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Slant
Thirteen-year-old Lauren, a Korean American adoptee, is best friends with the prettiest — and tallest — girl in the school, Julie, who has an endless amount of confidence. Lauren, on the other hand, has been saving for years to pay for a special eye surgery that will deepen the crease of her eyelids. It's not that she wants to look like everyone else in her suburban Connecticut school; she'd just be happy if kids stopped calling her "slant" and "gook." Up until now she's been able to ignore the insults, but when the cutest boy in her class calls her "slant," she realizes she needs to do something about her "nickname." When she convinces her reluctant father to consent to the eye operation, Lauren suddenly finds herself faced with a should she get the operation that might make her more confident and popular, or can she find that confidence within herself? Laura Williams' sensitive, beautifully written story offers a powerful lesson to young readers whose self-esteem depends too much on how they look.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
9 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Laura E. Williams
49 books24 followersLaura E. Williams is the author of Up a Creek and Behind the Bedroom Wall, which was named a Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book. She lives in West Hartford, Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
January 23, 2016
This book had some real eye-openers in it. I never cease to be amazed that people can't see the beauty in every living being. A beautiful, 13 year old girl saves her money and finds a relative who will allow her to have plastic surgery on her eye lids so she can look "normal" like everyone else. What is "normal" by the way?
November 10, 2011
Transracial adoption, race-based bullying, elective plastic surgery for teens, family secrets. There's a lot going on here for a middle grades book, but it holds together well enough to work for that age group, I think.
January 22, 2021
I read almost all of this book in one night, while I was hooked up to fetal monitoring in the hospital after a minor fall at the end of my pregnancy. Although I didn't love this book, I think it might be hard to part with because of its connection to that highly emotional experience. One week after that night that I hung out hooked up to machines until 2 a.m. (while my older son was blissfully ignorant that I wasn't at home), my second baby was born. I remember mentally preparing to meet him after that fall, but when that didn't happen, I thought I'd go to the end of the term. But he had other plans, and I will probably always wonder whether there was some connection between that fall and his earlier-than-expected birth.
This was probably the last full book I read before his birth, too. I chose it specifically because it was short and I thought I might be able to read it in one night, and I was in a bit of a rush. The story took some time to get going for me; I felt like it spent too much time on "generic middle-school concerns" (crushes, friendship, etc.) and not enough on what the book purported to be about, which was Lauren's desire to have surgery to remove the fold in her eyes. Once it got to that point (about halfway through) and explored Lauren's relationship with her grandmother and her exploration of her own adopted mother's childhood, adolescence, and death, it held my interest a lot more. The writing was passable, and the question of whether Lauren would go through with the surgery or not provided good suspense in the latter half of the book. (I pretty much knew how it would turn out but was still interested in how the book would resolve it.) In general, this book feels from an era slightly past, when coming to terms with one's identity as a minority had to be central to the plot rather than just allowing minority characters to exist as protagonists in their own right.
Year of Expanded Reading: Laura E. Williams is a Korean-American writer.
This was probably the last full book I read before his birth, too. I chose it specifically because it was short and I thought I might be able to read it in one night, and I was in a bit of a rush. The story took some time to get going for me; I felt like it spent too much time on "generic middle-school concerns" (crushes, friendship, etc.) and not enough on what the book purported to be about, which was Lauren's desire to have surgery to remove the fold in her eyes. Once it got to that point (about halfway through) and explored Lauren's relationship with her grandmother and her exploration of her own adopted mother's childhood, adolescence, and death, it held my interest a lot more. The writing was passable, and the question of whether Lauren would go through with the surgery or not provided good suspense in the latter half of the book. (I pretty much knew how it would turn out but was still interested in how the book would resolve it.) In general, this book feels from an era slightly past, when coming to terms with one's identity as a minority had to be central to the plot rather than just allowing minority characters to exist as protagonists in their own right.
Year of Expanded Reading: Laura E. Williams is a Korean-American writer.
August 26, 2016
Lauren is a Korean-American adoptee. She has a loving dad and little sister. She has a close best friend. But she also has a deep insecurity--and a secret plan for solving that problem.
