Isabelle Lee has a problem, and it's not just Ape Face, her sister, or group therapy for an eating disorder, or even that her father died and her mother is depressed and in denial. It's that Ashley, the most popular girl in school, is inviting Isabelle to join her at lunch and at sleepovers at her house, and this is presenting Isabelle with a dilemma. Pretty Ashley has moved Isabelle up the social ladder, but is it worth keeping the secret they share? Caught in the orbit of popularity and appearances, Isabelle must navigate a world with mixed messages, false hopes, and potentially harmful turns, while coping with her own flailing family and emotions. The author brings a depth of characterization, humor, and a real adolescent's voice to this multileveled story about the desire to be perfect in an imperfect world.

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the YA category by the Golden Sower Award. It was recognised by the Isinglass Teen Read Award. It also was recognised in the Teen category by the Rhode Island Book Awards.

This book has been graded for interest at 11-13 years.

There are 172 pages in this book. This book was published 2004 by Milkweed Editions .

Natasha Friend is the award-winning author of Perfect, Lush, Bounce, For Keeps , and My Life in Black and White . She lives in Madison, Connecticut, with her family.