Never Enough (review)

Loann huddles in her pretty, popular sister Claire's shadow, trying to avoid the stinging jabs of Claire's friends. It's her own friends who turn on her, though, when an unfortunate lunchtime incident ends up embarrassing one of Loann's crew. The fallout is devastating for Loann when her former BFF reveals to the whole school her crush on her sister's boyfriend, Josh, but Loann finds a new friend in Marcus, who gives her mixed signals but appreciates her dry wit. All is not as peachy as it seems in her sister's world, however, and it slowly dawns on Loann that Claire is descending into an eating disorder; her attempts to approach her sister, though, are complicated by their changing relationships—and by Loann's sex with Josh. Although much of the conflict focuses on Claire's eating disorder, this is really Loann's book; she has to learn to balance her love for her sister with her jealousy, when to push and when to back down, and who she might be other than a poor substitute for her sister. Her relationship with Marcus is key to her maturing process; like Claire, he has a potentially life-threatening problem that requires delicate handling, and it is through their relationship that Loann acquires the wisdom and courage to confront her family's dysfunction. With well-developed complications and the convincing realism of daily life—Loann gets a job, struggles with classes, and develops her talent for photography while she's trying to sort out her social and emotional field—this novel ably leads readers through a rocky terrain of contemporary teen problems.