missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
Fix by Leslie Margolis is one of those books every girl should read. Furthermore, it should be required reading for anyone who even thinks about visiting a plastic surgeon.
Fix follows the Beekman sisters, Cameron and Allie who are the alternate protagonists of the novel. When the book begins, Cameron has already had a nose job and is enjoying a better life thanks to the surgery and a school transfer. No more mean nicknames, no more bullies, no more feeling like an outcast.
Getting ready to go to college, Cameron begins to wonder if she “needs” more cosmetic surgery in order to fit in on campus at UC “Santa Barbie.” Meanwhile, Allie is getting ready for her own nose job and has to decide if being “pretty” is worth such drastic measures. No matter where you stand on the subject, the book will probably feature something you can agree with.
Margolis really looks at the plastic surgery issue from all sides. The book is interesting but also informative. By the end of the novel, it’s clear that there is no right answer about getting (or not getting) cosmetic surgery. But Margolis intelligently examines all sides of the issue highlighting the risks and the motivations that can lead a girl to the operating table.
The writing style is clear. Margolis presents a lot of information about the risks of surgery without getting excessively gory or boring. Ally and Cameron look at the surgery issue very differently and Margolis does a good job of showing that. This fact is what elevates the book from a commentary on cosmetic surgery to a character study of how a girl can define and shape her own sense of beauty.
The Beekman sisters are great protagonists for this novel. Even if they sometimes come off a bit flat. At times the characters seem more like archetypes than real people but that might be inherent to the nature of the book–since it is so clearly trying to start a conversation about this important issue. Secondary characters, in particular, often seem to lack dimension–appearing merely to make some important point: At times it seems like the characters are preaching their respective messages/opinions rather than taking part in a plot.
Nonetheless, Fix is a quick, enjoyable and above all interesting read.
Fix follows the Beekman sisters, Cameron and Allie who are the alternate protagonists of the novel. When the book begins, Cameron has already had a nose job and is enjoying a better life thanks to the surgery and a school transfer. No more mean nicknames, no more bullies, no more feeling like an outcast.
Getting ready to go to college, Cameron begins to wonder if she “needs” more cosmetic surgery in order to fit in on campus at UC “Santa Barbie.” Meanwhile, Allie is getting ready for her own nose job and has to decide if being “pretty” is worth such drastic measures. No matter where you stand on the subject, the book will probably feature something you can agree with.
Margolis really looks at the plastic surgery issue from all sides. The book is interesting but also informative. By the end of the novel, it’s clear that there is no right answer about getting (or not getting) cosmetic surgery. But Margolis intelligently examines all sides of the issue highlighting the risks and the motivations that can lead a girl to the operating table.
The writing style is clear. Margolis presents a lot of information about the risks of surgery without getting excessively gory or boring. Ally and Cameron look at the surgery issue very differently and Margolis does a good job of showing that. This fact is what elevates the book from a commentary on cosmetic surgery to a character study of how a girl can define and shape her own sense of beauty.
The Beekman sisters are great protagonists for this novel. Even if they sometimes come off a bit flat. At times the characters seem more like archetypes than real people but that might be inherent to the nature of the book–since it is so clearly trying to start a conversation about this important issue. Secondary characters, in particular, often seem to lack dimension–appearing merely to make some important point: At times it seems like the characters are preaching their respective messages/opinions rather than taking part in a plot.
Nonetheless, Fix is a quick, enjoyable and above all interesting read.
librariann's review against another edition
Ages 13+
For those who are stuck on Dr. 90210 and Nip/Tuck.
For those who are stuck on Dr. 90210 and Nip/Tuck.
chrissymcbooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
I'm actually surprised at how much I enjoyed FIX by Leslie Margolis -- not necessarily because I was expecting it to be bad, but because I expected it to be shallow -- or maybe even a bit preachy in a teenage fable type story. But, I was pleasantly pleased by how fun and realistic it felt to see the story from both sides -- that of Cameron, the beautiful blonde sister who was extremely pro-plastic surgery throughout the tale, and that of sporty girl Allie, who took the position that plastic was less purposeful and necessary to her life...
But let me back up a bit and start with the plot. Cameron is your typical prom-queen high school socialite -- except, that is for one fact. Cameron was once considered an "ugly" girl .. back in the days before she had the plastic surgery that drastically altered her appearance and seemingly enhanced her life in ways that she would have never imagined. After changing schools near the start of her high school experience, Cameron was able to reinvent herself as a popular girl, befriended by the prettiest girls in school and admired by the hottest guys in her classes. Nothing could be better, right?
