When Dimple Met Rishi

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Definitely thought this was a cute book, a fast read & super sweet. It was interesting to see some of the Indian culture. I will say, Dimple aggravated me towards the end of the book but I was happy with the ending of it.

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Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Side Effects may Vary

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A sweet read. I totally could see this book made into a movie. It touches on all the heart strings of a teenager - & its got that added touch of how precious life is. I really loved Dumplin' & was excited to read another Julie Murphy book. This didn't disappoint. It wasn't amazing or horrible - it's just a really enjoyable, easy read.

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When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs. So she convinces her best friend, Harvey, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge as it is about hope.

But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission, and now she must face the consequences of all she's said and done.

The Outsiders

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I cant believe I had never read this book. I remember the movie so clearly & reading the book, I could envision it all over again. & of course, the book is so much better. I even had to look up the movie cast to get who played who so I could envision them while reading. I'm a sucker for Patrick Swayze in my mind for any novel. But it was just as heart wrecking reading it as watching it on the screen. This is one book that I can say was really true to the movie - or vice versa. Glad I took the time to read it. Stay Golden Ponyboy

View all my reviews The Outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book gave me chills. I'm not a person who cares for futuristic books but this was sort of creepy how you can see similarities on how this world is headed - a world full of offended people, of lack of connection with humans, having technology being a focal point & most disturbing, having books taken away so the knowledge of digesting information can be controlled. I could have done without some of the writing one one area, but thought other areas of it was described beautifully. All in all, I did appreciate the message behind the book. Kind of shocked this is a school read because it does have some violence & disturbing scenes in it - but I do appreciate the younger generation receiving the point of this book.

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Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family." But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn't live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known

One of Us Is Lying

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just devoured this book. So anxious to see what the real story was behind a guy dying after a group of teens were in detention together. The story held me to the very end. I just for some reason envisioned these kids as the gang from Riverdale - I mean, someone died, so it fits. It's like a Breakfast Club meets Riverdale meets Dateline Mystery. I just loved seeing the characters evolve into their true selves & developing relationships together & seeing how they handled themselves when their truth they tried to keep secret came to light. I also was taken back by surprises & twists in the book & in the end, I didn't figure out the mystery of it all, which makes me like a book even more. I also feel like the end was summed up pretty well giving me a 'tied in a bow' ending I feel like I can leave all the characters behind in. This totally could be a movie... or at least a season on Riverdale :)

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Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. 
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. 
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? 
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them."

The Last To Let Go

The Last to Let Go by Amber Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting story of how a family deals with abuse & the after effects of a mom who no longer can take the abuse. You root for the 3 kids who are left behind & handle the situation so differently. I felt like something was missing in the story, like it didn't connect fully with me, but I still got through it fast as I was anxious to see how it would all turn out.

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A twisted tragedy leaves Brooke and her siblings on their own in this provocative new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used To Be.

How do you let go of something you’ve never had?

Junior year for Brooke Winters is supposed to be about change. She’s transferring schools, starting fresh, and making plans for college so she can finally leave her hometown, her family, and her past behind.

But all of her dreams are shattered one hot summer afternoon when her mother is arrested for killing Brooke’s abusive father. No one really knows what happened that day, if it was premeditated or self-defense, whether it was right or wrong. And now Brooke and her siblings are on their own.

In a year of firsts—the first year without parents, first love, first heartbreak, and her first taste of freedom—Brooke must confront the shadow of her family’s violence and dysfunction, as she struggles to embrace her identity, finds her true place in the world, and learns how to let go.

Far From the Tree

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fast read for me & I just enjoyed seeing the stories of these 3 siblings come together to find more of what connects them but each in their own world.

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A contemporary novel about three adopted siblings who find each other at just the right moment.

Being the middle child has its ups and downs.

But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he’s learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can’t hurt anyone but him. 

When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one kept me intrigued to find out how it was going to end.
A story on time travel, which I totally dont get into sci-fi books, but this one was just cute & light & mysterious all wrapped up in one.
I think this was written for a younger crowd, but I enjoyed it just as much as any other book.
I really was excited to find out the answer to the 'mystery' & find out if time travel really is possible, & if so, who is this person that is leaving letters about Miranda's future?
Totally a good fast read & would be fun for a family to read together.

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Four mysterious letters change Miranda's world forever. 

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. 

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: 

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. 
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. 

The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late. 

