Customer Reviews

The True Meaning of Cleavage (Junior Library Guild Selection)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I didn't know what to expect from this book at first, because I didn't know what the title referred to. I mean, I thought it referred only to sex, but then I read the book and discovered that the title is about how people become separated from one another, especially girls. High school is such a difficult time in a girl's life, and this book told how two girls deal with it in a really fabulous way, one I could really relate to. I loved the characters. They were so unique and, yet, so much like people I know must really exist. The book also had a lot to say about sex, without really ever talking about sex directly. It was GREAT the way the book gave the message that girls should focus on being true to themselves and that having sex just to be popular or to 'get' a boyfriend will only make a girl feel bad about herself in the long run. I read this book all the way through after school one day. Couldn't tear myself away from it!

To be upfront, I'm a former colleague and friend of the writer. However, as a male in his late thirties, I'm hardly the target market. That said, I enjoyed this book very, very much. It's funny, realistic, and I cared very much about the characters. The story moves quickly and I loved the developing friendship between Jess and Danny. I look forward to Mariah's next book.

P.S. My 11 yr old stepdaughter ate this book up. I withheld the book from her halfway thru it till she cleaned her room. I never saw her clean that room so quickly. Now if I could only get the book back from her...

This book is a page-turner !

It is a funny and gripping story about two girl-friends who are in their first year in high school. They are very different. What happens to them during the year makes you think a lot about your own experiences with friendship and romance.

If you are a teenage girl, or about to be one, you will really enjoy this book!

I'm a mom and aunt, who ran across this book by accident, (while surfing the web). I was surprised and thrilled to find that this kind of fiction is being written for girls. The characters are unique, interesting, and powerful role models. Their story was well-drawn and was funny, sad, and educating to me.

Jess, the main voice, is a real find. Her interest in art and science fiction, and her alienation from the "popular" crowd, including boys, makes her complex and fascinating. I would very much like to meet her, if she were a real person. Unfortunately, Jess's friend Sari fares a little worse. Although she is a wonderfully and believably drawn character, she is the kind of teenaged girl that every mother hopes NOT to raise: one who uses sex to gain attention and popularity.

Being a bit on the conservative side, I was relieved, however, to find that the author handles sexual issues delicately; in fact, I never saw the word "sex" anywhere in the book, and sex itself is never described or talked about as such.(You have to read between the lines.) However, the implications are enough, and the message is clear: sex in high school can make a girl miserable.

Interestingly, despite the cover art and title, this book has the most wholesome values of any book I've read lately, including adult fiction. The story's message seems to be that girls should empower themselves, find themselves, and be people first, before they tackle sex. And THAT is why I bought five copies of this book and sent it out to all my nieces and let my 10-year-old daughter read it. (She loved it! ... Nieces' books just went out in mail.)

I definitely will be following this author in the future. She clearly has her head on straight and has a knack for creating compelling, believable characters and stories. (Plus, I want my daughter and nieces to hear what she has to say!) Also, I don't think tweeners and teenagers will settle for anything less than honesty. They can spot a phony a mile away. This author, however, was the real thing. (I think I was drawn to her, initially, because of the recommendation on the book jacket by Meg Cabot, who wrote "The Princess Diaries.")

P.S. Sorry for the wordiness. Can't help myself. I'm a voracious reader and books are a sort of religion for me!

Meg Cabot says on the back of this book that it's "Laugh out loud funny and way twisted!"

She's right! I bought the book because my niece saw that Meg Cabot liked it. I read it first because the picture on the front looks kind of racy. But there's nothing to worry about in that sense. The book is about friendship between girls, and competition--and growing up. It's funny and sweet and real, and both my niece and I (and Meg!) loved it.

When I first saw the spine of this book, the title struck me as a little shocking. I was struck again upon looking at the cover and seeing the photographed girl wearing a necklace which was the twin of my own. The combined shocks made me immediately read the summary, which sounded like a typical coming-of-age story: Sari and Jess have been best friends for years, but upon entering ninth grade, Jess (the self-proclaimed sci-fi geek) feels like she is losing Sari (the prettier one).

However, this book is anything but typical. It is phenomonal. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The work is much deeper than the title implies.

Jess is an artist and prefers sketching characters from her favorite comic book; Sari is far more into the high school scene, with status and popularity, and she falls very hard for a senior boy who is already in a committed relationship. This is no crush - this is an obsession, and the reader will truly worry about Sari as she lowers her standards and does things for a boy who is using her. Being a person who loves books set in the voice of the 'third wheel,' the person observing from afar, I found this book more powerful coming from Jess' point of view and applaud the author for chosing that writing style.

