The Saline Solution

by Caitlin Whitaker, Chloe Dolandis (Reading)

Ethel Klyczek's development stalled in middle school, making her self-conscious and insecure. Aiming for prom perfection, Ethel plans to go from As to Cs, and she doesn't mean her grades.

Ethel's parents are dead-set against her self-improvement plan. Without their sanction, Ethel will have to do a lot more than sling fried chicken if she's to get a new set of twins in time for prom.

Extreme fundraising of car washing, cupcake baking, and t-shirt selling start out strong. But as the money rolls in, Ethel's support system rolls out. Her best friend is sick of her too-busy schedule and preoccupation with her boobs, and her boyfriend is tired of fighting other guys for her attention.

With her grades dropping and her family at the breaking point, Ethel plans an epic rager to push past the finish line. The party is a massive success, but the invite to view her A cups draws a crowd Ethel can't control.

Now, the question isn't if she can earn the money for the surgery; it's whether or not she can live with herself when it's done.

The Saline Solution is a quirky and fun story about female empowerment and self love. It includes themes of modern feminism, female body image, and agency.

Genres: Audiobook

1 pages, Audio CD

Published October 6, 2020

Reviews

[Linda Grimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SALINE SOLUTION is a young adult book about a serious topic, approached in a fun and quirky way. The author does not shy away from difficult, and at times unpleasant, subject matter, but rather faces it head-on with the same courage shown by her protagonist. E’s coming of age can be embarrassing, heartwarming, and sometimes downright painful to witness as she struggles through important life lessons, but the reader will wind up cheering her on.

[Lavanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a great potential but most of the plot decisions seemed very convenient sadly. You knew halfway through the book what's ending gonna be. All relationships with families and friends were very typical and predictable. Overall this was an average book, I don't regret reading it, but I won't recommend it to somebody at the same time.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

*audiobook* This book has potential to be a hit for young readers. I'm definitely too old for it, but I can see my younger self enjoying the book. Whitaker hit on some hard subjects, but they made the read more enjoyable. Would I recommend it? Probably not. But I don't regret reading it. I could see it being a decent coming of age movie directed for younger audiences.

[Alissa Haus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious

[Jen]

This was a quick YA read as a literary “palate”cleanser

[Patricia Varner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very real life like.A girl who wants bigger books finds a way to raise money for her book job.

[Pegi Ferrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable outcomes and inadequately developed characters would have still resulted in a potential 3. However, when a book includes body image issues, plastic surgery, an eating disorder, and sexual assault paraded out like an old After School Special--and with little evidence of research--my rating starts dropping. Plus these issues also deserve a list of resources.

[Cynthia Ciesynski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book wouldn’t really recommend