She's only thirteen years old, but Lauren is confronting a grown-up question: If people tease you for your "different" physical features, should you *change* those features, if you can?
As can be guessed, Lauren feels put upon for the Asian shape of her eyes. And, at first, the answer to her problem seems simple: For two years, she's saved up her babysitting money with the goal of getting eyelid surgery. To her, the problem and solution seem obvious: "I have ch*nk eyes," she tearfully confesses to her grandmother, "Boys tell me to use toothpicks to keep them open. I hate them! ... If I have the operation, I'll have round eyes. I'll have eyelids more than I have now. I won't be teased.... This operation will make me the happiest girl in the world" (pages 79-80).
But will it? As the story unfolds--and grows more complex--Lauren learns some mature lessons about the meaning of real self-esteem, real acceptance, and true love. Author Laura E. Williams, herself a Korean-American adoptee, tells Lauren's story with verve of spirit and sweetness of heart. A heart-moving read.
She's only thirteen years old, but Lauren is confronting a grown-up question: If people tease you for your "different" physical features, should you *change* those features, if you can?
As can be guessed, Lauren feels put upon for the Asian shape of her eyes. And, at first, the answer to her problem seems simple: For two years, she's saved up her babysitting money with the goal of getting eyelid surgery. To her, the problem and solution seem obvious: "I have ch*nk eyes," she tearfully confesses to her grandmother, "Boys tell me to use toothpicks to keep them open. I hate them! ... If I have the operation, I'll have round eyes. I'll have eyelids more than I have now. I won't be teased.... This operation will make me the happiest girl in the world" (pages 79-80).
But will it? As the story unfolds--and grows more complex--Lauren learns some mature lessons about the meaning of real self-esteem, real acceptance, and true love. Author Laura E. Williams, herself a Korean-American adoptee, tells Lauren's story with verve of spirit and sweetness of heart. A heart-moving read.
July 14, 2014
Everybody wishes they were different somehow. For Lauren Wallace, a Korean-American adoptee, it's her eyes. She is constantly bullied for her squinted eyes, called names like "chinko" and "slant". When she saves up enough money to pay for plastic surgery to make her eyes rounder, she suddenly has regrets, that turn into the hardest decision of her life.
I really enjoyed this super-short contemporary novel.
Most of the characters are spot on, and I could really relate to a lot of them (not the main character's specific problem, for I'm not Asian, but I defiantly empathize with her situation).
The story was short and concise, which I think was a very smart move on the author's part. Sometimes books just go on and on, and eventually you just don't care about how it ends.
Lauren find some possibly unrealistic courage around the very end, but it's not really something to worry about.
There were teary parts and enticing parts; Defiantly a fun book!
Alternate rating: B+
I really enjoyed this super-short contemporary novel.
Most of the characters are spot on, and I could really relate to a lot of them (not the main character's specific problem, for I'm not Asian, but I defiantly empathize with her situation).
The story was short and concise, which I think was a very smart move on the author's part. Sometimes books just go on and on, and eventually you just don't care about how it ends.
Lauren find some possibly unrealistic courage around the very end, but it's not really something to worry about.
There were teary parts and enticing parts; Defiantly a fun book!
Alternate rating: B+
April 20, 2009
Meet Lauren, a Korean-American adoptee on her 13th birthday. Lauren's greatest wish is to have round eyes like other American girls--the boys at school call her names. Slant is the name that hurts the most. It is Lauren's goal to have surgery on her eyes. Through an unknown connection with her now deceased adoptive mother, Lauren rethinks the importance of the how the surgery may or may not change her life.
September 25, 2021
So…. This book was very interesting I might say… well I so so so so wanted to go into this book and strangle Matt and Greg! I felt so bad for Lauren but I loved this book because it teaches us that people who are different than us have a harder time fitting in, and it’s up to us to make them feel that they belong! I loved this book. And I hope you do too!
