Beautiful

The first review of this book may be true, but the contents of the book hold much truth as well. Maybe those evangelical over-protective parents don't want their kids reading it, but there are enough people who can relate to Cassie and her story very well. If every book was written to have a positive message and avoid all evil in the world, literature in its entirety would be absolute bull. All literature, art and music are reflections of what their artists see in the world, this is why reading is important. I read this book at age sixteen, a time when I had already gone through a lot of the same situations as Cassie, and found that this book was an accurate description of what teenage life had become for my friends and I. Not quite to the same extent at thirteen, but it was comforting to read this and look back on my own experiences, and feel a little less alone and guilty about the things I'd seen and done. Those people who want to label this book inappropriate and criticize its contents are the ones who cannot understand them because they can't find a way to relate to the main character and the circumstances she gets caught up in. Those who can are both lucky and unfortunate, for they have a little more life experience and a little less innocence. Nonetheless, there will come a time in everyone's lives where there can be some value found in reading this book. With that said, all of you who will continue to bash the art that Amy Reed has created will have to admit to themselves that these things can and do happen, no matter how hard they try to convince themselves otherwise. P.S. GloryGirl, you obviously understand very little about the world. No one "made" drugs, they have been around for thousands of years. The only manufactured drugs include things like crack, meth and most pharmaceuticals.

I think it has good messages because although the girl has to go through a lot of tough situations, she ultimitley decides to do what she thinks is right and knows that's what she should have done in the begining. Its a great book to read as a teenager, its fun and entertaining.

I think 11 year olds can read this book! Because there is little in this book they don't know about. Even if you, the parent, think they don't they do. It was wonderful! The book was a realistic picture of what 13-18 year olds go through.And EVERY thing is realistic and truthful. Trust me i'm 13! Although something about this book made me want to become Cassie. To the point of where I took my first shot of tequila when i was home alone,Serched how to get drugs on the internet,started to where slutty clothes, and was on a quest to lose my virginity. But this book is ah-mazing!! Teens should read it!

This is a powerful story, with writing that pulls you in, invests you in the characters and their fates, and doesn't let up. I couldn't put this book down. Even if you or your kids have never been in the exact situations that Cassie experiences, we are all familiar with the driving motivations of needing love, acceptance, struggling with who we truly are, and facing peer pressure. This book will make you think for a long time after you finish it, and I strongly disagree with those who believe it is not appropriate reading for teens. Sticking your head in the sand does not mean that which you don't wish to see isn't there. Teens and tweens observe or experience the pressures that Cassie faces in this book, and it is so comforting to have them written about in a book. Having the adult world acknowledge the fears, pressures, and choices teens are faced with is extremely re-assuring and builds confidence.

I give this book 5 stars for being an extremely well written, powerful and compelling story. It is targeted at the Young Adult market but is appropriate for not so young adults as well. Cassie, while not a positive role model, is still a model: a cautionary model for adolescents, and an educational model for parents. This stuff goes on. And coarse language is the way most kids I know communicate when parents aren't around. Even 50 years ago when I was one.

I loved this book. Though the content is course, it represents a world that does actually exist. It was my impression that Cassie is not simply motivated by the desire to be "beautiful", instead, this want for outer beauty is a simple manifestation of a longing for love, acceptance, companionship, being understood and a long list of other things that Cassie was not getting either from her peers or her parents. The important message that I took away from this as a mother of a nine year old girl and as a women who also had not the most savory teenage hood is that most girls at that age all go through some form of this experience ranging from a very mild version to the very severe version that was Cassie's. And yes there is swearing and sex and some violence, but many kids are dealing with those things in real life and its vital that these issues are confronted and not swept under the carpet or overlooked like in Cassie's case. I highly recomend this book.