Pretty Is (review)

"I was running out of friends to lose," says Erin sadly, as yet another former comrade heads into the orbit of glamour-girl Kayla. This means that Erin is on the verge of heading without allies into middle school; worse still, she'll be tagged as the younger sister of dorky, friendless Monica. She finds a congenial pal in rebellious Hannah, and the two girls launch a night attack on a camping Kayla, scissoring off the golden girl's long hair. As a consequence, Erin is sent off to camp for a "fresh start"—but that fresh start means even closer proximity to Monica, who's not only attending the same camp but ends up in Erin's cabin. This is a family dynamic we don't usually see in books for young people, and Holmes offers an interesting exploration, making it clear that Erin isn't entirely wrong about her fears but that she's unfair nonetheless. Erin's total reformation by the end is highly unrealistic (and there's not a kid in the world who'd have convicted her for reading Monica's diary, which she nobly leaves undisturbed), but as a flawed and desperate struggler amid a punishing peer group she's utterly believable. The reality of social economics is sharply observed; readers will find hope in the eventual rising of Erin's stock, and they will sympathize with her authentic desperation.