December 19, 2011
A Korean-American 13-year-old adoptee saves up for an eye adjustment surgery, sure that this will quell the bullying she experiences at her high school. Williams makes a good use of repetition and imagery to push the conflict to its head. I particularly appreciated seeing how emotionally transparent and oblivious Williams wrote Lauren, as I saw parallels between her search for self-acceptance and that of one my protagonists I hope to loose on the world. Slant is unfortunately, a little too young for my students as a classroom novel, but it would be a good addition to our library shelves.
March 16, 2009
Wonderful book about identity, and the cruelty that is inherent in middle school. Korean girl adopted by Caucasian family is subject to 'lovely' words about her eyes, all while dealing with the death of her mother. Her solution is to save $$ for an eye operation. Lessons are learned, spines are developed, truth is revealed. The writing is definitely geared toward middle and more advanced 5th-6th graders. Unfortunately, not edgy enough for high school, because HS-ers ought to heed the tale as well.
July 21, 2009
Thirteen year old Lauren is tired of looking "different". She divises a plan to have surgery on her eyelids to be rid of the "slant" tauntings from her peers. But when her father finds out, he forbids the surgery. The entire situation is eventually resolved and Lauren learns to like being herself.
November 22, 2014
I enjoyed this quick read. I liked how Lauren was not a stereotypical bratty teenager. Good story.
November 20, 2017
Recently, I saw a post going around about an Asian author whose draft (with an Asian main character) had been rejected by a publisher because "The characters...just do not seem Asian enough. They act like everyone else. They don't eat Korean food, they don't speak Korean, and you have to think about ways to make these characters more 'ethnic,' more different. We get too much of the minutiae of [the characters'] lives and none of the details that separate Koreans and Korean-Americans from the rest of us. For example, in the scene when she looks into the mirror, you don't see how she sees her slanted eyes, or how she thinks of her Asianness." I have a feeling that (horrible, appalling) editor would like this book.
I can't know what it's like to be an Asian kid growing up with white parents in a predominantly white town, but it certainly seems reasonable that some might be self-conscious about and hyper-aware of their ethnicity, especially if they constantly have racial slurs thrown at them, like Lauren does. And the author did grow up in that situation, so I assume a lot of this is based on firsthand experience. It's just...every time Lauren looks at or even thinks about herself or your younger sister (also an Asian adoptee), she thinks about the shape of their eyes, often in ways that don't strike me as particularly realistic (for example, about her little sister, "She's sitting two inches from the TV, not because her eyes don't work, no matter how slanty they are. She just likes being close"). There are also a lot of racial slurs--which makes sense, but is jarring for a middle-grade book--as well as a couple uses of "exotic" that are clearly meant as compliments, which is something I've seen condemned pretty often.
Let's be honest, the ending is a foregone conclusion. I'm not sure you'd even be allowed to end the book any other way (for this age group, at least). Knowing that Lauren will ultimately learn some sort of lesson of self-acceptance made the rest of the book somewhat less uncomfortable, but it was still pretty rough at times. Obviously, Lauren wanting to change the shape of her eyes is literally the point, but there's just too much focus on it, to the point where sometimes it feels like it's all she thinks about. I can't help but feel that if a kid who's a little self-conscious about being Asian were to read this, there's a good chance they'd come away from it feeling more self-conscious, not less. That said, I think the approach of the ending () was a nice touch, and I also think it's made pretty clear that the only reason she's so bothered is because of her classmates' bullying. On the other hand, there's an attitude of "the only reason people call you racial slurs is because you've never told them it bothered you," which is pretty messed up.
There's a lot to like about this book, and I'm willing to give it some benefit of the doubt because it's clearly informed by the author's own experience (I doubt it's a coincidence that her name is Laura and the main character's name is Lauren), but I think there are enough negatives to make it iffy to recommend.
