North of Beautiful (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "NOT TO BRAG OR ANYTHING, but if you saw me from behind, you'd probably think I was perfect..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Terra's body is very nearly perfect, except for the port-wine birthmark on her left cheek, which several surgeries have failed to remove. It is the teen's final semester of high school and she looks forward to college where she can study art and escape from her bullying, verbally abusive father. Over the Christmas holidays, Terra and her mother get into a car accident and meet Jacob, a Goth Chinese boy with a cleft lip, and his adoptive mother. The women immediately strike up a supportive friendship, while Terra and Jacob grow close. When Terra's brother, who lives in Shanghai, sends her and her mother tickets to visit, and Jacob's mother wants to try to track down Jacob's birth mother, they decide to travel together. But what about Erik, Terra's enamored but slightly clueless boyfriend? Headley's ambitious novel is written in a beautifully crafted style that flows seamlessly. The pace is somewhat bogged down in the first half but it quickens when the characters travel to China, where Jacob, Terra, and their mothers begin to confront their insecurities. Terra and Jacob are flawed, complex, and memorable characters. The message that true beauty and strength come from within is dominant, but this is also a moving and satisfying story in its own right.—Amy J. Chow, The Brearley School, New York City
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Sixteen-year-old Terra seems to be a typical high-achieving high-school student. Under her heavy makeup, though, she hides a port-wine colored birthmark on her cheek that makes her feel like an outsider. During yet another attempt to remove the birthmark, Terra runs into Jacob, a gorgeous Goth with a cleft-palette scar. That encounter initiates a transformation in both Terra and her subservient mother. Headley has written an exquisite book that explores the difference between physical and true beauty as Terra and her mother travel from Washington state to China, and from the home of a shame-faced, cruel cartographer into the presence of an adventurous, strong woman and her insightful teenage son. Headley uses map metaphors throughout, even in the activity, geocaching, which helps bond Terra and Jacob in both Washington and China. She also uses Terra’s artistic medium, collage, as a literary device to create layer upon layer of experiences and insights into a artfully written journey of self-discovery, self-actualization, and love. With every carefully chosen word, well-crafted sentence, and fully developed character, Headley maps out a wholly satisfying reading experience that takes readers from terra nullis to terra firma. Grades 9-12. --Frances Bradburn

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316025054
• ISBN-13: 978-0316025058
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,967 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best YA books I have ever read, March 7, 2009

By	Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The first thing that came to mind after I finished this book was, Wow why haven't I read any books by this author before? This story was such a wonderful read that I couldn't stop once I got started. It wasn't just a YA novel, it was a story that anyone could read, enjoy, and learn from. Terra is a character that will stay with you forever. You felt her pain, as she has to live with this mark on her face, and how she tries to hide it in the beginning to the point where no one knows about it anymore except her and her family. Her struggle with accepting herself is the basis of the book, and the reader is taken along for the heart wrenching yet soul finding ride. Her mother's story is equally as powerful as Terra watches her mother break out of the shell created by Terra's father. Oh man, I really hated Terra's father. Seriously, while I was reading this book I was hoping that he would be killed or something equally as horrible by the end of the book. It's one of the few times where I have felt so strongly against a character. Any kind of abuse is horrible but verbal abuse can be even more painful than physical. There are no bruises or broken bones, but your spirit and soul can be destroyed by words even more than fists. He had to go down as one of the most hated characters for me ever.

I really enjoyed all the geography bits and the geocaching scenes throughout the book. My fiance is a geographical analyst, so all this stuff is right up his alley. I also loved the scenes in China as I would love to visit the country one day. But as like Jacob, I would probably get the same reactions he received, where people assumed he was the one who spoke the language simply because he looked like everyone else. The descriptions of the city made me feel like I was really there. The scene that stuck out to me the most was when Terra meets the little girl at the orphanage. It honestly made me want to cry and when you read it, you might feel the same way too.

Another thing that struck me about this book was that this was one of the very few times I have seen a book that has a relationship between a Caucasian girl and an Asian guy. Even more astounding was that the Asian guy was NOT the normal stereotype of an engineer or a doctor or one with aspirations to be one of the two. Yes he was adopted but he was just a regular normal teenage guy who happened to be Asian. It's very rare to read about this in a book, as it's not the norm even in real life. I was very glad to see the stereotype be broken though.

I'm going to have to go back and read the rest of Justina's books now after reading this one. This one was a joy to read and honestly one of the best YA books I've ever read. Such a poignant and beautiful story. HIGHLY recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifuk, May 18, 2009

By	Reader Rabbit "readerrabbit.blogspot.com" (readerrabbit.blogspot.com) - See all my reviews

If you look at Terra, you'd think that she has the perfect life. She's tall, blonde and has popular boyfriend. But as soon as you take a glance at her face, you see, on her left cheek, a port-wine stain. All of Terra's life has been spent trying to cover it up, through makeup and unsuccessful laser treatments.

Another blemish on her life is inner. Her father routinely abuses her family; degrading her mother to the point where her spirit has been broken. Because of her controlling and verbally abusive father, Terra's only dream is to escape her family and go to college at Williams and learn art. Except, of course, Terra's father decides that art is a waste of time and refuses to allow Terra to attend her first-choice college. He insists that she attend the university of his choice. Heartbroken, Terra is unable to figure out what to do...

That's when, after nearly running him over, Terra meets Jacob. A strange Goth Chinese boy, Jacob doesn't care what anyone thinks and is able to see past the perfect illusion that Terra tries to hide beneath.

And then, when Terra's absentee brother send her tickets for her mother and her to go to China, she leaps at the chance. Jacob and his adoptive mother choose to accompany them, with their mission of finding the orphanage where she adopted Jacob from. It is on that trip where Terra learns more about the world, her family and what it'd take to set her free.

So, as earlier established, I really enjoyed North of Beautiful. I've read Justina Chen Headley's other books and enjoyed them, but none of them measured up to North of Beautiful.

Everything in the novel is layed out perfectly. I particularly enjoyed the mentions of maps and geocaches in the novel. I found them to be symbolic, revealing the changes in Terra as the novel went on.

Terra's family situation in North of Beautiful is painful to read about, at times. Terra's father, while not physically abusive, is horrible. Terra and her mother's sense of entrapment is clear.

While this type of set-up is not unique in the YA genre, the way that it is approached in North of Beautiful is. The travel aspect, Terra's port-wine stain and the simultaneous self-discovery of Terra's mother make North of Beautiful engrossing.

None of the main characters are stereotypical. There's a back-story to every one of them, ranging from Jacob's adoption and purpose behind his "goth appearance' to his mother's desire to go to China to escape the wedding of her ex-husband.

Terra is a character one can easily relate with. Her situation contains aspects that many teens can relate to, including family issues, a desire to escape and make your own path and other teenage issues regarding friendships and relationships.

To add on to the appeal of North of Beautiful, Terra's narrative voice in North of Beautiful is unique, Justina Chen Headley's writing is wonderful. Her prose is smooth, filled with subtle metaphors and is a complete delight to well-read eyes.

Clearly, I adored North of Beautiful and would advise you to get a copy ASAP!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars obviously north of amazing, March 8, 2009

By	Marianne P. Turosky (Plymouth, PA USA) - See all my reviews

as soon as i finished this book, i immediately went and bought another one of Headley's books. Jacob's and Terra's connection is surreal, and the storyline she directs is absolutely compelling!