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Young, Brigit

The Prettiest

309 pp. | Roaring Brook | April, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-62672-923-0 $16.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-62672-922-3
(2) YA The story opens with the surfacing of an anonymous list of the fifty prettiest girls in eighth grade at Ford Middle School. Eve, who's comfortably accustomed to going unnoticed but who has just undergone a "summer of the curves," is ranked at number one, just above popular Sophie, who's shocked not to get the top spot. Eve's best friend Nessa, a self-described "bigger girl," is not shocked to be left off completely. As the sudden emphasis on comparing looks causes dynamic shifts, unwanted attention, and conflict throughout the eighth-grade class, third-person chapters rotate their focus among the three young women, who form a shaky alliance in hopes of taking revenge on the list's creator--whose identity isn't as obvious as it seems. While the revenge plot and the mystery of who's responsible keep pages turning, the novel considers the questions the list raises about the role and value of physical appearance from a number of angles, helped by the diverse characters' varying attitudes and levels of naiveté. A conversation starter.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

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