The Look

Gr 7–10—Ted, 15, is the younger of two sisters and, in her mind, the plainer one. On a walk with her sister Ava in London, a rep for a modeling agency spots Ted and encourages her to work for his firm. Ted is flabbergasted and can't understand why he chose her over Ava. She dismisses the offer for a variety of reasons, including her low self-esteem. Not long afterwards, Ava is diagnosed with cancer and the girls' world is turned upside down. As a way of living vicariously, Ava encourages Ted to try out for the job. Ted succeeds and is thrust into the spotlight. When word gets out at school that she's modeling, she becomes the butt of jokes and ridicule. When Ted is "discovered" by a New York agent and is promised the stature of supermodel and all that goes with it, she flies to New York for a shoot where her reservations about her new career come to a head and she's forced to make a decision. While modeling is the backdrop of the story, Bennett's novel is really a coming-of-age story. Ted and Ava as well as the minor characters are well drawn. The flawless performance by narrator Helen McAlpine allows listeners to get into the minds of Ted and Ava. This audiobook will resonate with teenage girls struggling with finding their place in the world.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA