North of Beautiful

North of Beautiful
Author: Justina Chen
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 315
Release: 2009-02-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0316040789

As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face? It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper. She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path? Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

Into the Beautiful North

Into the Beautiful North
Author: Luis Alberto Urrea
Publisher: Little, Brown
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2009-05-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780316053402

Nineteen-year-old Nayeli works at a taco shop in her Mexican village and dreams about her father, who journeyed to the US to find work. Recently, it has dawned on her that he isn't the only man who has left town. In fact, there are almost no men in the village--they've all gone north. While watching The Magnificent Seven, Nayeli decides to go north herself and recruit seven men--her own "Siete Magníficos"--to repopulate her hometown and protect it from the bandidos who plan on taking it over. Filled with unforgettable characters and prose as radiant as the Sinaloan sun, INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH is the story of an irresistible young woman's quest to find herself on both sides of the fence.

Return to Me

Return to Me
Author: Justina Chen
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2013-01-15
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0316202010

Rebecca Muir is weeks away from starting college-at a school chosen specifically to put a few thousand miles of freedom between Reb and her parents. But her dad's last-minute job opportunity has her entire family moving all those miles with her! Then there's the matter of her unexpected, amazing boyfriend, Jackson, who is staying behind on the exact opposite coast. If that isn't enough to deal with, Reb's dad drops shocking, life-changing news. Reb started the year knowing exactly what her future would hold, but now that her world has turned upside down, will she discover what she really wants?

Girl Overboard

Girl Overboard
Author: Justina Chen
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2008-01-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 031602838X

Everybody thinks Syrah is the golden girl. After all, her father is Ethan Cheng, billionaire, and she has everything any kid could possibly desire: a waterfront mansion, jet plane, and custom-designed snowboards. But most of what glitters in her life is fool's gold. Her half-siblings hate her, her best friend's girlfriend is ruining their friendship, and her own so-called boyfriend is only after her for her father's name. When her broken heart results in a snowboarding accident that exiles her from the mountains-the one place where she feels free and accepted for who she is, not what she has-can Syrah rehab both her busted-up knee, and her broken heart? Justina Chen Headley writes with an engaging wit and a powerful, distinct voice. Her first novel, Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies) was a Border's Original Voices nominee, a Book Sense pick, and received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly: "Headley makes an impressive debut with this witty, intimate novel."

North of Beautiful

North of Beautiful
Author: Justina Chen Headley
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2014-05-21
Genre: JUVENILE FICTION
ISBN: 9780316143882

From the author of "Nothing But the Truth" comes a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the true meaning of beauty.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep

Lovely, Dark, and Deep
Author: Justina Chen
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2018-07-31
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1338134078

“In this moving, empowering book,” a high school senior navigates new love after she is diagnosed with photosensitivity, an illness that changes her life (Booklist). When Viola Li returns from a trip, she develops a sudden and extreme case of photosensitivity—an inexplicable allergy to sunlight. Thanks to her crisis-manager parents, she doesn’t just have to wear layers of clothes and spaceship-sized hat. She has to avoid all hint of light. Say goodbye to windows and running outdoors. Even her phone becomes a threat. Viola is determined to maintain a normal life, particularly after she meets Josh. He’s a funny, talented Thor look-alike with his own mysterious grief. But their romance makes her take more risks, and when a rebellion against her parents backfires dangerously, she must find her way to a life—and love—as deep and lovely as her dreams. “A luminous read that will rekindle your faith in the indomitable human spirit.” —Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook “An inspiring, romantic novel full of redemption and hope.” —Mitali Perkins, author of You Bring the Distant Near “Fresh, often funny . . . Readers won’t be able to help but root for Viola in this moving, empowering book about a teen recalculating her well-laid plans, all in a vivid voice.” —Booklist, starred review “Chen provides glimmers of hope as she reveals Viola’s battle to reclaim a form of normalcy.” —Publishers Weekly “A strong exploration of resilience in the face of life unpredictable.” —Kirkus Reviews

The Other Side of Beautiful

The Other Side of Beautiful
Author: Kim Lock
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2021-07-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1867214911

What happens when fate says 'go'? Lost & Found meets The Rosie Project in a stunning break-out novel where a vulnerable misfit is forced to re-engage with the world, despite her best efforts. Meet Mercy Blain, whose house has just burnt down. Unfortunately for Mercy, this goes beyond the disaster it would be for most people: she hasn't been outside that house for two years. Flung out into the world she's been studiously ignoring, Mercy goes to the only place she can: her not-quite-ex-husband Eugene's house. But it turns out she can't stay there either. And so begins Mercy's unwilling journey. After the chance purchase of a cult classic campervan (read tiny, old and smelly), with the company of her sausage dog, Wasabi, and a mysterious box of cremated remains, Mercy heads north from Adelaide to Darwin. On the road, through badly timed breakdowns, gregarious troupes of grey nomads, and run-ins with a rogue adversary, Mercy's carefully constructed walls start crumbling. But what was Mercy hiding from in her house? And why is Eugene desperate to have her back in the city? They say you can't run forever... Exquisite, tender and wry, this is a break-out novel about facing anxiety and embracing life from an extraordinary new talent. PRAISE: 'Tender, funny and quietly profound, The Other Side of Beautiful is a breath of fresh air.' - The Sunday Times 'A colourful, engaging story of escape and road-trip adventure ... also compellingly cinematic and features an endearing narrator-heroine with plenty of meaty real-world troubles.' - Sydney Morning Herald 'An engaging story about second chances and a life changing road trip ... a heart-warming story.' - Canberra Weekly magazine 'Mercy Blain is a character you find yourself cheering on. Kim Lock mixes the transformative journey of Alice Hart with the quirkiness of Eleanor Oliphant in this story about embracing life, even when it threatens to overwhelm you' - Tricia Stringer, bestselling author of The Family Inheritance 'Mercy Blain is an unforgettable character who will capture your heart from the first pages and hold it through until the end. Her madcap journey towards forgiveness - of herself and others - is moving and funny and all other good things that will make you want to keep reading and make you sad when your time with Mercy comes to an end.' - Sophie Green, bestselling author of The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle

Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth
Author: Justina Chen
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2006
Genre: Mothers and daughters
ISBN: 9780316011280

DESCRIPTION: Hapa (Half Asian and half white) Patty Ho has never felt completely at home in her skin. Life at House Ho is tough enough between her ultra-strict Taiwanese mom (epic-length lectures and all) and her Harvard-bound big brother. But things get worse when a Chinese fortuneteller channels Patty's future via her bellybutton...and divines a white guy on her horizon. Her mom then freaks out and ships her off to math camp at Stanford. Just as Patty writes off her summer of woe, life starts glimmering with all kinds of probabilities. Written with the perfect balance of humor, poignancy, and sharp wit, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (and a few white lies) is the debut of a bright new talent.

A Blind Spot for Boys

A Blind Spot for Boys
Author: Justina Chen
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-08-12
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 9780316102537

"A great photo knocks your heart open. So give some thought to that. What knocks your heart open." Sixteen-year-old Shana is officially on a Boy Moratorium. After a devastating breakup, she decides it's time to end the plague of Mr. Wrongs and devote herself to her true passion: photography. Enter Quattro, the undeniably intriguing lacrosse player who slams into Shana one morning in Seattle. Sparks don't simply fly; they ignite--and so does Shana's interest. But just as she's about to rethink her ban on boys, she receives crushing news: Her dad is going blind. Shana and her parents vow to make the most of the time her father has left to see, so they plan a photo safari to Machu Picchu. But even as Shana travels away from Quattro, she can't get him out of her mind. Love and loss, humor and heartbreak collide in this new novel from acclaimed author Justina Chen.

Season of Migration to the North

Season of Migration to the North
Author: al-Ṭayyib Ṣāliḥ
Publisher: Penguin Group(CA)
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2003
Genre: Arabs
ISBN: 9780141187204

'SEASON OF MIGRATION TO THE NORTH-An Arabian Nights in reverse, enclosing a pithy moral about international misconceptions and delusions. The brilliant student of an earlier generation returns to his Sudanese village; obsession with the mysterious West and a desire to bite the hand that has half-fed him, has led him to London and the beds of women with similar obsessions about the mysterious East. He kills them at the point of ecstasy and the Occident, in its turn, destroys him. Powerfully and poetically written and splendidly translated by Denys Johnson-Davies.' Observer