Except, Cameron will be going to college soon -- and the school of her choice is known for churning out students with perfect Barbie bodies. Cameron knows that she has a gorgeous face -- but what about her stick-thin figure that seemingly obviously lacks the curves that are called beautiful by the world? She's already gone under the knife once -- what's one more time?
On the flipside, her sister Allie has been scheduled by her mom, a former model and actress, to undergo the same nose job that catapulted her big sister into high school bliss. Sure, Allie is teased for her large, semi-crooked nose, but if she has this surgery she will miss out on the chance to make Varsity this year. Allie watches her sister become more and more obsessed with her quest for perfection and begins wondering if this surgery will really make her life better -- or is she trying too hard to fix something that's really not broken in the first place?
Sure, the characters here may seem overly stereotypical -- but at the same time, the girls did feel incredibly familiar. I mean, stereotypes aren't entirely grounded in fantasy, right? In fact, I have a friend who is so eerily similar to Cameron that I could swear she was the inspiration for the characters-- so while yes, they do seem a bit cliche at points in the story, they still remain interesting and relatable to the reader throughout the novel.
I think what I enjoyed most about the story, besides the alternating viewpoints between the sisters, was the way that each side was presented fairly and delicately without the author seeming to push one side or the other at the reader. While we can certainly understand Allie's position that plastic surgery may be frivilous and purposeless in the grander scheme of things, we can also understand Cameron's assertion that a person may be intelligent and complex while also making a choice to surgically alter onself to create a greater confidence or peace of mind. Of course, it's inevitable that the reader will take a position in the story, but it's not one that feels forced down their throats by the author.
For the same reason, I probably would not give FIX to a younger, more impressionable teen girl who might feel compelled use one position or the other to justify impulsive decisions. But, for the typical teen crowd, I think this is a decent pick for an interesting, contemporary novel.
So overall, I did geniunely enjoy FIX by Leslie Margolis. I always enjoy a good teen novel that takes a stab at social issues that impact young people, and I definitely don't think one will disappoint like minded readers at all.
But let me back up a bit and start with the plot. Cameron is your typical prom-queen high school socialite -- except, that is for one fact. Cameron was once considered an "ugly" girl .. back in the days before she had the plastic surgery that drastically altered her appearance and seemingly enhanced her life in ways that she would have never imagined. After changing schools near the start of her high school experience, Cameron was able to reinvent herself as a popular girl, befriended by the prettiest girls in school and admired by the hottest guys in her classes. Nothing could be better, right?
Except, Cameron will be going to college soon -- and the school of her choice is known for churning out students with perfect Barbie bodies. Cameron knows that she has a gorgeous face -- but what about her stick-thin figure that seemingly obviously lacks the curves that are called beautiful by the world? She's already gone under the knife once -- what's one more time?
On the flipside, her sister Allie has been scheduled by her mom, a former model and actress, to undergo the same nose job that catapulted her big sister into high school bliss. Sure, Allie is teased for her large, semi-crooked nose, but if she has this surgery she will miss out on the chance to make Varsity this year. Allie watches her sister become more and more obsessed with her quest for perfection and begins wondering if this surgery will really make her life better -- or is she trying too hard to fix something that's really not broken in the first place?
Sure, the characters here may seem overly stereotypical -- but at the same time, the girls did feel incredibly familiar. I mean, stereotypes aren't entirely grounded in fantasy, right? In fact, I have a friend who is so eerily similar to Cameron that I could swear she was the inspiration for the characters-- so while yes, they do seem a bit cliche at points in the story, they still remain interesting and relatable to the reader throughout the novel.
I think what I enjoyed most about the story, besides the alternating viewpoints between the sisters, was the way that each side was presented fairly and delicately without the author seeming to push one side or the other at the reader. While we can certainly understand Allie's position that plastic surgery may be frivilous and purposeless in the grander scheme of things, we can also understand Cameron's assertion that a person may be intelligent and complex while also making a choice to surgically alter onself to create a greater confidence or peace of mind. Of course, it's inevitable that the reader will take a position in the story, but it's not one that feels forced down their throats by the author.
For the same reason, I probably would not give FIX to a younger, more impressionable teen girl who might feel compelled use one position or the other to justify impulsive decisions. But, for the typical teen crowd, I think this is a decent pick for an interesting, contemporary novel.
So overall, I did geniunely enjoy FIX by Leslie Margolis. I always enjoy a good teen novel that takes a stab at social issues that impact young people, and I definitely don't think one will disappoint like minded readers at all.
tjlcody's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't find anything terribly special about this book, narrative-wise. Characters were so-so, writing wasn't bad, plot dragged on a bit.
