Pub. Date: February 2009 Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages Genre: Young Adult Source: Bought
Rating:
As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face?
My Thoughts - Terra is close to perfect. Lovely blond hair and deep blue eyes, she could even be considered beautiful if it were not for the deep scar that runs down her cheek. Due to that scar one word will always follow wherever she goes "Ugly" because of this scar, she has low self esteem, and finds herself extremely lucky to have Erik as a boyfriend. He's cute and popular, so what if he only seems to care about her body, and so what if they have nothing in common and can hardly hold a conversation. She’s lucky to have him.
Terra's father I just despised. I hold nothing back when I say this. There is not one redeeming quality in this man. He has spent his years belittling both his daughter and his wife - telling his daughter she has no talent, and because of her scar she will never be something. He teases her mother because of her weight and takes every chance to patronise them both. Sometimes verbal abuse can hurt deeper than anything else. Terra and her mother live in fear, afraid when he might next strike.
I hated him with a passion. Over time he has driven his children away and continues bullying those that stay with him. Both of her brothers have abandoned them, leaving Terra on her own to face him and doing everything in her power to protect her mother.
During a drive out Terra is sure she has run a boy over. To her relief she finds that he is very much alive. His name is Jacob and he has a big part to play in this story. Jacob is an Asian boy and has a mark of his own, a cleft lip. What shocks Terra is how his eyes don't instantly linger to her cheek, she is confused and slightly unnerved by the way he looks at her. So openly with understanding. Jacob is a Goth - not her type at all, but she feels at ease and happy whenever she is with him. He doesn't judge her or make her feel ugly. He looks at her as though she is perfectly normal. What Jacob and Terra share goes so much deeper than all of that though. I was almost envious of their bond. To have a best friend who appreciates you and see's past your flaws sounds so wonderful!
Jacob was extremely likable. He made a great impression on me and I was rooting for them both. Terra's mother on the other hand at times annoyed me. She is such a pushover and is so weak and pathetic which made me angry because I wanted her to stand up for herself. Nora - Jacob's mother and Terra's mother quickly become friends. You can see at once that both are good for each other as they both have issues and are in a lot of pain. Once striking up this friendship with Jacobs mother, Terra's mother also starts to change for the better.
Terra and Jacob practically bounce of each other, he is literally like her other half, the bond they share is so lovely and real you cannot help but smile for them. It's on their trip to China do each and every one of them make their own road to discovery. Each of them have been through a lot and have a painful past with even more painful memories, but now Terra and her mother are not alone anymore. Jacob and his mother are not alone since they have each other, and together they will all heal.
The way Terra describes her time in China is so vivid that it made me want to be there with her. For those of you who have read the book you will agree when I say a moment that stays with you is when Terra comes across a little girl in an orphanage who shares a mark similar to Terra. I wanted to reach out to them both. It was such a beautiful and tender moment, it made me think we have it so easy, and we never appreciate our beauty - we always want more.
Through healing and with Jacob on her side, Terra will accept herself and see that she always was "beautiful" and shake away her past and strive for a clear and brighter future with new beginnings. However, to achieve that she must first face her demons. Has she got it in her, is she strong enough?. That is down to Terra to decide.
"Hao Kan." I said gently, quietly, firmly as if it were a pact between the two of us. She blinked. I wasn't sure if she understood. Or if she believed that she was beautiful. So I pointed to her and then to me. And I repeated with utter conviction. "Hao Kan "Those words, my pronouncement, won me the girls slow nod. I nodded back. And when she smiled, wide and open. I tell you, there was nothing more beautiful than that.
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