LB Teen

North of Beautiful

By Justina Chen Headley (Hardcover Book, 2009)

As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face?

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

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- Format: Hardcover Book
- Price: $16.99 US/$18.99 CAN
- ISBN-13: 9780316025058
- On Sale Date: 02/01/2009
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Full Details
Formats Available: Hardcover Book, Trade Paperback, Electronic Book
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If Justina Chen Headley's life were a map, it would be dotted with destinations from around the world. Despite her ability to get lost anywhere, she revels in traveling and has lived in Australia and China. Her first young adult novel, Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies), won the 2007 Asian Pacific American Award for Youth Literature. Her second book, featuring a gutsy snowboarder, Girl Overboard, won praise from Olympic Gold Medalist and fellow snowboarder Hannah Teter. Justina is a co-founder of readergirlz, an online book community for teens, and lives in Washington with her two children. You can visit her online at www.justinachenheadley.com.

Praise for Girl Overboard:
"A tale that will stand out in the crowd."
-- Publishers Weekly

"Headley brings Chinese history, the implications of wealth and the power of self-acceptance into soft focus, nudging reflective readers to delve deeper after they reluctantly turn the last page."
-- Kirkus

"Like Amy Tan, Headley incorporates intergenerational and intercultural conflict into a novel of personal growth and self-discovery."
--School Library Journal

Praise for Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies):
Asian Pacific American Library Association (APALA) Gold Medal Winner
Book Sense Pick
Border's Original Voice nominee
2007 IRA Children's Book Award Notable Book
New York Public Library Teen Pick
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best

[star] "Headley makes an impressive debut with this witty, intimate novel."
--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Great voice from a very promising debut."
-- Kirkus