zozoisgolden's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, I was unsatisfied with this entire story. Like heavens no. The ending just made it worse.
I gave it 2 stars because the author had a nice writing style which I enjoyed but that was where it ended for me. Montana's life is terrible. Like seriously. She had a horrible parental figure who thrives on bringing inconsistency into her life. He dates her new friend Karissa, who I find it weird that Montana still managed to like after all. The woman manipulated her for goodness sakes. Am I the only who noticied that the only reason she befriended Montana was because of her Dad?!
Arizona was the only person I remotely liked. I didn't like Benardo at all. I think Montana was hypocritical dating him and falling in love so instantly when she blamed her Father for doing the exact same thing.
Her Dad was a horrible person and parent. End of story. Even at the end, he still chose Karissa despite the whole dramatic she's my daughter speech he gave.
This girl never found any real answers, the worst possible ending to ever give anyone
I gave it 2 stars because the author had a nice writing style which I enjoyed but that was where it ended for me. Montana's life is terrible. Like seriously. She had a horrible parental figure who thrives on bringing inconsistency into her life. He dates her new friend Karissa, who I find it weird that Montana still managed to like after all. The woman manipulated her for goodness sakes. Am I the only who noticied that the only reason she befriended Montana was because of her Dad?!
Arizona was the only person I remotely liked. I didn't like Benardo at all. I think Montana was hypocritical dating him and falling in love so instantly when she blamed her Father for doing the exact same thing.
Her Dad was a horrible person and parent. End of story. Even at the end, he still chose Karissa despite the whole dramatic she's my daughter speech he gave.
This girl never found any real answers, the worst possible ending to ever give anyone
haia_929's review against another edition
4.0
This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins Children on Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Montana feels lost. Her sister and best friend have moved on with their lives at university. Her father is constantly changing wives and changing how they look. She feels ungrounded and scared. She gets swept up in romance over the summer. Two romances. The romance of Karissa, the nymph-like girl from her acting class, and the romance of Bernardo, the charming stranger she's constantly making eyes with in the park. She struggles through the summer trying to understand love and her family, trying to find her place - trying to belong.
Making Pretty took me by surprise. I was so delighted and absorbed by this book. I felt like this book was about me. And maybe that's what makes this book so nearly perfect - everyone feels lost and out of place at some point in their life. Montana's story feels like the story of all of us, and it was so comforting and exhilarating to read about it and feel the passion and chaos of her life. This book has an excellent sense of motion and stillness, fantastic characters, a sense of realism unlike any other, and heart wrenchingly good writing.
I struggled a lot when reading this to explain to family and dates and friends what this book was about. This isn't a hugely plot focused book, it's a character driven book about Montana's development, it's about the search for belonging and the self and a sense of freedom and being you but also being something more than that - being a piece of something bigger, like a family. That's hard to explain, it's hard to understand if you're on the receiving end of that description. Haydu perfectly captures this sense of adventure, belonging, alienation, loss, longing, freedom, being stuck, being in love, and not, and wanting something more but not knowing what or how.
This book, the plot and the characters and the feelings, leapt off the page and filled me up because they were so real. Haydu has such a knack for creating realistic drama and feeling in her books. Montana's worries are so real, and her attempts to be herself are so reckless and real and true.
Montana and her sister, Arizona, have the sort of relationship many siblings who are close in age have - they're inseparable until they're not and then they're both reeling from this sense of loss. Karissa is so enchanting and charming and horrifying all at once because she's perfect it's unnerving. Bernardo was charming and lovely. Montana's parental drama is realistic. Her sense of longing for something that was never her's in the stepmothers, and her own mother, is so relatable it stings.
I don't think I have enough words of praise to give to this book. It was enchanting and powerful. I was somewhat disappointed with the ending at first - because it doesn't wrap everything up perfectly - but it fits. Things don't need to be perfectly wrapped and pretty. That's not realistic.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins Children on Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Montana feels lost. Her sister and best friend have moved on with their lives at university. Her father is constantly changing wives and changing how they look. She feels ungrounded and scared. She gets swept up in romance over the summer. Two romances. The romance of Karissa, the nymph-like girl from her acting class, and the romance of Bernardo, the charming stranger she's constantly making eyes with in the park. She struggles through the summer trying to understand love and her family, trying to find her place - trying to belong.
Making Pretty took me by surprise. I was so delighted and absorbed by this book. I felt like this book was about me. And maybe that's what makes this book so nearly perfect - everyone feels lost and out of place at some point in their life. Montana's story feels like the story of all of us, and it was so comforting and exhilarating to read about it and feel the passion and chaos of her life. This book has an excellent sense of motion and stillness, fantastic characters, a sense of realism unlike any other, and heart wrenchingly good writing.
