The Look

March 25, 2013
Bennett follows Sequins, Secrets, and Silver Linings with another novel set at the center of London's fashion world. Sisters Ava, 17, and Ted, 15, are opposites: Ava is a confident Elizabeth Taylor lookalike, while lanky, introspective Ted feels uncertain in her own skin. Their lives change drastically when Ava begins brutal treatments for lymphoma and Ted is recruited by a scout for Model City. With Ava's fervent encouragementâand in hopes of making back some of the money the family lost when the girls' father became unemployedâTed reluctantly becomes a model. When she shaves her head to support Ava, it's viewed as a fashion statement, and her career skyrockets. Bennett insightfully conveys Ted's ambivalence about modeling, while creating an honest portrayal of the business. Ava's story line, as she becomes distant from her boyfriend and endures chemotherapy, is less substantive, but the novel's core is in the solid bond between the siblings and the ways each girl takes a piece of the other with her as she navigates new and frightening territory. Ages 12âup.

February 1, 2013
Two sisters face vastly different futures--one as the world's next top supermodel, the other as a lymphoma patient. Ted (short for Edwina), 15, feels awkward and plain next to stylish Ava, 17, with her gorgeous looks and hot surfer boyfriend. Each resents having to share a bedroom in the cramped apartment the family now occupies, thanks to their father's job loss. Everyone's surprised when Ted, not Ava, draws attention from a modeling scout. The same night, Ava's swollen glands draw her parents' attention. Soon, Ted's enjoying a major makeover and tons of attention, including from the intriguing artist son of a London modeling maven, while Ava struggles with chemo-induced nausea and hair loss. Ted narrates with humorous insight, though her incredulity that others find her attractive quickly palls. Ava's a more harmful stereotype: Cancer transforms her from bitch-in-training to selfless angel, though her touching determination to remain in control--both liability and asset--is skillfully portrayed. So too are Ted's evolving feelings about their relative fortunes and her view of the high-fashion world. Marketing-driven high concepts can shape stories into lifeless, literary topiary, but this one's less gimmicky than advertised. However, readers should know this is Ted's story; Ava's cancer is seen through her eyes. A good bet for readers with a taste for glam fashion and boldface names. (Fiction. 12 & up)

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March 1, 2013
Grades 8-11 Part wish-fulfillment fantasy, part realistic drama, this UK import is a light read with serious undertones. Ted Trout has really got something, according to the scout who recruits her for Model City, a top modeling agency in London, but she still feels ugly, all gangly legs and impossible hair. Though she's reluctant, her sister Ava, recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, is so excited on her behalf that Ted can't say no. While Ted spends her summer on speculative photo shoots, Ava is in and out of the hospital for chemotherapy. Ted finally discovers her lookand some confidencewhen she and Ava shave their heads together once Ava's hair starts falling out. Suddenly, Ted is landing major deals, but the more successful she is, the more she feels she's missing what's really important. While the story is focused on Ted's humble narrative, Bennett draws strong parallels between both sisters' experiences entering new, not entirely hospitable, worlds. Their care for each other forms the heart of this novel, though fashion-obsessed teens will relish the details of model life, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)