Colie Sparks arrives in Colby for the summer to stay with her eccentric Aunt Mira while her fitness-guru mother tours Europe. Having recently lost a significant amount of weight, Colie still carries the social scars of her former bullying and struggles with a profound lack of self-confidence. While working at the Last Chance Bar and Grill, she meets two older waitresses, Morgan and Isabel, who take her under their wing. Through these friendships and a budding connection with a local artist named Norman, Colie begins to reconcile her physical change with her internal self-image and learns to stand up to local mean girls.
This story serves teenagers who feel like outcasts or struggle with body image after a major life transition. Readers find a grounded depiction of how external validation differs from internal security. The book provides a blueprint for finding community outside of one’s immediate peer group and demonstrates that self-worth is independent of public perception. It offers a realistic look at female friendship and the process of shedding past labels to define one's own identity.
Clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1999
- Language
- EN
