Reading/Authors

Teen Book Review – Shiwei

Budimir Teen Advisory Group member Shiwei joins us here for another book review. Enjoy!

Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg (4.5/5 stars)

Lexi had been behind the scenes her whole life – her sister, Mac (who is just seven), does glamorous beauty pageants while their mom immerse herself in the spotlight of her youngest child’s glory and has no concern for herself nor her oldest child. Hurt and angry from being told all her life that she was the ugly girl with the “great personality”, Lexi is determined to make a change. With awesome sidekicks Benny and Cam glued to her side, Lexi transforms herself into a beauty queen. Receiving so much attention, Lexi had never been happier. What she didn’t expect however, was how fake and superficial the real world was…

One of the most heart-breaking parts pf the story, Lexi’s broken family was really what brought me to tears (and maybe because I had continued to read this book after watching the notebook, but that’s completely beside the point). Lexi’s parents had separated just when she was 10, and that’s also about when Mac came along. Her mother doesn’t try to hide the fact that Mac is the only important one in the family and continues to diss her oldest child, not even noticing the work and effort Lexi tries to put in for Mackenzie’s sake. Although we also have to pity Mac in this situation, because she had felt like she was left out from a father figure in her childhood (which Lexi have had). Money was a dire situation yet every penny the family made had went to pageants (money garbler events). Refusing to see the situation on hand, Lexi’s mother continues to blow money on something that does not make income, (yet seems to fill the empty whole in her life).

In addition to that, the character development in the story had delightfully surprised me. Lexi had a whole image in her head that those beautiful people at school rocked the world (and to be fair, the author didn’t describe the whole made-up opinion vainly, which made it like a genuine thought that they were actually good people instead of an annoying stereotypical conclusion). As Lexi learn the high ropes of the “beautiful people’s world” she began to realize the things you’ve always desired can be pretty ugly up close (and ain’t what you necessarily need).

What I had also really enjoyed was the fact that Lexi was very genuine and humble throughout the novel (even during her beauty queen periods), which made me fall in love with her character more and more (besides the fact that i’m admiring her quirky, witty and sarcastic personality).

This novel was a bundle of what you just need after a hard day. Fun, witty and sarcastic, this book never disappointed me time after time when I go back to re-read it. Overall, this story uncovered the ugly truth of broken families, how superficial the world had become, self discovery while staying a powerful and inspiring girl with a wonderful personality (which isn’t too bad after all :P).

 

Like what you read? Find an available copy or place a hold here: http://bit.ly/1UVNhtI

girl with the great

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