Only two things that really bugged me:
-The photographer saying that Cameron had "sexualized young women" in her photographs, and it came off as "sexualizing women is bad"- y'know, because the girls totally didn't pose for those pictures, didn't have any agency in their production whatsoever, and blah blah blah Women Can Only Be Sexy When We Say It's Okay, blah blah blah We're Totally Not Policing Women's Bodies and Sexual Expression (Except We Are), blah blah blah, Sexism.
-The overall judgmental tone about plastic surgery. While I 100% agree that it shouldn't be done on teenagers (barring extreme circumstances), if an adult chooses to get plastic surgery, that is also 100% not my business. I didn't like how the book implied that these people just needed to love themselves, that people who get plastic surgery do it for shallow, stupid, petty reasons and that, by association, makes them shallow, stupid, and petty. Again: What happened to "not my body, not my business"?
Only two things that really bugged me:
-The photographer saying that Cameron had "sexualized young women" in her photographs, and it came off as "sexualizing women is bad"- y'know, because the girls totally didn't pose for those pictures, didn't have any agency in their production whatsoever, and blah blah blah Women Can Only Be Sexy When We Say It's Okay, blah blah blah We're Totally Not Policing Women's Bodies and Sexual Expression (Except We Are), blah blah blah, Sexism.
-The overall judgmental tone about plastic surgery. While I 100% agree that it shouldn't be done on teenagers (barring extreme circumstances), if an adult chooses to get plastic surgery, that is also 100% not my business. I didn't like how the book implied that these people just needed to love themselves, that people who get plastic surgery do it for shallow, stupid, petty reasons and that, by association, makes them shallow, stupid, and petty. Again: What happened to "not my body, not my business"?
rray_'s review against another edition
2.0
This book was meant as a parody of 2000s "message" novels right?
I just got done reading Melissa Walker's Small Town Sinners which is a mixed bag itself, but the plot revolves around a girl who wants to be a part of her church's "Hell House."
This book is basically one of those "Hell House" performances expanded into its own book.
It's ridiculous.
I'm not saying that early-aged plastic surgery is creepy, but this book is a perfect encapsulation of why "message" books from the early-mid 2000s (and YA in general from that time) is really cheesy. I reads like what a teacher would write to teach a lesson, not like what an author would write to actually tell a story. Honestly Scott Westerfeld's Uglies does it much, much better. This was also Leslie's first book and I'm glad she became a much better author later on.
I just got done reading Melissa Walker's Small Town Sinners which is a mixed bag itself, but the plot revolves around a girl who wants to be a part of her church's "Hell House."
This book is basically one of those "Hell House" performances expanded into its own book.
It's ridiculous.
I'm not saying that early-aged plastic surgery is creepy, but this book is a perfect encapsulation of why "message" books from the early-mid 2000s (and YA in general from that time) is really cheesy. I reads like what a teacher would write to teach a lesson, not like what an author would write to actually tell a story. Honestly Scott Westerfeld's Uglies does it much, much better. This was also Leslie's first book and I'm glad she became a much better author later on.
teebee's review against another edition
3.0
Originally reviewed - 4/15/08
Even though it was very predictable Fix was a good read. It was obvious from the first few chapters what road the sisters were going to choose. Leslie Margolis covers the oxymoron that is beauty and the impact it has on society by delivering the messages of self acceptance and knowing and liking who you are. Miss Margolis I applaud you for your efforts and would like you to know that it did not go unnoticed.
Even though it was very predictable Fix was a good read. It was obvious from the first few chapters what road the sisters were going to choose. Leslie Margolis covers the oxymoron that is beauty and the impact it has on society by delivering the messages of self acceptance and knowing and liking who you are. Miss Margolis I applaud you for your efforts and would like you to know that it did not go unnoticed.
maggiemoritz's review
4.0
4.5 stars.. I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and really relatable. We start off learning about Cameron and how she was bullied is school for having a big nose and then she got a nose job and how her problems went away. She changed schools, became popular and was deemed beautiful. Her family is pushing her sister Allie to also get a nose job. Allie is struggling throughout the book to decide if she wants to go through with it. Cameron decides she wants to get breast implants because she thinks that this is the last piece in her puzzle of happiness. She struggles in a way of figuring out exactly why she wanted to do it. She also struggles of what beauty is and how Hollywood has effected perception. This story was so good and deep. Even though Cameron and Allie are so different they are both extremely relatable.
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