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.