by An Na
First published 2008
Joyce had never worried much about her appearance until John Ford Kang walked into her life. JFK is the best looking boy at school, and suddenly Joyce finds herself thinking about how she measures up. Living in her gorgeous older sister Helen's shadow doesn't help matters. Then Joyce's wealthy aunt, who has had multiple cosmetic procedures, makes an unexpected offer. She wants to pay for Joyce to have eyelid surgery, a procedure designed to give Asian women more "Western" looking eyes. Joyce learns the surgery would make her look remarkably similar to Helen. Her friend Gina thinks Joyce is crazy not to jump at the chance. But Joyce isn't sure she wants to change herself, even if it might make her prettier by conventional standards. She must decide whether to accept her aunt's gift or stay true to how she naturally looks. Her choice forces her to examine what beauty really means and who gets to define it.
Genres: coming-of-age, contemporary, young-adult, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets, self-discovery
280 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers