A review by liralen
Braced by Alyson Gerber

4.0

Nice. A bit like an updated [b:Deenie|12206282|Deenie|Judy Blume|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311993370s/12206282.jpg|2428922], but with rather more complexity. Rachel isn't concerned with becoming a model, but she does want to kick butt on the soccer field...and wearing a bulky brace to prevent her scoliosis from getting worse was not part of the plans. She has to wear it 23 hours per day, which means that it impacts every part of her life. It's impossible to hide, and Rachel's afraid that it'll spell doom not only for her middle-school soccer career but also for her social life. Worse, Rachel's mother (who had surgery for her own scoliosis, once upon a time) seems to think she should be grateful for the experience and can't, or won't, understand why any of it upsets Rachel.

So there's a lot going on, but in a good way. I can see how this would be a good resource for kids facing wearing a brace. (As an adult who's only vaguely informed about scoliosis, I learned quite a bit, and it never felt preachy.) Rachel's pretty low-key and relatable, and there's real tension regarding how things will shake out with her friends. If Deenie was going to be updated, this was a good way to go about it.