Deenie - Judy Blume

[goodreads]

Title: Deenie
Author: Judy Blume
Genre: YA
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 128
Date read: February, 2011

Thirteen-year-old Deenie is destined for a modeling career, but learns she has a medical condition that will make her wear a brace for years. The story is about how she responds to this situation as well as to just growing up.

Thanks to Jeff Dunham I can no longer take the word 'scoliosis' seriously, which made me feel really awful while reading this book, as it's absolutely meant as a serious book! Drat that comedian!

That aside I really liked the book. Judy Blume approached a serious subject that not many people know anything about, and made it accessible for her readers. It's hard not to feel sorry for Deenie - first because of her mother, then because of her condition and her mother's reaction to that condition. At least she had an understanding dad, sister and friends, when her mother went off of the deep end.

I'll admit to not knowing the first thing about scoliosis (other than it having something to do with the state of your bones), and had to google "Milwaukee brace" to get a proper idea of what it actually looked like. I can't even imagine what it must be like for a young teen to be told she has to wear that for the next 3 years.

Comments

[janicu.livejournal.com]

Oh what really got me about this book was Deenie's mom pigeonholing her daughters. Deenie as the pretty one, and her sister as the smart one. So sad.

[bogormen.livejournal.com]

I know! That infuriated me! And especially her theory/belief that their entire worth hinged on that. I don't know if she actually did think that way, but it certainly came across as such.

[janicu.livejournal.com]

The scene that really rubbed that in was the breakfasts where Deenie gets nagged to eat/drink all these good for you things, and her mom couldn't care less what the sister had. Blergh!