The last three books I've read have all had to deal with unrealistic expectations. Can I be just like my perfectly beautiful and talented big sister? Can I be the thinnest, most disciplined girl in my high school? Can having a nose job gain me poise, popularity and a McDreamy? The last question is being asked by senior Jory Michaels. Jory is out to find a well-paying summer job that earns her enough money to buy a perky new nose. The problem is that she can only find a job delivering flowers and wedding cakes, and Jory's driving record is not exactly pristine. Will Jory end the summer with cake all over her face or find that once she learns to accept herself a bit more, the cake and a McDreamy are hers for the taking?
My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters had me asking two questions: how often do I really look at a person on the street and think that they are ugly; and will there ever be a time in my life when I don't worry about my appearance? The answer to the first question is pretty simple. I can't ever remember thinking that a person is just down-right hideous. Okay, I might think that that lipstick doesn't look good on her or that the guy in the red sweatshirt could really use a haircut, but I never really think that a person is ugly. In other words, my thoughts about the exterior really do tend to be superficial and silly in nature. I guess I really am one of those people that believe it's what's on the inside that counts. My husband would say that this is just me being cute and naive, but when I look at my friends, I'm fairly sure their thoughts would lean the same way. High school is a super competitive environment, but so is pick-up time on the playground. I can't deny that I look around the playground to check out what the other moms are wearing. It's human nature, which I guess is the answer to my next question. I might finally stop worrying about my appearance when my kids are out of school. Of course, by then I'll probably be back working in an office, and then I'll have to check out what all the women younger than me are wearing. All I can say is that it's a good thing that books like My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters are out there, trying to help all those teen girls get off the appearance roller coaster a bit sooner than retirement age.
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