A Different Me

Gr 7 Up—Allie wants plastic surgery to make her nose more appealing. She has kept this secret for years from her parents and her best friend, Jen. When she turns 15 she decides to be proactive. With encouragement from two new friends she's made in an online chat room for girls with similar desires, Allie finally tells Jen and her parents that she wants the plastic surgery. As Allie plans the most important decision of her life, she's tasked with mentoring the most popular girl in school, and a mysterious boy who likes capturing people at their most unattractive times with his camera begins to target Allie. She begins to realizes that no one is perfect. Whether it is a nose job, a troubled mother, or a sick brother, everyone has problems. After that realization, Allie has second thoughts about the surgery, wondering if a new nose will actually make her happy. Blumenthal takes the time to develop the protagonist. Allie struggles with her parents, her friends, and her self-esteem, and she becomes a stronger person for it. The secondary characters, however, are more predictable. The language is authentically teen, but the narrative's pacing is choppy and plot jumps sometimes disrupt the flow of the story. However, despite the labored writing style, teens will identify with Allie's struggles.—Jeni Tahaney, Duncanville High School Library, TX