Nice Girls Endure
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Chelsea Duvay is so many things. She’s an avid musical lover, she’s a gifted singer, and she has the most perfect, beautiful feet. But no one ever notices that. All they notice is Chelsea’s weight. Daily, Chelsea endures endless comments about her appearance from well-meaning adults and cruel classmates. So she keeps to herself and just tries to make it through. Don’t make waves. Don’t draw attention. That’s how life is for Chelsea—until a special class project pushes the energetic and incessantly social Melody into Chelsea’s world. As their unlikely friendship grows, Chelsea emerges from her isolated existence, and she begins to find the confidence to enjoy life. But bullies are bullies, and they remain as vicious as ever. One terrible encounter threatens to destroy everything Chelsea has worked so hard to achieve. Readers will be captivated by Chelsea’s journey as she discovers the courage to declare her own beauty and self-worth, no matter what others might think. A must-read for anyone who loves to explore the personal but powerful territory of everyday life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sixteen-year-old Chelsea Duvay is an overweight introvert and musical theater aficionado trying to survive high school bullies and her mother's ham-fisted attempts to help her lose weight. After Chelsea is assaulted and humiliated in an alley at her school's Spring Fling dance, a friendship with eccentric and supportive classmate Melody, anxiety medication, and a school video project help her push back against the trauma she's suffered. Told from Chelsea's perspective in chapters that are usually just a few pages long, the story unfolds like a series of stream-of-conscious anecdotes or diary entries, with little plot continuity connecting her musings about her relationship with her parents, the taunts and criticisms she endures, and her hard-to-shake feelings of inadequacy and embarrassment. Struyk-Bonn (Whisper) gives Chelsea a blunt voice and frank wit, and her hard-won triumphs and ability to regain her self-confidence come without resorting to oft-seen and ill-advised weight-loss plotlines. However, she also winds up something of an untethered narrator, flitting from topic to topic. Ages 14 up.
