I didn't read anything for about six months apparently. Yikes! Lots of Mayo Clinic and What to Expect, I guess.
This was the first book I read once we settled in to Oshkosh. The Relief Society sisters had been gathering 100 dresses to donate to the local Women's shelter. To top of their success, they all got together one night to discuss this book (which is a super easy independent read) and eat cheesecake. I think they donated more than 100 dresses once it was all said and done.
It seemed a common consensus that the ending just wasn't as fulfilling as one hopes. At first this really upset me, but after discussing it with the ladies in the ward I realized that was perfect. If things had wrapped up nicely, with a big bow, we wouldn't have had so much to discuss. I guess this just felt like the king of book where a big bow would have made me feel better.
Why? Because as a read you know what it is like to be each of the three main characters. The girl who wants to be popular, the girl who is teased, and the girl who hurts others feelings unknowingly. In life, we wish all those situations would easily and quickly resolve themselves. So it would have been nice if this book could have shown us how to do so. But it didn't.
Naturally, as a Church function, we were able to pull out some religious parallells. Which made me feel like this book was a deeper read than it appears. It would be an excellent book to read with a young daughter, on the cusp of puberty. It's a great way to talk about the importance of how we treat others and why we shouldn't judge based on appearances.
Initially, I didn't like it. But a good "book club discussion" can help me see the beauty in any book.
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