Bloggrls

sistrsic92 (Meg) by Cheryl Dellasega. Illustrated by Tyler Beauford (Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2009).

This is the 2nd book in the Bloggrls series that features girls (obviously) using popular abbreviated texting language to chronicle their angst in a weblog to a few select VBFs (very best friends).

Meg is a classic younger sister who feels dwarfed by her older sister Cara's beauty, intelligence, and popularity. With great humor, she contrasts herself to T2P2 (The Totally Perfect Person)--including a side-by-side features list. Yes, Cara seems to have it all, and Meg (also known as Eggy to her family and friends) is struggling with everything--friends, appearance, school. Meg is a good artist, though, and "her" drawings complement the story nicely.

The story takes a serious turn when Cara develops an eating disorder that destabilizes Meg's family and her prior assumptions about her sister's perfection.

Enjoyable teen read with excellent information about eating disorders. Sexual content. Grades 7 & up.

Weighty Issues, #1

Looks by Madeleine George (NY: Penguin, 2008)

This novel sticks in your head for a long time. At least it did for me. I read it more than a year ago, probably when it first came out, and the images from it kept popping back to me. I couldn't remember the title or author, but I remembered how accurately the author had captured the devastating effects of high school bullying on a friendless girl who is different from everyone else. In this case, the girl is obese, but since so many adolescents feel this type of isolation, her case can apply to nearly any teen who feels desperately alone and put upon because of her appearance or some other perceived defect.

Meghan Ball strives for invisibility, and it's amazing how often she is overlooked, despite her enormous size. Meghan recognizes a kindred spirit in new girl Aimee Zorn, although Aimee is as thin as Meghan is heavy. Aimee initially resists Meghan's overtures, but when Meghan's warnings about a girl who pretends to befriend Aimee turn out to be true, Aimee turns to Meghan for help. Meghan manages to conceive and help execute a plan that helps not only Aimee, but herself. This is not to say that the novel has a happy shiny ending, but circumstances are improved for both girls because they have each other.

Recommended for teens, grades 7 and up. Some sexual innuendos, teenage cruelty, moderate language.