I struggled a lot when reading this to explain to family and dates and friends what this book was about. This isn't a hugely plot focused book, it's a character driven book about Montana's development, it's about the search for belonging and the self and a sense of freedom and being you but also being something more than that - being a piece of something bigger, like a family. That's hard to explain, it's hard to understand if you're on the receiving end of that description. Haydu perfectly captures this sense of adventure, belonging, alienation, loss, longing, freedom, being stuck, being in love, and not, and wanting something more but not knowing what or how.
This book, the plot and the characters and the feelings, leapt off the page and filled me up because they were so real. Haydu has such a knack for creating realistic drama and feeling in her books. Montana's worries are so real, and her attempts to be herself are so reckless and real and true.
Montana and her sister, Arizona, have the sort of relationship many siblings who are close in age have - they're inseparable until they're not and then they're both reeling from this sense of loss. Karissa is so enchanting and charming and horrifying all at once because she's perfect it's unnerving. Bernardo was charming and lovely. Montana's parental drama is realistic. Her sense of longing for something that was never her's in the stepmothers, and her own mother, is so relatable it stings.
I don't think I have enough words of praise to give to this book. It was enchanting and powerful. I was somewhat disappointed with the ending at first - because it doesn't wrap everything up perfectly - but it fits. Things don't need to be perfectly wrapped and pretty. That's not realistic.
pikasqueaks's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely a strong contender in the realm of contemporary YA. Incorporating a strong narrator who is both strongly flawed and has a strong voice, MAKING PRETTY steps aside from the ideas that teenagers have to be nice, boring kids who sit inside all day or are awful human beings. Montana and Arizona are sisters who have the commonality of being raised by ex-hippies who should have never had children to begin with.
The mom is your standard freebird cliche, she needed to get out of there in order to feel her true calling or whatever or something. This always seems to go hand-in-hand with the hippie stereotype in YA. But to pair with that, there's the father who was never able to seal up the hole she left, and instead just went after women in a more dangerous way than your average serial monogamist.
Montana is lost and needs some sense of family -- and she finds it in her boyfriend, and believes she finds it in her new friend, Karissa. But those relationships come with a number of issues on their own, throwing Montana into the mix of some serious family drama that gets worse as the book goes on.
I'd like to say she comes out of it stronger, but she kind of leaves that open to be seen.
MAKING PRETTY deals with sister relationships -- especially between a sister who needs to keep the other too close, too similar, in order to feel connected to her, and the other, who wants to break free of the restraints she's been under her whole life. This is balanced really well with the other stories, but remains the most memorable part of all.
The mom is your standard freebird cliche, she needed to get out of there in order to feel her true calling or whatever or something. This always seems to go hand-in-hand with the hippie stereotype in YA. But to pair with that, there's the father who was never able to seal up the hole she left, and instead just went after women in a more dangerous way than your average serial monogamist.
Montana is lost and needs some sense of family -- and she finds it in her boyfriend, and believes she finds it in her new friend, Karissa. But those relationships come with a number of issues on their own, throwing Montana into the mix of some serious family drama that gets worse as the book goes on.
I'd like to say she comes out of it stronger, but she kind of leaves that open to be seen.
MAKING PRETTY deals with sister relationships -- especially between a sister who needs to keep the other too close, too similar, in order to feel connected to her, and the other, who wants to break free of the restraints she's been under her whole life. This is balanced really well with the other stories, but remains the most memorable part of all.
danicapage's review against another edition
4.0
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be like, and in this case, that was a good thing. This book explored some pretty intense issues, but it did so in such an original way.
While I didn't necessarily love the characters, I loved the writing. Haydu had a great voice and I loved how she told her story.
I was hooked from page one. There are thousands of realistic young adult novels, but this one stood out for me.
I would have liked a more detailed conclusion. A lot of things were left opened. However, I actually didn't mind all that much. The ending fit the theme of the novel in my opinion.
If you like books that are different and make you think, then I'd definitely recommend this one. This novel was very thought-provoking.
Major Strengths: The voice she infused into her novel. The originality.
Major Weaknesses: At parts the story dragged.
So why 4 stars? It was unique and thought-provoking.
Warnings/Side-notes: Vague sexual references, several instances of strong language. 16+.
The Wrap-up: I'll be interested in reading more by this author.
Love,
Danica Page
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be like, and in this case, that was a good thing. This book explored some pretty intense issues, but it did so in such an original way.