I can't know what it's like to be an Asian kid growing up with white parents in a predominantly white town, but it certainly seems reasonable that some might be self-conscious about and hyper-aware of their ethnicity, especially if they constantly have racial slurs thrown at them, like Lauren does. And the author did grow up in that situation, so I assume a lot of this is based on firsthand experience. It's just...every time Lauren looks at or even thinks about herself or your younger sister (also an Asian adoptee), she thinks about the shape of their eyes, often in ways that don't strike me as particularly realistic (for example, about her little sister, "She's sitting two inches from the TV, not because her eyes don't work, no matter how slanty they are. She just likes being close"). There are also a lot of racial slurs--which makes sense, but is jarring for a middle-grade book--as well as a couple uses of "exotic" that are clearly meant as compliments, which is something I've seen condemned pretty often.
Let's be honest, the ending is a foregone conclusion. I'm not sure you'd even be allowed to end the book any other way (for this age group, at least). Knowing that Lauren will ultimately learn some sort of lesson of self-acceptance made the rest of the book somewhat less uncomfortable, but it was still pretty rough at times. Obviously, Lauren wanting to change the shape of her eyes is literally the point, but there's just too much focus on it, to the point where sometimes it feels like it's all she thinks about. I can't help but feel that if a kid who's a little self-conscious about being Asian were to read this, there's a good chance they'd come away from it feeling more self-conscious, not less. That said, I think the approach of the ending () was a nice touch, and I also think it's made pretty clear that the only reason she's so bothered is because of her classmates' bullying. On the other hand, there's an attitude of "the only reason people call you racial slurs is because you've never told them it bothered you," which is pretty messed up.
There's a lot to like about this book, and I'm willing to give it some benefit of the doubt because it's clearly informed by the author's own experience (I doubt it's a coincidence that her name is Laura and the main character's name is Lauren), but I think there are enough negatives to make it iffy to recommend.
October 20, 2024
Eyelid surgery
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2017
Made me laugh and made me cry; great characters; important topics
January 11, 2009
Perhaps it wasn’t a strain of the imagination when Laura Williams, Korean American adoptee and author, created Lauren Wallace, Korean American adoptee and narrator of Slant, a young adult novel that comes out this October. If Williams’ personal experience is the source of the warm and quirky details that enrich this story, I applaud her staying close to the truth.
When Slant begins, Lauren makes a fervent wish on her thirteenth birthday candles for a procedure called blepharoplasty, and in subsequent chapters, we learn that Lauren is saving money for this double eyelid surgery in order to make her eyes look more "Caucasian." If she changes her face, Lauren decides, she’ll fit in at her Connecticut junior high school. She will no longer be bothered by the classmates who call her “gook,” “chink,” and, of course, “slant.”
Lauren is intelligent and likeable. The descriptions she gives of her teachers, classmates, and her widowed father’s first date with a new girlfriend are lightly sarcastic and observant. (She describes her English professor father as loving “Shakespeare and all things ‘olde with an e’.”) The narration fixates on certain points (such as the height difference between Lauren and her best friend Julie) that a real adolescent would fixate on, and as slightly whiny teenagers go, Lauren is admirable. She cares for her little sister, not only claiming her “heart hurts” from loving her so much, but also imagining the intense love and pain of being a parent.
Lauren’s empathy also comes through when she learns the full circumstances of her mother’s death during a confrontation between her father and grandmother, who has comes for her first visit since the untimely passing. Lauren’s reaction to the discovery about her mother is rather hastily concluded, but perhaps that’s for the sake of the book’s salient revelation. The well-adjusted Lauren is able to recognize that her self-consciousness is not unique to her. Thus, Lauren’s story is not just about an eyelid surgery, and not even just about self-esteem. It’s centered on the realization that she is happy – and, as readers close the last page of this thoughtful and interesting young adult story, we are too.
Review by Elizabeth F. A. Meaney
When Slant begins, Lauren makes a fervent wish on her thirteenth birthday candles for a procedure called blepharoplasty, and in subsequent chapters, we learn that Lauren is saving money for this double eyelid surgery in order to make her eyes look more "Caucasian." If she changes her face, Lauren decides, she’ll fit in at her Connecticut junior high school. She will no longer be bothered by the classmates who call her “gook,” “chink,” and, of course, “slant.”
