My Life in Black and White [Hardcover]

Natasha Friend (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 14, 2012

What if you lost the thing that made you who you are?

Lexi has always been stunning. Her butter-colored hair and perfect features have helped her attract friends, a boyfriend, and the attention of a modeling scout. But everything changes the night Lexi's face goes through a windshield. Now she's not sure what's worse: the scars she'll have to live with forever, or what she saw going on between her best friend and her boyfriend right before the accident. With the help of her trombone-playing, defiantly uncool older sister and a guy at school recovering from his own recent trauma, Lexi learns she's much more than just a pretty face.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Authentic dialogue, complex characters and an interesting narration lift this story above others with a similar theme. . . . Lexi's sarcastic wit and genuine emotion make her a girl readers will root for. Artful and satisfying."

(Kirkus Reviews )

"Lexi's journey is rewarding and powerful. . . . Friend's (For Keeps) character-driven novel is an affecting and insightful portrait of recovery and the experiences that shape an individual."

(Publisher's Weekly )

"Readers who enjoy satisfying character transformations, such as in Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall, will be rapidly flipping the pages of Friend's well-written and thoughtful novel."

(School Library Journal )

"This novel is about family, friends, love, and above all, the hard journey to self-acceptance."

(Booklist )

"My Life in Black and White is a realistic fiction that really has you wondering 'What if this happened to me?'"

(Seventeen.com )

"A solid and adolescent-appealing premise, and [an] accessibly written story."

(The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books )

About the Author

Natasha Friend is the author of three middle grade novels and one other young adult novel. The mother of three young children, she lives in Madison, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (June 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067001303X
• ISBN-13: 978-0670013036
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #865,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Natasha Friend Shows Great Insight January 16, 2013

By Cynthia Cobb

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My daughter and I both enjoyed this book. Natasha did not disappoint and the pages were rich with some good lessons - don't overreact, don't assume, looks aren't everything, etc. etc. (don't want to have to issue a spolier alert). All of Natasha's books have been great reads! We look forward to her next one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I was greatly surprised by this book! November 8, 2012

By Proserpine

Format:Hardcover

I did not know this author: Natasha Friend (even if she got a loaded background of works/books!). But then, I am not big fan of Contemporary stories, my treat is Paranormal Romance stories!
I received this book from the publisher and I thought: why not!?! I didn't have many expectations at first, but after reading the first chapter I was under a spell!
I read this book, from the first page until the very last word, without putting it down! This story was wondrous and I experienced a lot of: tears dropping, laugh, anger, wonder, and I thought back about myself! Jeez this book makes you think a lot! I give my Mermaids Tears (my water flow!) for this one!

Alexa (Lex or Lexi), the main character is a normal teenage girl: normal life, normal friend and best friend (Taylor), normal family and handsome but still normal boyfriend (Ryan). Alexa is the typical girl next door, but she's also beautiful. But not just plain beautiful, she's probably the most beautiful girl in school and town! Even her mother believes she'll become a model. People turned their head at her passage and men eyes followed her when she passes.

Then, one night, everything changes after a car accident: Lex is disfigured. This story is about how Lex, her friends, boyfriend and family will react after this tragedy and move on or not.

Damn this story was quite intense! After each chapter, I was shocked to realise how much I wanted more of this book! I liked the evolution of Lex but also the way people in her life, reacted to this accident, how they choose to live with this new aspect! Sometimes, people may not respond the way you were thinking!

I don't want to sell everything but I recommend this book to ever YA, Contemporary lovers.... Since I enjoyed this book, if your kind of read is very different from Contemporary but want to read something new I suggest you to try Natasha Friend's story!

Proserpine @ Proserpine Craving Books Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Emotional journey about difficult changes and finding yourself! October 10, 2012

By Beesha

Format:Kindle Edition

Lexi has always been known as beautiful, gorgeous, and hot. She is in love with her boyfriend Ryan, has a great best friend Taylor, and is about to start 10th grade which is high school where she lives. The summer before high school begins, she attends a party at her best friend Taylor's house. She can't find Taylor and she gets worried she might be too drunk and could need help so she searches the house and finds her friend Heidi guarding the door. At this point in the book my heart was already beating super fast and I was feeling nauseous. Nothing worse than the betrayal of a close friend. Lexi opens the door and finds her best friend of ten years with her boyfriend. Lexi gets Taylor's brother, Jarrod, to drive her home and they get into a car crash.

Lexi's face will never be the same. She also has no friends to support her. That was the most heartbreaking part of this story for me. Not just that Lexi has to go through surgeries and identity issues but that she has no one to help her through it. No one to stand beside her as she enters high school. I thought all her friends were awful even before the cheating and accident. She definitely shouldn't forgive them. But if I had made such a horrible mistake, I would have been at her house everyday with presents begging for forgiveness. I would have sent letters and did everything I could. I felt like Taylor didn't even make a good effort. She texted and left some voice messages. Big fricken whoop after what she did. Personally it is just something I would never forgive period but even her other friends should have been more supportive. Taylor's brother, Jarrod, never even apologized! And the crash was his fault basically.

