OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Just a Few Inches" by Tara St. Pierre.]

Just a few inches is a YA contemporary novel written by Tara St. Pierre. The novel is set in high school and deals with body images, teenage angst and self-esteem. This book took me by surprise with how well it was written. The main character Carrie dealt with relatable the issues during the progression of the novel.

Carrie Roberts is a cheerleader, dating the captain of the basketball team and working on the high school newspaper. Her only insecurity comes from the fact that her boyfriend’s ex has a perfect body. Scared of losing him to his ex, Carrie is desperate to lose a few inches. Egged on by her rival, Carrie buys a dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance that looks perfect. The only downfall? It is a little too tight. Desperate to shed some inches before the dance, Carrie decides to buy some weight loss pills that guarantee a smaller size.

At first Carrie sees no real changes. Her desperation increasing, she decides to up the dose against the recommendation on the bottle. By the day of the dance Carrie fits into the dress perfectly. It is only after an amazing night with her boyfriend that Carrie realizes that she is still losing inches…in height.

One of the best things about the novel is the ever changing perspective. As Carrie grows smaller, her view of the world gets larger. She refuses to let what is happening get her down. Instead, she finds ways to cope with the changes that are happening to her. Carrie refuses to give up. This is something that I think that younger people should definitely take note of. Carrie's relationships with her family changes during the ordeal. The love and understanding between them grows with every inch that Carrie loses.

This novel gives adage to the phrase ‘Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it’. Carrie’s body image issues are the main plot device, but the author was able to write about it in a way that wouldn’t be construed as preachy. The author makes a point to show the reader that the issues don't go away. She just takes you along on a journey with Carrie to self-acceptance.

There are parts of the novel that feel a little strained. Carrie wants to be a journalist and some of the writing around that is pretty wooden. Overall, the novel was well written. I would definitely pick up another book by the same author. I give this novel 4 out of 4 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who has struggled with their body image.

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Just a Few Inches
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Hey,
Congratulations to the author on such a fantastic review. This book perfectly fits into the genre i like so hopefully will get it and give it a try.

Great review! This sounds like a wonderful book covering some very important, relevant issues.

Love when you come across a story that is uplifting about the problems people really face! Congrats to the author for receiving such a good rating!

I like this book. Not only does it feature a very important and timely issue with kids these days, but it also teaches a very important lesson, self acceptance. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Tara St. Pierre on such an obviously well written book.