North of Beautiful by Justina
North of Beautiful was an emotional roller coaster for me. The main character, Terra, has a Port Wine Stain birthmark on her face identical to the one my daughter has on hers. While I have come to terms with this and my beautiful daughter is so confident and bubbly that it is hardly ever noticed, I did go through heartache in her early years and this came back to me in a flood as I read this story.
Having said this, and taking all the emotion into consideration, I can still say this book is fantastic. Beautifully written, Terra’s journey negotiating difficult awful family circumstances while discovering acceptance, friendship, love, joy, adventure and ultimately herself was both engaging and inspirational.
Best of all, this book introduced me to my new hobby, geocaching, which, unlike reading, I can actually share with my family.
Recommended age: 13 +
North of Beautiful
Author: Justina Chen Headley
Publication Date: 6 January 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Source: Purchased
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It’s hard not to notice Terra Cooper.
She’s tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably “flawed” face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob’s path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path? – Extract from Goodreads.com
Robyn
One of the most beautiful things about J is that her wine stain is the very last thing you notice on her xxxx
crushingcinders
Thanks Robyn 🙂 she is so beautiful and I am so proud of her!
Jen @ YA Romantics
I enjoyed this one too.
My family and I tried geocaching on vacation. At first we were horrible at it, but we got the hang of it — it’s really fun!
Jen @ YA Romantics
crushingcinders
We’re not very good at it yet – still rely heavily on the clues and hints, but it really is fun.
Jeann @ Happy Indulgence
Oh wow, this book would be really emotional especially if your daughter has the same and you can relate! Thanks for the review.
crushingcinders
Thank you for stopping by 🙂