Revenge of a Not-So-Pretty Girl

Gr 7–10—Faye, 14, feels worthless and oppressed. Her father, a struggling musician, left her and her mother years earlier, her mother is full of anger and takes it out on the teen, and her two neighborhood friends have convinced her that if you aren't attractive, the only way to make it in life is to take what you want. The novel, which is set in 1984 Brooklyn, opens with Faye and her friends staking out a former movie star's apartment so they can take her money. The robbery goes awry and the elderly lady ends up sprawled across the floor. Faye finds herself returning to the scene of the crime a few days later. What ensues is a journey to find herself. Faye befriends the old woman and begins to question her life choices. Faye's mother is realistically flawed, as are all of the adults in the novel, and Blythe offers no easy solutions for turning one's life around. The tough-talking Faye slips up and her road to maturity isn't smooth. This realistic portrayal of emotions, decisions, and hardships will appeal to teens who are also struggling with their identities.—Tammy Turner, Centennial High School, Frisco, TX