Lauren is intelligent and likeable. The descriptions she gives of her teachers, classmates, and her widowed father’s first date with a new girlfriend are lightly sarcastic and observant. (She describes her English professor father as loving “Shakespeare and all things ‘olde with an e’.”) The narration fixates on certain points (such as the height difference between Lauren and her best friend Julie) that a real adolescent would fixate on, and as slightly whiny teenagers go, Lauren is admirable. She cares for her little sister, not only claiming her “heart hurts” from loving her so much, but also imagining the intense love and pain of being a parent.
Lauren’s empathy also comes through when she learns the full circumstances of her mother’s death during a confrontation between her father and grandmother, who has comes for her first visit since the untimely passing. Lauren’s reaction to the discovery about her mother is rather hastily concluded, but perhaps that’s for the sake of the book’s salient revelation. The well-adjusted Lauren is able to recognize that her self-consciousness is not unique to her. Thus, Lauren’s story is not just about an eyelid surgery, and not even just about self-esteem. It’s centered on the realization that she is happy – and, as readers close the last page of this thoughtful and interesting young adult story, we are too.
Review by Elizabeth F. A. Meaney
August 4, 2008
Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
Plastic surgery or not? Will it change your life and give you more self-confidence, or will it not change your life as dramatically as you thought?
These are the questions brought up by SLANT. There are many Asians having surgery to make their eyes more European-looking. I had an Asian living with me from Vienna. She said that she was lucky because she was born with a fold in her eyes. She also said that many of her aunts (she has many; her grandparents had nine children) have had the surgery. So this just isn't an American phenomena.
This story is about 13-year-old Lauren. Lauren was adopted by an American couple. She is Korean. Her younger adopted sister, Maia, is Chinese. Her adopted mother died when Lauren was ten, and she and Maia have been raised by her dad. Her dad is a university professor. Lauren's best friend is Julie, a tall, beautiful blond.
You can tell how much love is around these characters. At school there are a group of students who call Lauren slant, gook, or chink. She hates it but never stands up for herself. Lauren has been saving her money for two years for this surgery. When her grandmother, Ann, comes to town, the surgery may finally be a possibility.
Does she have the surgery? That is the question of the book.
I liked the characters in SLANT. They are written realistically, and you can tell the author likes these people. The story is written at a time where secrets are coming out and people are ready to move on with their lives. I really enjoyed this book.
Plastic surgery or not? Will it change your life and give you more self-confidence, or will it not change your life as dramatically as you thought?
These are the questions brought up by SLANT. There are many Asians having surgery to make their eyes more European-looking. I had an Asian living with me from Vienna. She said that she was lucky because she was born with a fold in her eyes. She also said that many of her aunts (she has many; her grandparents had nine children) have had the surgery. So this just isn't an American phenomena.
This story is about 13-year-old Lauren. Lauren was adopted by an American couple. She is Korean. Her younger adopted sister, Maia, is Chinese. Her adopted mother died when Lauren was ten, and she and Maia have been raised by her dad. Her dad is a university professor. Lauren's best friend is Julie, a tall, beautiful blond.
You can tell how much love is around these characters. At school there are a group of students who call Lauren slant, gook, or chink. She hates it but never stands up for herself. Lauren has been saving her money for two years for this surgery. When her grandmother, Ann, comes to town, the surgery may finally be a possibility.
Does she have the surgery? That is the question of the book.
I liked the characters in SLANT. They are written realistically, and you can tell the author likes these people. The story is written at a time where secrets are coming out and people are ready to move on with their lives. I really enjoyed this book.
December 22, 2016
I chose this rating cus I liked the pplot twist but also it has ideas bad for children and at some parts its boring and weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2022
Review
Cover Art: 🥕
Title: 🥕
Rating: 🥕🥕🥕
🐰 An interesting perspective from a Korean-American adoptee. This was a quick read that really doesn't focus on anything else besides "slanty-eyes."
