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9th out of 78 books
—
97 voters
Outside Beauty
"My mother had four daughters by four different men."
There's only one way Shelby and her sisters can describe their mother: She's a sexpot. Helen Kimura collects men (and loans, spending money, and gifts of all kinds) from all over the country. Sure, she's not your typical role model, but she's also not just a pretty face and nail polish. She is confident and brave; she
...moreHardcover, 272 pages
Published
June 3rd 2008
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!
as i review yet another book about spectacularly irresponsible parenting!! like Lullabies for Little Criminals, these four girls grow up with a parent blissfully ignoring their parental responsibilities in order to live in some sort of hedonistic wonderland. in lullabies, the relationship was drug-addled romping, where the two of them behaved like children together until it all came tumbling down. this book is less dangerous than that, but helen kimura isn't going to win any...more
as i review yet another book about spectacularly irresponsible parenting!! like Lullabies for Little Criminals, these four girls grow up with a parent blissfully ignoring their parental responsibilities in order to live in some sort of hedonistic wonderland. in lullabies, the relationship was drug-addled romping, where the two of them behaved like children together until it all came tumbling down. this book is less dangerous than that, but helen kimura isn't going to win any...more
Disappointing, considering the beauty of the author's previous book, "Kira-Kira." This one suffers from fits and starts in pacing, as well as an uneven premise with a flimsy resolution. Parts are charming; the sisters' close ties is the glue that holds the book together. All told, though, I think the author lost track of intention and the plot suffered.
Kind of an odd book, with two-star aspects and three-star aspects. Like many other reviewers, I didn't see any point to the 1980s setting.
The most interesting and, I think, best-written parts are about Shelby getting to know her father, and I wish that had made up the bulk of the book. There was an especially intriguing comment thrown out that wasn't further developed that just hinted about how Jiro felt about having his daughter thrust upon him.
Jiro, Shelby, and Maddie were pretty well-develope...more
The most interesting and, I think, best-written parts are about Shelby getting to know her father, and I wish that had made up the bulk of the book. There was an especially intriguing comment thrown out that wasn't further developed that just hinted about how Jiro felt about having his daughter thrust upon him.
Jiro, Shelby, and Maddie were pretty well-develope...more
I really loved Kadohata's Kira-Kira, but this book as well as Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam did not amaze me. I can see her writing talent through her development of Shelby and the bond between her sisters, but the setting and plot could have been improved. I do not understand the reasoning behind the 1980's setting when the story did not revolve around historical context; I would have liked to seen the story take place in contemporary society, with e-mail and other electronic devices coming...more
I was so embarrassed for this author. Her other two books that I read, Kira-kira and Weedflower were wonderful and this was just awful. A mother is obsessed with her looks and has four daughters with different men. She has no real job to speak of other than bewitching men and trying to (I assume) get them to pay for everything. In spite of this pathetic behavior the daughters all worship their mother and have an unhealthy attachment to each other. After the mother is in a car accident the girls...more
This book caught my attention a) because it's written by Cynthia Kadohata, whose "Kira-Kira" is one of my favorite books, and b) due to all the less than stellar reviews. I wanted to see just how much I would be disappointed by it. Once I started it though, I couldn't put it down. The dynamics within the unconventional close-knit family of five females; the teachings and parenting of a mother who believes that beauty is everything; her seemingly never-ending stream of potential suitors as well a...more
Parts of this book I loved:
1) The narrator's slow discovery that perhaps some of the things her mother taught her were not entirely right.
2) The relationship between the four sisters.
3) The tension of what was going to happen to Maddie under her father's care.
4) Basically, the last 1/3 of the book.
But there were other things that were bothersome or confusing:
1) The book was set in 1983, but the historical setting didn't really seem important.
2) Time passed somewhat stragely. I'm still trying to...more
1) The narrator's slow discovery that perhaps some of the things her mother taught her were not entirely right.
2) The relationship between the four sisters.
3) The tension of what was going to happen to Maddie under her father's care.
4) Basically, the last 1/3 of the book.
But there were other things that were bothersome or confusing:
1) The book was set in 1983, but the historical setting didn't really seem important.
2) Time passed somewhat stragely. I'm still trying to...more
One mother. Four daughters, one unbreakable bond. However, when an accident drives the four away from their mother to each of their different respective fathers, the bond is threatened, stretched, and thinned to breaking point.
Raised by their mother in an environment where outside beauty is everything, the girls receive a wake up call and are forced to cope with the fact that their lives have been drastically changed.
In Outside Beauty, Newberry Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata has explored...more
Raised by their mother in an environment where outside beauty is everything, the girls receive a wake up call and are forced to cope with the fact that their lives have been drastically changed.
