“It’s good to be pretty. I’m really lucky.” So begins the story of thirteen-year-old Olivia, or Liv, who started winning beauty pageants at age three. Lately she’s been wondering, however, if that’s all she is. She gets a chance to find out when she meets a runaway named Dan and they embark on a trip to Chicago, each determined to uncover family secrets. This story of two teens from very different backgrounds making their way in a world preoccupied with physical appearance sparkles with wry humor, romance, and a revealing behind-the-scenes glimpse at the world of beauty pageants.
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### Review
"This is a sweet and gentle offering."
**—*****Booklist
**
*"Willner-Pardo deftly captures the complexity of adolescence as these resilient teens endeavor to define their identities and establish control over their lives."
**—*****Kirkus
* * *
"Willner-Pardo gives Olivia a realistically conflicted narrative voice . . . [Olivia's] growth is organic and genuine."
**—*****Publishers Weekly
* * *
"Messages about obsession with physical beauty, the complexities of parent-child relationships, and being true to oneself abound in this self-actualization story, but Willner-Pardo delivers them poignantly."
**—*****Horn Book
***"This coming-of-age novel will strike a resonant chord with middle school girls."
**—*School Library Journal
***
"A good choice for a junior-high book group."
**—*Bulletin***
### About the Author
Gina Willner-Pardo is the author of 15 books, including *Jason and the Losers* and *Figuring Out Frances,* which won the Bank Street College of Education Josette Frank Award. She lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Description:
“It’s good to be pretty. I’m really lucky.” So begins the story of thirteen-year-old Olivia, or Liv, who started winning beauty pageants at age three. Lately she’s been wondering, however, if that’s all she is. She gets a chance to find out when she meets a runaway named Dan and they embark on a trip to Chicago, each determined to uncover family secrets. This story of two teens from very different backgrounds making their way in a world preoccupied with physical appearance sparkles with wry humor, romance, and a revealing behind-the-scenes glimpse at the world of beauty pageants. ** ### Review "This is a sweet and gentle offering." **—*****Booklist ** *"Willner-Pardo deftly captures the complexity of adolescence as these resilient teens endeavor to define their identities and establish control over their lives." **—*****Kirkus * * * "Willner-Pardo gives Olivia a realistically conflicted narrative voice . . . [Olivia's] growth is organic and genuine." **—*****Publishers Weekly * * * "Messages about obsession with physical beauty, the complexities of parent-child relationships, and being true to oneself abound in this self-actualization story, but Willner-Pardo delivers them poignantly." **—*****Horn Book ***"This coming-of-age novel will strike a resonant chord with middle school girls." **—*School Library Journal *** "A good choice for a junior-high book group." **—*Bulletin*** ### About the Author Gina Willner-Pardo is the author of 15 books, including *Jason and the Losers* and *Figuring Out Frances,* which won the Bank Street College of Education Josette Frank Award. She lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area.