Quotes
🐰 ...no one knows its a lie unless you get caught pg.3
🐰 ...she won't care about no boobs, no period, and slanty eyes pg.12
🐰 Julie looks at food and she gains weight pg.15
🐰 I figure I hate her more than she hates me pg.15
🐰 she thought I was the gardener's granddaughter pg.16
🐰 "Yo, gook face, got any toothpicks to hold your eyes open?" pg.16
🐰 I hate having my photo taken. I'm so not photogenic. My nose looks flatter than ever, my eyes are slits, my hair is a black helmet. pg.22
🐰 Nowadays it seems like every other American couple adopts a cute Chinese girl pg.37
🐰 pray every night and save every bit of money that comes my way for the operation to have my eyes fixed. pg.55
🐰 It's cool that you're like a purebred. They're worth a lot more." pg.120
First Page Nibble
🐰 It'd be nice if the wish I'm making on the thirteen candles I'm blowing out right now would come true. But like wishing on a star, I don't have much faith that blowing out a bunch of burning wax sticks stuck into a pink frosted cake will do much of anything.
Format: Paperback
Date Read: May 10, 2019🐇
Cover Art: 🥕
Title: 🥕
Rating: 🥕🥕🥕
🐰 An interesting perspective from a Korean-American adoptee. This was a quick read that really doesn't focus on anything else besides "slanty-eyes."
Quotes
🐰 ...no one knows its a lie unless you get caught pg.3
🐰 ...she won't care about no boobs, no period, and slanty eyes pg.12
🐰 Julie looks at food and she gains weight pg.15
🐰 I figure I hate her more than she hates me pg.15
🐰 she thought I was the gardener's granddaughter pg.16
🐰 "Yo, gook face, got any toothpicks to hold your eyes open?" pg.16
🐰 I hate having my photo taken. I'm so not photogenic. My nose looks flatter than ever, my eyes are slits, my hair is a black helmet. pg.22
🐰 Nowadays it seems like every other American couple adopts a cute Chinese girl pg.37
🐰 pray every night and save every bit of money that comes my way for the operation to have my eyes fixed. pg.55
🐰 It's cool that you're like a purebred. They're worth a lot more." pg.120
First Page Nibble
🐰 It'd be nice if the wish I'm making on the thirteen candles I'm blowing out right now would come true. But like wishing on a star, I don't have much faith that blowing out a bunch of burning wax sticks stuck into a pink frosted cake will do much of anything.
Format: Paperback
Date Read: May 10, 2019🐇
December 22, 2016
a pretty good book over all but not my kind of genre i like action instead of drama.
December 20, 2008
Lauren, a Korean adopted by a white family, has to deal with her dad dating again after the death of her mom, taking care of her 5 year old sister, living in the shadow of her rich, beautiful best friend, being called an ethnic slur ("Slant") at school, and growing up.
Surprisingly, the only thing that really seems to bother her is being called "Slant," which she seeks to remedy through plastic surgery to create a more significant eyelid crease and rounder eyes. Unfortunately, in 160 pages, there is not much room to delve into what could be very interesting plotlines, particularly the interracial adoption. Instead, the adoption is a non-issue and everything else is wrapped up and tied with a bow in a series of discoveries and epiphanies.
Great for younger readers. However, I suggest An Na's "The Fold" for a more developed, and sometimes hilarious, examination of the plastic surgery debate.
Surprisingly, the only thing that really seems to bother her is being called "Slant," which she seeks to remedy through plastic surgery to create a more significant eyelid crease and rounder eyes. Unfortunately, in 160 pages, there is not much room to delve into what could be very interesting plotlines, particularly the interracial adoption. Instead, the adoption is a non-issue and everything else is wrapped up and tied with a bow in a series of discoveries and epiphanies.
Great for younger readers. However, I suggest An Na's "The Fold" for a more developed, and sometimes hilarious, examination of the plastic surgery debate.
June 10, 2009
Many young adults feel that their lives would be better if only they looked differently. Some people want to change their weight, or their nose or their hair color. In this book, Lauren wants to make her Korean eyes look more American, so other students will stop calling her names. She's convinced that plastic surgery will give her more confidence and change her life. The story touches on many themes -- self-confidence, friendship, inner vs. outer beauty, depression, adoption, and more. Although I thought the plot was a bit contrived and superficial, overall I liked this book and the messages it promotes. You don't have to be adopted from another country like Lauren to understand the social experiences she has. Middle school boys and girls will enjoy this book and may well think differently about themselves after reading it.