While I didn't necessarily love the characters, I loved the writing. Haydu had a great voice and I loved how she told her story.
I was hooked from page one. There are thousands of realistic young adult novels, but this one stood out for me.
I would have liked a more detailed conclusion. A lot of things were left opened. However, I actually didn't mind all that much. The ending fit the theme of the novel in my opinion.
If you like books that are different and make you think, then I'd definitely recommend this one. This novel was very thought-provoking.
Major Strengths: The voice she infused into her novel. The originality.
Major Weaknesses: At parts the story dragged.
So why 4 stars? It was unique and thought-provoking.
Warnings/Side-notes: Vague sexual references, several instances of strong language. 16+.
The Wrap-up: I'll be interested in reading more by this author.
Love,
Danica Page
charmaineac's review against another edition
4.0
I've never read anything quite like this before. If you stop and think about what is happening, the entire plot seems absolutely absurd. Most times, books aren't good unless you can relate to them on a fundamental level. And although there are so many unrelatable aspects of the plot, the themes are universal. Beauty. Confidence. Being young and invincible like you are living right there, in the centre of the universe.
Above all, Corey Ann Haydu is a master at writing books about losing control. It's a thing of wonder to see Montana slowly accept wilder and wilder situations. I definitely sympathized with Arizona. She had to accept and love some seriously messed up stuff. I loved Natasha's role in the story. Tess and Janie's reactions were realistic as well.
My only gripe was where the story ended. I really wish we got some CLOSURE. Their mom played such a large role in the story, and we deserved to know how she would react to seeing her kids. And what was happening with Karissa? That relationship doesn't seem sustainable at all. I wish the characters all grew more, by the end of it. If ever, it seemed like a sad story about how the more things change, the more they stayed the same.
Above all, Corey Ann Haydu is a master at writing books about losing control. It's a thing of wonder to see Montana slowly accept wilder and wilder situations. I definitely sympathized with Arizona. She had to accept and love some seriously messed up stuff. I loved Natasha's role in the story. Tess and Janie's reactions were realistic as well.
My only gripe was where the story ended. I really wish we got some CLOSURE. Their mom played such a large role in the story, and we deserved to know how she would react to seeing her kids. And what was happening with Karissa? That relationship doesn't seem sustainable at all. I wish the characters all grew more, by the end of it. If ever, it seemed like a sad story about how the more things change, the more they stayed the same.
chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
Making Pretty is the first book that I’ve read by Corey Ann Haydu, but it won’t be the last. I thought Making Pretty was an interesting contemporary read. It felt a little long in parts and some it was a little predictable, but I think that’s becuse I read quite a lot of contemporary books.
In Making Pretty, we follow Montana, who has been left by her mother when she was younger. She feels let down by her sister who has changed since she went to college. Montana always felt like her sister was part of her, and now she has returning looking and acting differently, she feels lost and let down. Montana and Arizona’s father frequently marries women, encourages them to get plastic surgery to improve themselves and then divorces them. They despair of their father’s antics, and Montana is in for a shock when the new stepmother could be Karissa, someone that she thought was her new best friend.
I think you’ll either love or hate the characters in Making Pretty. They’re complex, confusing and some are quite irritating. But they’re unique and memorable. I thought their father was absolutely awful. He’s a plastic surgeon and believes that everyone should look perfect, or at least his idea of perfect. I cringed when I read that he gave his daughters gift certificate for plastic surgery. Way to raise their self-esteem, hey?! Their father obviously has his own hang ups but I thought it was awful that the sisters had to go through so many stepmothers. I’d like to say he had some redeeming qualities, but I really don’t think he did!
The reason why I haven’t rated this book any higher, was because I felt it was too long and even at the end of it, it didn’t really feel resolved. I felt sad for the girls that they were so insecure and so desperate to be loved. I don’t think Montana really grew as a character.
There’s no denying that Making Pretty is a well written book. It’s messy, controversial and definitely discussion worthy.
In Making Pretty, we follow Montana, who has been left by her mother when she was younger. She feels let down by her sister who has changed since she went to college. Montana always felt like her sister was part of her, and now she has returning looking and acting differently, she feels lost and let down. Montana and Arizona’s father frequently marries women, encourages them to get plastic surgery to improve themselves and then divorces them. They despair of their father’s antics, and Montana is in for a shock when the new stepmother could be Karissa, someone that she thought was her new best friend.