A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can't believe I've never read this book. I dont remembering it being any required reading in school. Seeing the previews of the movie made me really want to pick it up because I'm a sucker for reading a book before I see the movie.
What a delightful little book. With such a deep story behind it.
I love the three Mrs. W's & while I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi books, I really enjoyed the purpose of this one. It was really chilling to read about IT & the world that is 'perfect' because all thought or difference is removed. How horrifying some fiction can resemble the true world sometimes.
While the character of Meg irked me a little - I get it was for a younger audience that could relate to her. & I truly appreciated the story holding a lot of spiritual purpose & wording & reference to God.
The one thing I really didnt care for was the ending felt really rushed. I wished it gave a little more what happened to IT & how they returned to earth. Maybe that's what other books in the series are for.
Glad I read it & have that classic in my brain now.

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Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

The Crown

The Crown by Kiera Cass
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So I did like this better than book #4 but still wasn't a huge fan of Eadlyn throughout the book.
I was happy how it all wrapped up & glad I made it through the series, but still leaving the series knowing books 1-3 are SO much better. I'm glad I read these though... just didnt give me all the feels of the original 3. Kinda ironic, giving that's a lot of the story, how Eadlyn doesn't live up to her parents. oops. haha.

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When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.

Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined. 

Turtles All the Way Down

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love me some John Green & was excited about his new book.

I have weird feelings about this book though. I enjoyed it & I thought he did his main character Aza total justice in her struggle with mental health struggles. I mean, it was really really done well. As someone who has issues with germaphobe & a need to google every symptom & hone & hark & get myself riled up over the unknown, I appreciated seeing Aza & how her mind worked in her struggles. But when someone asked me what the story was about, I couldnt really sum it up well. That's the issue I guess for me - I'm not really sure what the overall plot of the book was. I know we followed along with Aza & her friendships & her relationship with an old friend & the little mystery of finding his father who had gone missing... but that never really felt like the MAIN story. I dont know. Maybe just me. I did enjoy it - wasn't in awe of the story, but if you are a John Green fan, I think you can't miss this book.

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Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts

The One by Kiera Cass

The One by Kiera Cass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Still just trekking through this series.
& this may be one of my favorites out of the three.
We are down to the final 4 in this book & who Maxon is going to choose. All the while watching America struggle with sharing him with the other Selection Girls & watching him grow closer to one other one. I loved this book had a little bit more back story of the rebellion & what some of the purpose of it was. I also appreciated this book had a little bit of shock, some deep emotion other than just the relationship with Maxon & America, but also with family members.... the heartache, the anger, the frustration. I wish the epilogue was a little longer & I think the end got a little rushed at the final decision... I dont know - I think I just wanted more after 3 books of build up, but I still enjoyed it.

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When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants. 

The Prince {The Selection}

The Prince by Kiera Cass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love these little Novellas to see the other side of a story. This one was a fast read at 64 pages of what the Prince was going through before the Selection happened... & we even get the first few scenes of Maxon & America together, except seeing it through different eyes. Totally loved it....

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Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection...

Before Aspen broke America's heart...

There was another girl in Prince Maxon's life...

The Elite

The Elite by Kiera Cass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So yep, still totally into this series. I'm so glad I waited for the entire series to be out before I started reading this because I would be FURIOUS if I had to wait for each book to come out. My library has a wait list on the final 3 so I've just ordered the entire series so no more waiting. & I'll be diving straight into book 3 ASAP.
This wasn't AS great as the first one to me, just because I was getting a little frustrated at America & her decision making skills.... but the deeper story of the relationships developing & the inner workings of the royal family - especially the story with Marlee that kept me gasping & a tad freaking out - had me still wrapped up in this story ... & cant wait to see what the next step in The Selection is since we're down to five. I'm here for every dramatic moment of it.

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The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away

The Selection {Book One}

The Selection by Kiera Cass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I waited for this whole series to come out before I started because I knew I'd read straight through them & true to form, I zoomed through the first book... & already into the 2nd one. I'm going to tear through this series, I have a feeling.
Someone asked me what it was about & I said its a mixture of The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor. What a weird combo - but it really fits.
Girls getting picked out of their castes to marry the Prince... & when America, a FIVE is picked, she goes in with a broken heart after Aspyn leaves her feeling rejected. Little does she know what lays ahead of her in the process of The Selection.
I am just a sucker for corny romance books & this is just a fun little twist & a great little love triangle. I know I'm into it when I can't pick a side ... One minute, I'm totally Team Maxon & the next, Team Aspyn... so I'm excited to see how this all plays out.