The book takes place over an entire school year, September through June, yet it moves along quickly and quite well. After reading the book, I realized that the title was chosen not only to make people pick up the book, but to signify the space between - in this case, the space between the girls.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, Sarah Dessen and Carol Plum-Ucci.

I thought that this was a very good book that appeals to the teenager in everyone. It is a story about Jess and Sari, best friends since 7th grade. They're entering their freshman year of high school, and they're growing apart a little bit at a time. Jess doesn't fit in the greatest, and I think that all of us can relate to that at one time or another. Sari is beautiful and gets lots of attention, especially from guys. She falls "madly, psychotically in love" with a cool senior, David Cole, who has been going out with Thea Melendez forever. Many of us can relate to Jess's struggle as she loses Sari little by little. Eventually, though, Sari decided that David needed to choose who he wanted more: Sari or Thea. Sari and Jess go back to being as tight as they were in the beginning of the story because Sari also realized that friends, especially best friends, are more important than guys. Boyfriends come and go, but best friends are priceless and of utmost importance.

As a Young Adult Librarian, I was pleased to see "The True Meaning of Cleavage" get a great review from Meg Cabot (another YA author that teens and their parents should know about). Mariah Fredericks weaves a very believable and compelling storyline centered on a lifelong friendship between Sari and Jess. Beginning their freshman year of high school, Sari and Jess keep the close bonds that have been the hallmark of their friendship -- hanging out, renting movies, and consulting "The Book" for advice on dating and other important life issues. Sari's quest to join the "in crowd," however, leads to some questionable decisions, especially as they relate to becoming involved with a senior who is currently one half of the school's "official couple." As the consequences of Sari's decision become more severe, her relationship with Jess is strained. The big question is, can it be mended?

Fredericks' strength in "The True Meaning of Cleavage" is her ability to write from both girls' points of view. Sari's desire to be known in high school is clear throughout the story, and Jess's struggles with being known only as "Sari's friend" lay an important foundation for the entire book. As Sari's reputation is damaged (partly out of Jess's jealousy and insecurity) the ups and downs of a very realistic friendship come to the front. Parents are mentioned at important times, but do not dominate the book, and are presented as interested in their daughters' lives, but not overbearing. The book does deal candidly (but not graphically) with sexuality, which may limit its appeal to some audiences. That said, however, "The True Meaning of Cleavage" makes a GREAT book discussion title, and is a book that parents of teenage girls will want to know about (and, hopefully, read!)

The True Meaning of Cleavage shows how high school changes everything in a person's life.. friendships change.. relationships change.. everything changes, and sometimes people don't really like these changes so much.

When best friends Jess and Sari, enter high school, Sari falls in love with senior David Cole upon laying eyes on him. Jess, on the other hand, is stuck in the not-so-popular crowd, without much of a love intrest. Soon everything changes between Jess and Sari becuase of David; it seems to Jess Sari refuses to talk about anything but him.

The relationships between Sari and Jess and David change and devleop through the story, but don't be fooled by the cover.. there's no sexual description in the book, you just have to read between the lines and you will find a really cute funny book, and a good description of life in high school freshman year.

When I first saw the spine of this book, the title struck me as a little shocking. I was struck again upon looking at the cover and seeing the photographed girl wearing a necklace which was the twin of my own. The combined shocks made me immediately read the summary, which sounded like a typical coming-of-age story: Sari and Jess have been best friends for years, but upon entering ninth grade, Jess (the self-proclaimed sci-fi geek) feels like she is losing Sari (the prettier one).

However, this book is anything but typical. It is phenomonal. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The work is much deeper than the title implies.

Jess is an artist and prefers sketching characters from her favorite comic book; Sari is far more into the high school scene, with status and popularity, and she falls very hard for a senior boy who is already in a committed relationship. This is no crush - this is an obsession, and the reader will truly worry about Sari as she lowers her standards and does things for a boy who is using her. Being a person who loves books set in the voice of the 'third wheel,' the person observing from afar, I found this book more powerful coming from Jess' point of view and applaud the author for chosing that writing style.

The book takes place over an entire school year, September through June, yet it moves along quickly and quite well. After reading the book, I realized that the title was chosen not only to make people pick up the book, but to signify the space between - in this case, the space between the girls.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, Sarah Dessen and Carol Plum-Ucci.