Outside Beauty [Hardcover]

Cynthia Kadohata (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 3, 2008

"My mother had four daughters by four different men."

There's only one way Shelby and her sisters can describe their mother: She's a sexpot. Helen Kimura collects men (and loans, spending money, and gifts of all kinds) from all over the country. Sure, she's not your typical role model, but she's also not just a pretty face and nail polish. She is confident and brave; she lives life on her own terms, and her four daughters simply adore her. These girls have been raised outside the traditional boundaries. They know how to take the back exit. They know how to dodge crazed lovers in highway car chases. They do not, however, know how to function without one another.

Then suddenly they must. A late-night phone call unexpectedly shreds the family apart, catapulting the girls across the country to live with their respective fathers. But these strong-willed sisters are, like their mother, determined to live life on their own terms, and what they do to pull their family back together is nothing short of beautiful.

At turns wickedly funny and insistently thought-provoking, Outside Beauty showcases Cynthia Kadohata's unerring ability to explore the bonds that bind.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Shelby, 13, and her three sisters, ages 16, 8, and 6, have different fathers. They live in early-1980s Chicago with their free-spirited mother, Helen, a striking and beauty-obsessed Japanese bombshell. Helen is a cult of personality unto herself, and the older girls happily care for the younger ones while Mom collects boyfriends. When she is in a disfiguring car accident, the girls separate to live with their fathers. Shelby's dad is a kind, level-headed Japanese greenhorn, while six-year-old Maddie's, an Anglo, is a patronizing, abusive bully. The four girls plot their escape—back to Helen, but really back to one another. The novel is oddly missing pop-culture references, so the '80s setting is perplexing and extraneous. The first chapters of the book are packed with contrived, purposefully madcap shenanigans and creaky, expository dialogue. Once the scene is set, though, Shelby settles into a more natural, thoughtful voice, and the surprisingly gripping plot gains pace and substance. The cloyingly devil-may-care mood of the opening turns mercifully more sober and suspenseful as the girls' troubles deepen. The sisters have distinct, authentic voices, and their conversations are smooth, snappy, and believable. The male characters are well drawn too, especially Shelby's sweet, hilarious father, who gets the best lines in the book. Shelby's running commentary on beauty is smart and poignant, as is her portrayal of a mother she both loves and reviles.—Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library
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From Booklist

Shelby, Maddie, Lakey, and Marilyn have the same mother but four different fathers. Their Japanese mother is obsessed with her beauty, which she uses to charm the men she meets and seduces in order to keep her family solvent. The four Chicago sisters have primarily raised themselves and are incredibly close. Late one night, their world shifts after they learn that their mother has been injured in an auto accident and will require extensive plastic surgery. The girls can’t stay alone, so they are separated and farmed out to their fathers. Only Shelby and her father, Jiro, reach each other’s hearts, and it’s Jiro who eventually understands that the sisters need to be together. His realization only comes, though, after the girls’ enact a junior-high version of a Thelma & Louise auto escape. Kadohata, author of the Newbery Medal–winner Kira-Kira (2004), never fully develops the theme of beauty that’s implied by the title, but Shelby’s venture to Arkansas, where she has some first experiences with outdoor living, is endearing, as are the relationships among the closely connected sisters. Grades 6-9. --Cindy Dobrez

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689865759
• ISBN-13: 978-0689865756
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,167,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Medal-winning book Kira-Kira, Weedflower, and several critically acclaimed adult novels, including The Floating World. She has published numerous short stories in such literary journals as the New Yorker, Ploughshares, Grand Street, and the Mississippi Review. She lives with her son and dog in West Covina, California.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too July 3, 2008

By TeensReadToo

Format:Hardcover

It's always been Shelby, her mom, and her three sisters. The story is told through Shelby's eyes. She is the second eldest of the four. They live in an untraditional family, to say the least. Each of the sisters has a different father. And they each have different ancestry, as well. One is half Japanese, half Italian. One is half Japanese and half Chinese. One is half Japanese and half Anglo. And Shelby is all Japanese.

Their mom has always been on the quest for eternal beauty and the rich husband. None of the girls' fathers have satisfied her, even though Lakey's father, Larry, wants to marry her. It's only after learning of Larry's engagement to another woman that Helen realizes what she could've had.

Even with the bizarre family ties, the girls and their mother are close. They do everything together. And though maybe unconventional, their mother has done a good job raising the girls. It's only after her mother is in a serious car accident that their world crumbles. Since none of the girls are legally adults, Helen must arrange homes for the girls while she recovers.

It is decided that each of the girls will go to live with their respective fathers. Shelby has only seen her father a handful of times. Jiro is a reserved man, living a quiet life in Arkansas. Except for the fact that he dresses terribly uncool, as the summer unfolds, Shelby realizes he's not a bad man, just unknown to her.

It's Maddie that has the worst situation. Her father, Mr. Bronson, has been legally trying to obtain custody of her, stating Helen is an unfit mother. He's a stern disciplinarian, and Maddie's personality starts to disappear, living in his oppressive home.

When notified that their mother may die, all the girls are flown home to be with her. The girls take matters into their own hands when they fear that they could be permanently separated if the worst happens. They will do anything they can to keep their family unit together, and to save Maddie.

Ms. Kadohata writes a powerfully moving novel of four girls struggling to keep the lives they've always known. Separated from each other, they can barely survive. Looking in from the outside, the reader knows what is going on, but feels powerless to stop the momentum that is driving their lives. After reading OUTSIDE BEAUTY, the reader will come away with a wonderful feeling of family, and of how love can pull you through anything.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read -- but not for younger teens August 6, 2008

By Carol M

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The book jacket lists this book for ages 12+. But I would strongly encourage parents and teachers to pre-read this book before recommending it to anyone under about 15. While there is nothing explicit or graphic in the book, there are a number of references to very casual sexual activity among adults (not wearing panties to parties, trading `favors' for car service, a date expecting to `get what he has paid for'). These incidents are reported very dispassionately by the 13 year old protagonist, as it is just commonplace in her life. That fits perfectly for the voice of this character. But I personally would not want to give this to a preteen or young teen who is just starting to gather clues about how people behave sexually. I think it would be fine for a mid or older teen.

That said, I found Outside Beauty to be a great read. The basic plot and premise of the story is unique. It's the story of a single mother and her four daughters. The mother is quite shallow and values beauty (and what it can get her) above all else. She teaches these values quite effectively to her young brood. Because of an accident, the girls are split up and sent to live with different fathers, in very different living situations. It's a beautiful story of how a strong familial bond will overcome exceptional circumstances.

Outside Beauty is told from the viewpoint of the second-oldest daughter, Shelby. I found the "voice" of this character to be very authentic. I enjoyed the variety of characters in this novel. Each daughter and each father has a distinct personality. Although each character is fairly one-dimensional, and some are stereotypical, it works quite well as an ensemble.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sophiscated for a "young" reader August 2, 2008

By Working Mom TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This book is about a mother with 4 girls who thinks her appearance matters more than anything. The story is told through the eyes of her 2nd oldest daughter. The girls are very close to each other and their somewhat eccentric mother. This is a great read and well-written. However, due to some mature references and concepts, I would not recommend it for preteens. OK for a high schooler.

The story tells of how the girls come into their own after their mother's car accident. She may die and the girls must deal with imperfect fathers as well as their own feelings. Despite the premise - one mom with 4 girls by 4 dads, the girls learn some good things: a woman can be valued for more than her beauty, running away isn't always the answer, sometimes it's good to love some one back, etc...

Very well-written, lots of fun, some ups & down. Highly Recommended!