I think you’ll either love or hate the characters in Making Pretty. They’re complex, confusing and some are quite irritating. But they’re unique and memorable. I thought their father was absolutely awful. He’s a plastic surgeon and believes that everyone should look perfect, or at least his idea of perfect. I cringed when I read that he gave his daughters gift certificate for plastic surgery. Way to raise their self-esteem, hey?! Their father obviously has his own hang ups but I thought it was awful that the sisters had to go through so many stepmothers. I’d like to say he had some redeeming qualities, but I really don’t think he did!
The reason why I haven’t rated this book any higher, was because I felt it was too long and even at the end of it, it didn’t really feel resolved. I felt sad for the girls that they were so insecure and so desperate to be loved. I don’t think Montana really grew as a character.
There’s no denying that Making Pretty is a well written book. It’s messy, controversial and definitely discussion worthy.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Making Pretty breaks free of some normal YA restrictions in a pretty great way—that is, Montana does some dumbity dumb stuff and makes some pretty lousy judgement calls with long-term consequences...but ones that are still realistic for a teen. I find in a lot of YA that, while protagonists are allowed to make mistakes, they aren't allowed to make certain kinds of mistakes: sleep with the wrong guy or make permanent cosmetic changes that they might regret or...but Montana does those things , and they cause problems, and they are also totally normal and teenage things to do, so...that pleases me.
Let's back up. The premise: Montana is in the summer before her last year of high school, and it's the summer everything is changing. Her sister is back from college, but she's changed. Her plastic-surgeon father hasn't changed, which is to say that he's just divorced his fourth wife and is on to someone new...a relationship that will have a different kind of Consequence in Montana's life. Montana has made a new friend, but what seems at first like a long-lasting and tight friendship rapidly spirals into something damaging. Because Karissa, the new friend? Karissa is compliziert. She has...issues.
But complicated characters make for more interesting books, and so this was interesting...Karissa less so for herself than for the way other characters interact with her. I'm particularly interested in Montana's father, the plastic surgeon, and they way he absentmindedly doodles on every picture of a woman he comes across, marking where he would make adjustments to make them more 'perfect'. Because this idea of perfection...it is so limited. He assumes, I think, that there is a single set of perfect features, or at least a very narrow set of perfect features, rather than thinking that different people might have different definitions of perfect, or thinking that differences—imperfections—are what give life to people's faces.
I wouldn't especially want to hang out with any of these characters, but they and their imperfections were worth spending a train ride and airport wait with.
Spoiler
maybe the wrong guy. I mean less 'wrong guy', I guess, than 'guy with whom there is not a happily-ever-after by the end of the book'.Let's back up. The premise: Montana is in the summer before her last year of high school, and it's the summer everything is changing. Her sister is back from college, but she's changed. Her plastic-surgeon father hasn't changed, which is to say that he's just divorced his fourth wife and is on to someone new...a relationship that will have a different kind of Consequence in Montana's life. Montana has made a new friend, but what seems at first like a long-lasting and tight friendship rapidly spirals into something damaging. Because Karissa, the new friend? Karissa is compliziert. She has...issues.
But complicated characters make for more interesting books, and so this was interesting...Karissa less so for herself than for the way other characters interact with her. I'm particularly interested in Montana's father, the plastic surgeon, and they way he absentmindedly doodles on every picture of a woman he comes across, marking where he would make adjustments to make them more 'perfect'. Because this idea of perfection...it is so limited. He assumes, I think, that there is a single set of perfect features, or at least a very narrow set of perfect features, rather than thinking that different people might have different definitions of perfect, or thinking that differences—imperfections—are what give life to people's faces.
I wouldn't especially want to hang out with any of these characters, but they and their imperfections were worth spending a train ride and airport wait with.
papilooonglegs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed the writing, I can honestly say it’s unlike anything I’ve read before. It feels raw and flawed on purpose but not in an obnoxious way or in a way that takes away from the story. The character development that we get from the main character is amazing. The ending seemed a little rushed and there were definitely some things that were left unsaid that I suppose is up to audience interpretation, which is completely fine. However, we spent the entire book reading about this amazing love story and I feel like there should have been more closure with that at the end of the story, I do not believe that was something that should have gone unanswered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
renatasnacks's review
4.0
I enjoyed this for a lot of the same reasons I like some fucked-up reality TV shows, like I couldn't look away from this trainwreck that was happening and I was so scared of how it might end. :O
A lot of the angst about the levels of best friend-iness and the first love-y feels felt super realistic.
A good one I think for fans of Lauren Myracle.
A lot of the angst about the levels of best friend-iness and the first love-y feels felt super realistic.
A good one I think for fans of Lauren Myracle.