are they just enamoured of her new face? This is the story of how Megan deals with her new life courtesy of her new face.

What I thought: I liked this book. It's not a story line I've ever considered before. It takes sibling rivalry to a new high. I do wish that there was more closure at the end of the book. I'm not certain I (or Megan) know if her crush likes her for herself or for her face. To be certain, the qualities he admires in her (her humor, interest in comic books, etc.) are ones she had before the accident. Overall, the book is engaging. I couldn't put it down. I wanted to see what would happen next to Megan. I think the book has broad appeal as chick lit. Hopefully, the people who read it will consider seriously the question of inner beauty versus outer beauty.