My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney SalterPaperback, 352 pages
Released April 1st 2009
At A Glance
Hardback, Paperback, or Library: Paperback
The Next Person I'm Giving This To: My Sister
To Re-Read or Not To Re-Read: Re-Read!
Hardback, Paperback, or Library: Paperback
The Next Person I'm Giving This To: My Sister
To Re-Read or Not To Re-Read: Re-Read!
About
It's the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact, when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future--and, with any luck, score a boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy, problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness. And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory--and before she knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes. In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Sydney Salter delivers a story about broadening your horizons, accepting yourself, and finding love right under your nose. **From Goodreads
It's the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact, when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future--and, with any luck, score a boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy, problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness. And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory--and before she knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes. In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Sydney Salter delivers a story about broadening your horizons, accepting yourself, and finding love right under your nose. **From Goodreads
Review
I really enjoyed this book in a lot of ways. I enjoyed how funny it was, but also how serious it was. I thought the humor made this book a more approachable way to talk about some serious issues teens are faced with everyday.
I really enjoyed this book in a lot of ways. I enjoyed how funny it was, but also how serious it was. I thought the humor made this book a more approachable way to talk about some serious issues teens are faced with everyday.
Sometimes I can't really relate to teen story lines, but I could relate to Jory's voice in a lot of ways. I don't have an issue with my nose, but I do have a bigger nose, my Father is 1/2 Lebanese and I inherited his and my Grandfathers big Lebanese Nose, and I heard about it a lot, maybe not always in a negative tone, but enough that I thought about it and noticed it. I also had a mother who tried every diet out there and had a tummy tuck, and so weight problems in the future weighed on my mind a lot. Now I am a mother of two daughters and I am trying my hardest to be healthy, and teach them to be healthy without using the words "fat" and "skinny" and "diet". It is a hard thing to do, but it is very important that negative attention is not drawn towards our flaws. I loved how this book really showed how powerful our words can be to our children and how easy our children can be influenced by others actions and opinions. I really loved that even though there were family problems in this book, you could see both sides of why Jory was the way she was, why Mom was the way she was, and why they had a hard time understanding one another.
This is a great book for both teens and moms and I hope all of you out there pick it up, read it, and use it as a tool to help you be prepared for what kind of trials our kids go up against in this world we live in. It scared me, to know that my daughter could be in similar situations in a few years from now, and I hope I can prepare her and help her before she is faced with some hard decisions, and I want her to be happy with who she is and to be able to stand up and be proud, even in a tough situation.
There were a lot of various relationships throughout the book, but the story really shows that when it comes down to who your real friends are, it is important to surround yourself with family and friends that care about who you are inside and out. This book will also help you realize how important it is to compliment those around you, and also accept compliments, because if someone is taking the time to tell you that you look beautiful, or cute, then you need to believe it and say thank you, and remember how that one small act of kindness made you feel, and pass it along. Tell your husband he looks handsome, tell your daughter she looks fabulous, tell your son he looks like a stud, tell your friend you like it when she has her hair down, look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are beautiful. We will all become happier and healthier people if we start accepting everything about ourselves, even our flaws, they make us unique!
This book has great romance, is very funny and sassy and I enjoyed all of Jory's lists. It is just a wonderful book and I think everyone out there should get their hands on a copy and turn some great pages!
Great guest post. You're so right that compliments are so important. When you think something good about someone, why not share it? You never know what kind of difference it will make to someone.
ReplyDeleteI have an only slightly modified version of my father's nose. And that's a notorious nose.
ReplyDeleteTo this day I run from cameras. I get it.
Sounds like a good book. :) Why do we pay sooo much attention to our noses?? I have a squishy one.
ReplyDeleteYour Body Image Week has me thinking.. Yesterday, I spotted some body image bullying while I was at the park with my daughter. I called the little girl over because I heard her say she played softball. We chatted for a while about strong, muscular athletic builds, sports, Jennie Finch, and Natasha Watley. I was sooo proud of her because after our conversation, she walked home instead of hanging with the bullies. :)
Thanks for building so much awareness about body image with your posts. It's so important and starts so young. The girl yesterday was only ten!
Awesome (guest post) Review! Truthfully, I've never really payed any attention to my nose. I guess that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI think I might have sort of a big nose....
ReplyDeleteAh!
Speaking as someone with serious body issues, this post rang through. I really want to read this book now!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really cute and funny!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your comments. Thanks for sharing that experience Keri, I am glad that you were able to turn a potentially bad thing, into something good.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend this book, it is amazing!
Very interesting book. Another one to my never ending list. Can I just read and not go to work? Is that allowed?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I posted a pic of my kitty just for you!
Seems like a nice and entertaining read.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read it since I feel I'm going to enjoy it.
You have a present at my blog.
Loving the comments! Thanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone has a wonderful day!
See as someone with a bad body issue, one of the few things I like about myself is my NOSE! But there are many other things I think of a little lift here, a little botox there, some lypo....well lots of lypo....
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like I need this book!
At first I didn't see this was a guest review. So I was reading and then saw the line about two daughters. I was like, "what!? Lenore has two daughters and never told anyone!" Lol, silly me!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I can also relate to the weight issues thing. My mom and sister are soo concerned about their weights and dieting that it gets hard sometimes to stay positive about my own body and what I am or am not eating.
I've never really had a problem with my nose (even though it's slightly crooked from a flip on the trampoline gone wrong as a kid) but I can still relate to this story. Sounds like a good one!
ReplyDeletegreat review. i look forward to adding this schnozz book to my book stack. you know, i feel good with my nose size so no issue there. my hubby has a big nose and i think that it gives him such character.
ReplyDeleteHaha my mom sounds just like you, she tries to get me to eat healthier (I try!) without using the words Skinny, Fat, or Diet. I'm pretty motivated to eat healthier anyways because I want the acne on my face to clear up.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I think that trying to get your kids to eat healthier without using those words is really important. My best friend constantly looks down on herself and calls herself "fat". I always tell her she looks fine, but the thing is, even her MOM calls her fat, and that she needs to work out more. I feel so bad for her, because sure, comments like that can hurt and usually you can get over it if it's from one person, but this is coming from her MOM.
great guest post, i got this book this week and can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteI loved your review and I'm so going to read this book. In fact, there are quite a few girls out there that I know that would really enjoy this too!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your thoughtful and thought-provoking review. This is just the kind of conversation I hoped my book would provoke.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the wonderful comments, thank you Sydney for writing this book. I so glad that I read it and had this opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings that surfaced when I read it.
ReplyDeleteBody Image Week has really been amazing! I am so glad everyone is sharing all their wonderful experiences and comments!
Great review! I love my nose, no matter what people say about it. I think it's kind of cute.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the perfect book for my daughter. We are having some trouble with teasing at school right now, and I am trying to find books that deal with body image that are targeted at her age level. I am going to be putting this one on the summer reading list, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds awesome! Definitely going to look for it!
ReplyDeleteMy nose is a little on the large side, too :) Someone once told me it's a sign of character... and, I have to admit -- I have yet to meet someone with a large nose who's on the boring side! :) We're interesting, you can give us that!