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For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Vanishing Girls

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars (They REALLY need 1/2 stars here!!!)
I didnt realize until after I read it that it was the same author as "Before I Fall" which I really enjoyed.
Dont want to say too much on this - but it was a really twist turn mystery kind of book.... it had me thinking I had it figured out at one point, & then threw me off again, & all over again... which totally made me like the book because I couldnt wait to get to the end.
The only down side is that it did a lot of jumping - which I'm usually good & like switching characters perspectives ... but this was a little TOO much because there's characters changes as well as diary entries & newspaper clippings of a whole other mystery... & it did get a TAD confusing... but not enough to ruin the book for me.

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Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had a weird love/hate/like relationship with this book.
It started off where I was literally laughing out loud in public reading it ... & then near half way through, it just seemed to take a drawn out turn that just felt like it was full of long words, weird characters & just things to fill up pages. ... but the last 2 or 3 chapters, especially the ending pulled me back to where I didn't close it with a thump saying how much I hated it. It saved me to bump it back up to an "ok" book.
It did make me laugh... I did like some of the characters... hated others ... & then was just meh about a lot of the side stories.
I know these are the same people that wrote Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist & now I'm afraid to read that one....

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“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own

Dumplin

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just adored this book.
Maybe because I feel like Willowdean could be when I was a teenager.
A girl that is the 'heavier' girl in school, the one with the cute friend, the one who is insecure but still has some sass to her... & of course, a girl that loves Dolly Parton.
I honestly need this to be a movie - & FAST.
I loved that even at my age, it was great to see a group of girls stand up for what they believe in & take a risk, creating new friendships & seeing that believing & loving yourself is what matters. A universal message for any age.

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Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

As Old As Time

As Old as Time by Liz Braswell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Y'all!!!! You know I love me some Beauty & the Beast & have read nearly every book out there that is related to the topic.
This is by far my favorite recently (I think Beauty by Susan Wilson still is my fav - I need to re-read & see if it still holds up)
But this one? I ADORED!!!!!
I wasn't even sure what it was about... & actually it kind of confused me because each chapter goes back & forth in time.
& I loved how PART I is exactly like the Beauty & the Beast story in the respective chapters... UNTIL....UNTIL Belle changes something up.
I LOVED THIS STORY!
It's so smart. The idea that the Enchantress that cursed the Beast was Belle's mother. I loved how the characters are the same from the movie, but TOTALLY different in the end.
I JUST CANT SAY ENOUGH ... as a huge B&tB fan, I devoured this... & am so happy that I loved it & caught off by what a fun, surprising read it was.

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Belle is a lot of things: smart, resourceful, restless. She longs to escape her poor provincial town for good. She wants to explore the world, despite her father's reluctance to leave their little cottage in case Belle's mother returns—a mother she barely remembers. Belle also happens to be the captive of a terrifying, angry beast. And that is her primary concern.

But Belle touches the Beast's enchanted rose, intriguing images flood her mind—images of the mother she believed she would never see again. Stranger still, she sees that her mother is none other than the beautiful Enchantress who cursed the Beast, his castle, and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast must work together to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is twenty-one years in the making.

Love & First Sight

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Such an interesting & sweet read.
Will is blind, born that way, but wants to try whats its like to be in a real school instead of the Blind Institute. He finds his way around using all his senses & even makes friends & develops some good relationships. Especially with Cecily, a girl that cried when she first met Will & thought he was staring at her.
So what happens when Will is able to do an experimental surgery that can give him sight. & what happens when he sees what Cecily really looks like.
It's such an interesting read to think about what its really like to be blind. Not knowing colors, knowing what perspective is, even trying to understand what styles are, or description of basic things we take for granted.
& in the end, this story at the heart is about what beauty really is. How its viewed in the world & in the heart.
I really enjoyed this one.

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Love is more than meets the eye.

On his first day at a new school, blind sixteen-year-old Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. High school can only go up from here, right?

As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a sweet but shy girl named Cecily. And despite his fear that having a girlfriend will make him inherently dependent on someone sighted, the two of them grow closer and closer. Then an unprecedented opportunity arises: an experimental surgery that could give Will eyesight for the first time in his life. But learning to see is more difficult than Will ever imagined, and he soon discovers that the sighted world has been keeping secrets. It turns out Cecily doesn’t meet traditional definitions of beauty—in fact, everything he’d heard about her appearance was a lie engineered by their so-called friends to get the two of them together. Does it matter what Cecily looks like? No, not really. But then why does Will feel so betrayed?