This is one of Sarah Dessens books that I found very in tune with my theme in 2010 of Happy Endings! This book is a nice caption of a girl who has found friends who help her to seek her inner and outter beauty and at the same time finds LOVE!
Characters are:
Colie-15 year old girl, low self esteem, lost weight
Kiki Sparks-Colies mom
MIra- Colie's aunt/artist, writes cards like hallmarks
Morgan- Waitress #1 at Last Chance Diner, Isabels BFF
Isabel-Waitress #2 at Last Chance Diner, Morgans BFF
Norman-17 year old boy, rents room at Mira's, Artist and cook at Last Chance Diner
The book starts off by introducing Colie as a young girl with her mother who travel in different cities and states looking for employment and a place where they fit in. Colie and her mother Kiki are both overweight in the beginning. Kiki soon after gets inspired and loses weight. She then helps her daughter Colie to shed some pounds as well. Colie doesn't have much self esteem always being teased in school as the fat girl and rumors about her sleeping with a boy, which was not true! Rumors spread by Caroline whom she hated ugh! I just hate girls like that. Colies mother is now doing infomercials and selling her weight loss programs and inspiring other ladies around the world to get up and lose weight! Kiki has to go on a tour to Europe to sell her products and make appearances on TV Shows. So Colie goes to stay with her aunt in Colby, NC for 2 months while her mother is on tour.
The part in the book that I found to my liking was when Morgan and Isabel (BFF's) were total opposites but you can tell they had each others back. Morgan was a well structured young woman, neat, structured had plans for her futre, while Isabel was an outspoken, cigarette smoking, blonde who loved CD's. Their friendship was so cute. Everytime Morgan would leave the diner and say she was quitting Isabel knew the routine, she would come right back in the diner. When Morgan was cheated on by her fiance, well he was actually married and the wife pregnant while all along Isabel told Morgan what was going to happen, Morgan didn't want to believe Isabel. When the truth came out,Morgan was distraught but Isabel was rigt there to console her as any good BFF would do! They would turn up their disco music and just dance their problems away, dancing to one of my faves, " I will survive." Singing, "First I was afraid I was petrified" haha love that song and the message is SWEET, yes us women "WILL SURVIVE"..Their relationship was a lasting one indeed.
I enjoyed Colie's character as it unfolds and she finds friendship which is something she never had movng from state to state with her mom and being that she was fat, not easy to make friends. Colie works at the Last Chance Diner and Morgan and Isabel befriend her. Morgan teachers her the ins and outs of working, and that having a good attitude as a waittess is crucial! It took a while longer for Isabel to warm up to Colie. Isabel dyed Colie's hair, plucked her eyebrows and told her the rules of walking up right, straight back, smile with confidence and always believe in yourself, don't let anyone disrespect you, don't give them that satisfaction that they made you feel inferior to them. Morgan was a nice girl, always telling Colie that she would be okay and would invite her for a girls night out and let her hang out with them at their place down the road from her aunt Mira's house where Colie stayed. Morgan and Isabel helpd Colie believe in herself and have respect for the person she is!
Another character I enjoyed was Norman. A young slow pace moving, artist, who moved out of his house when he told his dad he didn't want to become a salesman like all his other brothers and his father. He moved out and rented a room from Mira and worked as a cook as The Last Chance Diner.He picks up Colie from the train station when she arrives in Colby. He's a good artist and saves money to go to ARt School. He was always nice to Colie. She never thought of Norman as a boy she would ever date, just as Norman. But, as time progresses he asks Colie if he could do a painting of her and she says YES! The BFF's notice that Norman likes Colie and when they asked Colie, this of course is after her whole make-over, she says, I never thought of Norman like that, I mean he's an artist and collects weird things. Upon hearing this, Isabel gets heated and tells Colie, Norman is a nice guy anyone should be happy to date him, had I known you would act like this I would have never helped you look different. Colie was ashamed of herself and inside she knew she appreciated Norman for being the first to be nice to her and small talking with her when she was new in town. Colie with her new make over was gaining a little confidence and hurting the wrong people.
When the painting is done, which took 2 months of sitting and posing and in those 2 months, Colie and Norman become good friends and enjoy each others company. Norman told Colie the painting is done, and she was kind of sad that it was over as she spent every nite in his room posing and talking with him, enjoying their friendship. Norman told Colie I'll show you the painting tonite after I cook you dinner. So she was very excited. So he makes her dinner, and then after dessert, he receals the painting and she can't believe her eyes, its a painting of a beautiful girl, its her. She asks Norman is this how you see me, and he says this is how you are! She was so happy and as they sat on the floor on his blanket with candles, he leaned over and gave her a kiss and she was ecstatic and felt so comfortable with Norman and she knew he was right for her. They went outside to see the Moon Eclipse and Morgan and Isable saw them holding hands and her aunt Mira as well. It was a nice site for everyone to be there watching the moon that night.
I enjoyed this book, the BFF's and their relationship. Norman and Colie and how they ended up together. Mira, Colies aunt was an artist, who was fat and she dressed in loud colors and rode her bike around town; her only means of transportation. But she didn't care what the town was saying about her, she wan an eccentric artist and was fine the way she led her life. Also, Isabel understood what Colie was going thru being fat because before she was this blonde, thin, beautiful girl, Isabel was a fat girl all thru high school, so she could sympathize for Colie, but never told her. Morgan was arguing with Isabel and told her at least she didn't wear a necklace with a frog on it, and Colie realized the picture of the fat girl was Isabel.
Would definitely recommend this book..Thank you Ms. Dessen for another wonderful novel..
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