October 26, 2009
Lauren is of Korean ancestry, but she was adopted by a Caucasian family. She is a happy, reasonably well adjusted 13 year old in spite of her mother's death in an "accident" three years earlier. Her Dad is raising Lauren and her adopted Chinese sister Maia. She and her father have always had a good relationship, but since her mother's death, they don't talk like they used to. Lauren hasn't told her father about the boys at school who call her Slant because of her eyes. She hasn't told him that she has saved up enough money to have plastic surgery, or that she has gotten her maternal grandmother to take her to an appointment with a plastic surgeon. To make matters worse, her father has a secret that he hasn't told her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2010
I really liked this book. Someone commented that it wasn't a very good YA book. I don't consider it a YA book either. It would be most appropriate in a junior high setting. Some also criticize the story; that it is too contrived. However I feel it is just perfect for it's intended audience. I really liked the characters and the dialogue. They felt very authentic. The only thing I was disappointed about, that was not addressed, was how much Maia looked up to her sister, Lauren and how it would have made her feel about herself and slanted eyes had Lauren gone ahead with the surgery. I thought that Lauren was a very important role model to her sister and her coming to terms with her identity as an Asian could effect how Maia felt about herself.
July 16, 2009
I really liked the beginning of this book. Lauren's voice is dry, occasionally bitter, and sarcastic at times. And I get the complaints of some reviewers - that out of all the stuff she's dealing with in her life, the one that bothers her is the eye thing. But I think this is a book about that phenomenon. And maybe the other stuff doesn't bother her so much. Anyway, I liked it, and I really liked it all the way until the climax, when there's some dialog that's a bit too forthcoming and made me spout the word "CHEESEBALL." But I can forgive a bit of cheesey dialog in a didactic book with characters I can identify with.
March 18, 2012
Lauren is a 13 year old adopted Korean girl. Her mother died three years before and it's just her, her dad,and her little sister. Lauren gets called slant, chink, and gook by her classmates who don't realize the racism and history behind those words. The constant teasing causes Lauren to hate her Asian eyes and she secretly saves money for eyelid surgery.
This book could be read in a few hours and I felt at times that some scenes were too rushed (for example the true cause of her mother's death), but overall it was a light YA read.
This book could be read in a few hours and I felt at times that some scenes were too rushed (for example the true cause of her mother's death), but overall it was a light YA read.
September 25, 2010
I like how everything in this book goes together, like there are issues and themes that are carried throughout the book. This is one of the things I like about reading well-written juvenile and young adult books; I can catch those things easily. I can just appreciate it without thinking about it too much.
I did feel that the climax of the story happened a little too quickly. I didn't quite believe the behavior of the author's father in that scene. It was a little too much. Willing to forgive it though since there was so much else I liked.
I did feel that the climax of the story happened a little too quickly. I didn't quite believe the behavior of the author's father in that scene. It was a little too much. Willing to forgive it though since there was so much else I liked.
February 24, 2012
i really enjoyed this book. It did capture my attention. I would definitily be willing to read another one of Lauren E. Williams' books. I like the part when some boys at Lauren's school start bullying her, about her Asian eyes. They tell her that they are "slanted". Then she finally has the courage to tell them that she is not any of the names that they were calling her. I like that part of the book because, there are many other people including myself that are sometimes to scared to stand up for themselves.
December 20, 2016
I think that this book was okay. It is defiantly a girls book and helps kids boost their self esteems. There was a lot of different events going on. I think it was a little over reacted with Lauren wanting to get surgery, her mom taking to many pills, the depression and struggle with her family and friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2008
I ABSOLUTLY LOVE THIS BOOK! I can relate to it on some points. Its very inspiring and I've already read it twice out of the 5 days I've had it. I'd have read it more if this wasn't Christmas!
June 30, 2009
Girl who wants to change her Asian eyes with plastic surgery so people at school won't tease her anymore.
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