North of Beautiful

by Justina Chen Headley

To summmarize this book in one word, I would say that it's just beautiful. First off, the cover is amazing. And second, I love the name of the main character. Terra. Isn't that the coolest name? It's so unique, I love it. But this book is so much more than a pretty cover and a girl with a cool name. 

North of Beautiful is about a girl whose whole life has been characterized by the shame of a birthmark on her face. She spends hours each day applying makeup to cover up her noticable "flaw". She lives within a broken family and has a father who she can always count on to make her feel less than important. She has gone through countless procedures to create a face that might appear "beautiful". Like many teens, Terra is in a relationship only because she doesn't think anyone else would want her. This book is about relationships, ones that tear us apart and ones that hold us together. It's about the meaning of the word "beautiful" and how it means so many different things to different people. This book is such an inspiration to me. It made me want to travel, especially to China. It made me curious about geocatching. But more than anything, it made me want to live. The writing throughout the entire book was spectacular. I kept re reading sentences over and over again because the writing was so brilliant. It's the kind of book I want to write one day.

I was having such a hard time describing this book because I don't think I could ever do it justice. It's just phenomenal. Definitely one of the best books I've ever read! You will not be disappointed.