Meghan Ball is massively obese. Aimee Zorn is anorexicly skinny. Both girls are completely invisible to their peers.
Madeleine George's novel, Looks, is told in alternating chapters by Meghan and Aimee. It is impossible to read this book without getting sucked in by the sheer emotional pain both girls are feeling. Sometimes overwhelming emotion from ostracism, abandonment, and betrayal manifests itself physically: like through binge eating or starving oneself. Interestingly, George's fine writing style made me feel much compassion toward the girls, but also a little repulsed by them. It's as though George wanted her readers to feel the same emotions her characters were feeling, and I always admire an author who crafts her words so well.
Overall, is this a new story? No. Is is a worthy read? Very much so. I recommend this book to girls who like stories told from two perspectives, eating disorder type books, or dramas about high school.
3 comments:
There was something about this one I really didn't like, and I'm always on the lookout for eating disorder books. I may have to take another look at this one. Why am I thinking it was randomly mean?
It WAS randomly mean... that went into my sort-of disgust with the characters. They were abused emotionally so they emotionally abused others... without giving to much away, does the poetry incident ring any bells?
I'm reading it now. It does seem kind of mean, but in a good way...like, it feels real. For lack of a better word. Like, the characters aren't all, "Aww, let's be friends and gossip." Kind of like the poem that Aimee writes. It shocks you, the way the book does--but it makes you feel. I'm not done with it yet, but so far I'm loving it. Great review!
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