Lexi goes through so many emotions and I felt them all right along with her.... I was so angry myself I wanted to jump in the book and just get revenge on everyone. lol Lexi is angry, sad, depressed. She doesn't want to leave the house or let anyone see her. She has a lot of freak outs. Eventually she realizes that her evil ex best friend and ex boyfriend are at high school living their lives and that she should be out there. She should not be the one suffering while they are happy. I definitely understood and agreed. Everyone else did wrong but Lexi suffered the most. Lexi gathers up the strength to face high school all alone. She has to deal with all the fake smiles, gossip, and Ryan still trying to talk to her. Lexi ignores him and Taylor as she should and tries to redefine herself. Everything is changed so she might as well change.

Lexi used to enjoy school spirit, football games, and things like that. Now she just can't be the same person. She goes through wardrobe and attitude adjustments. Her older, more geeky, sister helps along the way. I was very sad watching Lexi struggle. The book is not romance heavy which I did like. Lexi works hard on her own to overcome her differences. I hate when a boy swopes in the just makes everything better. It doesn't happen like that. Lexi had to work through things on her own first. Then when she is doing better she meets a nice boy named Theo. He understands beauty is more than skin deep after losing a sister to an eating disorder. He is a good listener and introduces Lexi to boxing to get her anger out.

I don't think she should have ever forgave her friends. During all the flashbacks it seemed like Taylor was never a good friend. Taylor and Heidi were both so jealous, which is understandable, but the way they treated their friend was not okay. But Lexi is definitely a way better person than Taylor or me even. When Taylor goes through a traumatic crisis, instead of ditching her the way Taylor ditched her, she steps up and tries to help. I never would have. Lexi was a very strong character. Even though at times she had freak outs and had plans of revenge she always did the right thing. I teared up quite a bit during the book. I was easily able to connect and feel all of the anguish Lexi went through.

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"While my mother cried, I had one nauseating, hysterical thought. I'll be a butt-face! Literally!"

"Sometimes a girl needs to squirt butter on people...or throw ice cream at the wall or a plate across the room...and it's not that she's proud of this behavior...it's just...well, she needs to flip out once in a while. To relieve the pressure."

"My point is...okay, there's this term in boxing, kissing the canvas. It's when someone get knocked down face-first. After Becks died, that was me. I could barely get out of bed. But you...kissed the canvas and got up." Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ugly Duckling, in reverse.... sort of. September 6, 2012

By Nancy A. Spivey

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

My Life in Black and White is the tale of a teenage girl who has always been one of the "golden people". She is extraordinarily pretty, popular at school, and everyone wants to be her. But then a car accident leaves her face badly scarred, and she thinks her life is over. But for Lexi, life is really just beginning. It is only when she is no longer "perfect" that she finds out what real friendship is, and who the really "cool" people are, including her own nerdy older sister.

I enjoyed the transformation of this girl from shallow teenager to thoughtful and engaging young adult. It is a book worth reading, especially for teenaged girls who think looks and popularity are everything, but also for us older folks, too, who love a happy ending.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars My Life In Black & White June 28, 2012

By Avery Greaves

Format:Hardcover

This is the sort of book that reminds me that I really must expand my reading horizons, that I shouldn't always go directly to paranormal/ fantasy reads, that every now and again I should veer off and pick up a contemporary read.

While there was many things that I enjoyed about this book, a unique and gripping storyline, a storyline that plays on the emotions of its readers and the likes of, my most favourite part was Lexi herself. I find that in the vast majority of books I read the main characters never learn, they constantly make the same mistake over and over again, they are stubborn and pigheaded through and through, however I didn't find that the case with Lexi whatsoever- she actually grew throughout the book, becoming a much better person than she had been before her accident. And as result I think that she is a true role model and someone that you can learn a lot from. I can admit with no problem that she is a much better person than myself- I doubt that had I been in her circumstances that I would have been so forgiving.

Furthermore, I thought that Lexi's sister, Ruthie, was one of the best secondary characters I have read of in a very long time. Unlike the vast majority of secondary characters I have read of, who are mere fillers, Ruthie actually made a difference/ impacted the storyline (plus, her personality totally rocked and reminds me of a lot of my close friends).

That being said, I wasn't entirely satisfied by this book, I was a but disappointed with the ending- I didn't find that it was quite as strong as the first 3/4 of the book. I found that it was a tad rushed and I thought that the epilogue was extremely flat (which I find surprising as I am the sort of person who NEEDS an epilogue).... Furthermore, I wish that Theo had played a larger role in the book (seriously, I would take Theo over Ryan any day of the week).

All in all, I think that this is a wonderful coming-of-age/ recovering-from-a-traumatic-event type of story and a story that appeals to all YA readers no matter their genre preference. I am very curious to see what Natasha has in store for us next (and whether she intends for this to be a series). Read more ›