I enjoyed Mary Hogan's book The Serious Kiss, but I wasn't wild about it. I enjoyed Pretty Face much more, even though it deals with some of the same issues (specifically: weight).
In Pretty Face, Hayley is overweight and the boys she likes just want to be friends. Yes, she's got a pretty face, but if they could just look past her weight, they'd see she has a lovely personality too. But they don't. And neither does her mother. Having conquered a weight problem of her own, Hayley's mother is determined to help her daughter with her own issues, but she's going about it all wrong (so wrong, in fact, that I wanted to beat her around the head with a box of Krispy Kremes).
Fortunately for Hayley, her parents decide to send her to stay with
friends in Italy for the summer. Friends who can see past the weight
and give Hayley the space to become comfortable with herself.
The story itself is very cliched (how many books have you read with an overweight heroine who finds herself and loses weight?), but I didn't care. I flew through it.
I loved Hayley from the first page and the descriptions of Italy (and the food!) made my mouth water. It was such an easy read and I kept wondering what it reminded me and then I realised it was like one of the Sweet Dreams books I used to be obsessed with.
In fact, I wish it had been around when I was an overweight teenager myself, it would have become one of my favourite books.
Rating: 4/5
Like this? Try The Serious Kiss by Mary Hogan
Ah, the covers. I complained in my review of The Serious Kiss that the (UK) cover didn't suit the book and I'd say the same for Pretty Face - it's just too vague. But while I like the design of the US cover (on the left), it almost seems too specific. (I know, I'm impossible to please!)
What do you think? Which do you prefer?