In Outside Beauty, Newberry Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata has explored...more
Wow, this was great. YA novel, about four sisters who are actually half sisters because their mother more or less makes a living by serial dating men and then breaking their hearts when she moves on to the next guy. The sisters, who range in age from 16 down to 6, get daily lessons from their mom about poise, graceful posture, preventing wrinkles, appraising jewelry, and attracting men. Most of the action takes place during a summer when the girls are separated as each goes to stay with her own...more
Another Kadohata book I enjoyed reading. I wasn't so sure about this one at the start. But, Kadohata has a way with character. She creates protagonists that I recognize. The characters embody traits that feel authentic. In the end, she creates characters that I feel like I know or would like to know.
In Outside Beauty, she did a nice job at challenging my judgmental side. She creates a mother who for all intents and purposes appears shallow and self-serving. Yet, from this woman four engaging an...more
In Outside Beauty, she did a nice job at challenging my judgmental side. She creates a mother who for all intents and purposes appears shallow and self-serving. Yet, from this woman four engaging an...more
Thirteen-year-old Shelby is the second of four sisters being raised by their mother, but each has a different father. The five women are very close, and though their upbringing may be slightly unconventional, they are all strong in their love for each other. Then tragedy strikes, sending each sister to live with her father while their mother is in the hospital indefinitely. Shelby is the thoughtful sister, and we see the pain of the separation from her eyes, and we see her growth as she comes to...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I enjoyed this story. I've read a lot of complaints that the time period did not matter at all, but I did enjoy that the author slipped in the fact that the year was 1983. It placed these girls in a different time because let's face it, if this story had taken place in 1993 everything would have been different.
I did have several problems with it though.
1. Maddie/Maddy. I hated her so much. She was a spoiled little girl and I felt she needed to buck up, 6 year old or not. Yes, her particular f...more
I did have several problems with it though.
1. Maddie/Maddy. I hated her so much. She was a spoiled little girl and I felt she needed to buck up, 6 year old or not. Yes, her particular f...more
This story is told from the point of view of Shelby, a young teen. Shelby and her sisters, Marilyn, Lakey and Maddie all live with their mother. The girls all have different fathers, and their mother is always going out with different men. When their mother ends up in the hospital, the girls end up farmed out to their individual fathers and are heartbroken. They are eager to reunite and find a dramatic way to do so.
Shelby is the bookworm of the family, and observant of the people around her. As...more
Shelby is the bookworm of the family, and observant of the people around her. As...more
I honestly liked the book Outside Beauty by Cynthia Koadohata. It was incredibly interesting and it really caught my attention. It was about a mother who left her four children to do grown up stuff. She would go look for sex and was always drinking alcolhol. The mother was a mental sex addict. Sadly all of the children had different dads. These four daughters never left eachothers side. They always had to be together and made sure nothing tore them apart. The mother just gave up on them and dec...more
At first I thought this was going to be one of those books that Teaches a Lesson, but it turned out to be very sweet.
Four half-sisters, the daughters of a very beautiful mother, are used to having different fathers and different men around. Helen (mom) doesn't want to settle down, nor does she believe that men want anything more than the perfect, beautiful woman. When she is in a bad car accident, the girls are sent to live with their fathers - and it seems that Helen has no one "type" for men....more
Four half-sisters, the daughters of a very beautiful mother, are used to having different fathers and different men around. Helen (mom) doesn't want to settle down, nor does she believe that men want anything more than the perfect, beautiful woman. When she is in a bad car accident, the girls are sent to live with their fathers - and it seems that Helen has no one "type" for men....more
265 pages Four sisters, Marilyn, Shelby, Lakey, and Maddie, adore their mother, Helen Kimura. Helen isn't your typical mother, she is always concerned with beauty and her latest boyfriend, and the girls all have different fathers. When Helen is in a car accident, the girls are forced to go live with their respective fathers, and no one is happy. The four are inseperable, and the youngest, Maddie, is being smothered by her father's strict ideas of child rearing. Shelby attempts to bring her siste...more
"Why did the world give you twice as much as you could handle?"
—Shelby, "Outside Beauty", P. 140
"Who wanted a long life if you were sad?"
—Shelby, P. 166
Cynthia Kadohata, a master of young adult literature, has once again displayed her stunning skills in this tightly woven, suspenseful, complex story that deals with all kinds of unconventional relationships and the way that our interconnectedness with those around us will profoundly affect our lives, whether or not the connections themselves...more
—Shelby, "Outside Beauty", P. 140
"Who wanted a long life if you were sad?"
