Fix

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 27 NOV 2006

Two sisters both born with "long and hooked" noses act as protagonists in this book about teenage plastic surgery. Cameron, on her way to college in California, became popular after her nose job, but still feels unable to "keep up" with the perfect girls she sees around her, and now wants breast implants. Meanwhile, younger athletic Allie is not sure that her own rhinoplasty, mostly her parents' idea, will be worth skipping a week of soccer camp, and a chance of playing on her school's varsity team. There's no missing that this is an issue-oriented book; even secondary story lines are designed to get readers thinking about the meaning and price of beauty: Cameron struggles to make a point with her photography portfolio, the girls' mother, a former actress, schedules her own face-lift, and Allie meets a retired movie star at the senior citizens home where she volunteers who tells her, "No one ever thinks they're beautiful enough." Readers also learn that there were more than 11.5 million cosmetic procedures performed in this country last year, and get gritty details about procedures and risks. Teens can draw their own conclusions, but they may find it easier to root for Allie, who realizes "Lots of people had big noses. They didn't all get them fixed. Somehow people managed." In the end, this is a provoking, if somewhat scripted, novel. Ages 14-up.