Flawless by Lara Chapman

Flawless by Lara Chapman
Buy Flawless by Lara Chapman at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Catherine Bakes
Summary: Sarah is close to perfect. She's inherited her mother's model looks and figure, the one thing that's not perfect is her nose. It's huge. When the new guy arrives at school she instantly falls for him. The problem is her best friend falls for him too. Sarah is forced to reassess how she sees herself but also her friendship.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 272	Date: May 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1408819616
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Sarah Burke has everything. Model looks and body, straight A grades and a best friend who would take a bullet for her. The one thing she doesn't have is a normal sized nose. Hers is massive. So, Sarah is forced to hide behind a fake confidence that pushes people about to defend herself from the bullying that her nose attracts. Plus, a mother who leaves nose job leaflets in her room, bags and on the kitchen table with her breakfast.

When the new boy Rock turns up in her Journalism class, Sarah can't believe he's real. Here's a person who is her twin in everything, the same views and interests. She instantly falls for him. The problem is so does her best friend Kristen, the person who has always stuck beside her. So when Kristen asks for Sarah's help and gets her to email Rock posing as Kristen, Sarah does the only thing she knows what to do and agrees. But is Rock really falling for Kristen or is he falling for who he thinks she is, Sarah. Through all this Sarah is forced to re-evaluate what she thinks about herself, about what is classed at beautiful and about her abnormally large nose.

This is a rewrite of Cyrano de Bergerac, which I read a few years ago. This book is definitely a lot happier than Cyrano. I think this book has come at the right time, aimed at a generation who are constantly told and shown through the media that skinniness and perfection is beautiful and where if there's something you don't like about yourself you can just erase it with the help of surgery. This book is about loving yourself and the body and life you were given. Bravo.

On top of this there is a good love triangle that's interesting and frustrating too. Although you want Sarah to get the guy, her loyalty and friendship with Kristen is very touching. The characters are well written and lovable, and Sarah is a real fictional role model for young girls who feel like because they aren't perfect they can't be beautiful.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

Further reading suggestion: If you enjoyed this then you should definitely read Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmund Rostand. Another book you may enjoy about the price of perfection is Uglies by Scott Westerfield.

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