—Shelby, P. 166
Cynthia Kadohata, a master of young adult literature, has once again displayed her stunning skills in this tightly woven, suspenseful, complex story that deals with all kinds of unconventional relationships and the way that our interconnectedness with those around us will profoundly affect our lives, whether or not the connections themselves...more
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed the story of Shelby and her sisters. Although the story is set in the mid 1980's, there isn't anything that really dates it. I think the author may have chosen to use this time period so that the functions of everyday life are much simpler, (no cell phones, no internet, no social networking) and in this way the characters can write letters to each other and commnicate in a much more personal way through visits and face to face encounters. Shelby has three sisters who...more
13-year-old Shelby's family is anything but traditional - she lives with her gorgeous, beauty-obsessed, commitment-phobic mom and her three sisters, all of whom have different dads. When Shelby's mom is in a terrible car accident, the sisters all get shipped out to their four dads, and all they can think about is getting back together again. Kadohata can do know wrong as far as I'm concerned - this is a quirky, funny, touching look at family. None of the characters are perfect (far from it!), bu...more
Interesting book. Liked the multiracial aspect and the strength of the bond of sisters against all odds. Very believable. Don't know why she set it in 1983- bec it was safer then to do what these girls did without tragedy? I wanted to know more about what kind of women they grew up to be, how their mother would deal with agiing, etc. I liked that the fathers became so integral to their lives and that children were embraced as family even when they weren't blood. Nice book. And timely since our c...more
I just don't get it. The mother has had four daughters by four different men, has a succession of boyfriends, and after a car accident lands her in a hospital for a long time, the four girls, who all adore their mother and are really attached to each other (they try to say "we" instead of "I"), have to go live with their fathers. Letters and phone calls are exchanged and a runaway is attempted after the youngest is spanked repeatedly by her father for bed wetting. The 1983 setting is unnecessary...more
Everything I love about Cynthia Kadohata’s adult novels is alive and well in her YA work: a world in which the mundane and magical coexist, weird and funny details, raw but poetic writing. Outside Beauty is the story of four sisters who are forced to know their very different fathers when their sexpot mom lands in the hospital. Kadohata does a great job of conveying the adult characters’ complex lives and personalities in quick, strategic strokes. She also does birth order well: my heart broke f...more
Putting aside their wayward mother's moral issues, four sisters share a bond that is inspiring. Their actions and drive to be together reminded me of young children being curious, making quick assumptions, and having good intentions while leading to trouble.
Despite an irreverent upbringing, these sisters conquer challenges with a loving devotion to each other that is tangible to even the hardest of hearts.
I found the ending of this book to be unsatisfying. I still had unanswered questions. I...more
Despite an irreverent upbringing, these sisters conquer challenges with a loving devotion to each other that is tangible to even the hardest of hearts.
I found the ending of this book to be unsatisfying. I still had unanswered questions. I...more
This is a story of 4 sisters who have 4 different fathers. Their mother is obsessed with being beautiful and teaches her daughters that their is two universes - one for those who are beautiful and one for everyone else. Their world is turned upside down when their mother is seriously injured in a car accident, and they are sent to live with each of their fathers.
This novel explores the feelings of girls whose lives are ripped apart. The protagonist in the story is 13-year-old Shelby, and the eve...more
This novel explores the feelings of girls whose lives are ripped apart. The protagonist in the story is 13-year-old Shelby, and the eve...more
Dec 02, 2008
Heather
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
adults who like to read teen literature
Shelves:
ya-fiction
Shelby and her three sisters have the same mother and different fathers. Their mother is, and I quote, " a sexpot." She manipulates men into giving her things, paying for her life, and teaches her daughters essentially the same life philosophy. That said, the narrator and sisters in this book are HIGHLY sympathetic characters, and the story is told with such grace that you can overlook the ridiculous circumstances surrounding the plot.
It is interesting, and worth reading, though I don't know tha...more
It is interesting, and worth reading, though I don't know tha...more
Here is my review for "Outside Beauty": (Coming soon!)
I have never read anything by Kadohata, but I read the synopsis when I found this at my library and was intrigued. The bond between these four sisters was remarkable - maybe even stronger than sisters who have the same parents. And the different struggles each girl went through when they had to live with their fathers was inspiring and showed how much they truly loved one another.
This was a short book and a fast read. There were some slow po...more
I have never read anything by Kadohata, but I read the synopsis when I found this at my library and was intrigued. The bond between these four sisters was remarkable - maybe even stronger than sisters who have the same parents. And the different struggles each girl went through when they had to live with their fathers was inspiring and showed how much they truly loved one another.
This was a short book and a fast read. There were some slow po...more
Jan 07, 2011
Hazel
is currently reading it
So far this book is a great book because, it talks about four sisters that are always together but when her Mom has a car accident each of them have to go with each of their dads' thats when Shelby the third oldest experience how to be more idependent and get to know her dad even better, but still worries about her little sister because she knows that who can take care of her better then her sisters...when her Mom is getting worst in the Hospital they all come together and do anything that is in...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Cynthia Kadohata is a Japanese American writer known for writing coming of age stories about Asian American women.
She spent her early childhood in the South; both her first adult novel and first children's novel take place in Southern states. Her first adult novel was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Her first children's book, Kira-Kira, won the 2005 Newbery Medal. Her first published s...more
More about Cynthia Kadohata...
She spent her early childhood in the South; both her first adult novel and first children's novel take place in Southern states. Her first adult novel was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Her first children's book, Kira-Kira, won the 2005 Newbery Medal. Her first published s...more
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