Where It Began

Gr 9 Up—Gabby wakes up in a hospital and bit by bit begins to understand that she has been in a near-fatal car accident that has left her face disfigured. Her story alternates between her present situation and her memories, which, as they return, paint a picture of her financially insecure family struggling to maintain their social standing in wealthy Bel Air. Gabby goes to an elite private school, but no one really notices her until her social-climbing mother forces a makeover on the teen the summer before her junior year. With new hair extensions and push-up bras, Gabby catches the eye of Billy Nash, a hot bad boy who enjoys violating the terms of his probation and considers Gabby "firm young flesh." At this point in the story, the end of this disastrous relationship is predictable, but it takes more than 300 pages for insecure Gabby to learn the truth about that fateful night, and, once that happens, there are no dynamic changes. She remains willing to accept criminal charges for drinking and driving, but finally Billy is exposed and he simply disappears. Gabby runs off to Europe to study art, and she counts the days until she can drink wine with dinner and get her hands on a hot architecture student. It's hard to imagine readers sticking with this story to the end; smart readers will become bored, and less-insightful readers will give up as soon as the meetings with Gabby's lawyer begin.—Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, NY