From Publishers Weekly
From the creators of the teen website gURL.com and the authors of the national bestseller Deal With It! comes this chirpily upbeat sophomore effort ("a three-part investigation into how looks affect our lives-and how we can take beauty into our own hands") that will undoubtedly appeal to style- and looks-obsessed adolescents and tweens. An impressive amount of information is crammed into these whimsically art-directed and sometimes busy pages: there's history (fashion through the ages) anatomy (body types and body parts), psychology (body image) and even comedy (the plentiful cartoons that poke gentle fun at female body obsession). Everything from nose jobs to breast size to pubic hair gets discussed in a non-threatening and usually bubbly way (Christianity put the "official kibosh" on makeup; "boobs are pretty great" whatever their size). There are, of course, the requisite celebrity references; here they're most effectively used to illustrate different fashion types: there's Grace Kelly as Ice Queen, Jennifer Lopez as Diva, Mae West as Goddess and Venus and Serena Williams as Power Jocks (accompanying illustrations deconstruct their looks). While frothy fashion and beauty factoids abound, the basic message of empowerment-that girls should be happy with their inner and outer selves-is presented here with intelligence and humor.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
Gr. 7-10. The founders of gURL.com and authors of Deal with It! (1999) offer a breathless volume about beauty and style, with an explosion of drawings, a profusion of quotes and photos, and more colors than a mall lipstick counter. A whirlwind history of beauty, with nods to biology, aesthetics, and art history, leads into a few pages on size, shape, and care of the body. The "Body Parts" chapter, covering everything from eyes and feet to "boobs' and "butts," aims to be reassuring and inclusive. "Decorating the Body" and "Body Modification" introduce more than two-dozen styles, from Vamp/Goth to Girl Next Door, from Diva to Futurebabe, complete with ways to achieve the look and historical and contemporary "stars" who epitomize it. The bibliography is extensive and fairly scholarly. "Your style is not your self," the authors write, but they clearly expect to tap into the teen girl's longing for the perfect look. This will have a sizeable audience, and the teen members of gURL.com will eat it up. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
