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39th out of 59 books
—
414 voters
Secrets of Truth and Beauty
by
Megan Frazer (Goodreads Author)
And the first runner up is... When Dara Cohen was little, she was a bright, shiny star. She was the cutest seven-year-old who ever sang Ella Fitzgerald, and it was no wonder she was crowned Little Miss Maine.
That was then. Now Dara's seventeen and she's not so little anymore. So not little, that when her classmates find out about her illustrious resume, their jaws drop. Th...more
That was then. Now Dara's seventeen and she's not so little anymore. So not little, that when her classmates find out about her illustrious resume, their jaws drop. Th...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
July 7th 2009
by Disney-Hyperion
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3.5 stars altogether. At the age of nine Dara Cohen, former Little Miss Maine, found out by chance that she had an older sister who left home for good half a year before Dara's birth. Dara's mother refused to discuss the matter stating that Rachel had been a bad person whose criminal actions against her own family made any attempt at revoking contact unnegotiable. Until Dara got seventeen, obese and into the center of her parents' idea of parental behavior in a family crisis, she had swallowed h...more
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Nov 10, 2012
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
trt-gold-star-award-winner,
trt-posted-reviews
Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
What would you do if you found out that you actually have an older sister that you have never even met or knew about?
This is what happened to Dara. She accidentally found out that she had a sister who was seventeen years older than herself. Her parents don't speak of her and no one else will say anything except her uncle.
Dara has a debacle at school and decides that she needs to meet Rachel and goes to find her in Massachusetts. She finds her on a g...more
What would you do if you found out that you actually have an older sister that you have never even met or knew about?
This is what happened to Dara. She accidentally found out that she had a sister who was seventeen years older than herself. Her parents don't speak of her and no one else will say anything except her uncle.
Dara has a debacle at school and decides that she needs to meet Rachel and goes to find her in Massachusetts. She finds her on a g...more
What happens when your life seems to have peaked at seven years old?
Dara was Little Miss Maine at seven; now seventeen, she has abundant hips and breasts, and a consciousness that she doesn't fit the prevailing American ideal of female beauty.
When her clever portrayal of society's obsession with beauty lands her in the school counselor's office, Dara is judged to be "depressed and angry" by her controlling mother and ineffectual father. They take her out of school for the remainder of the semest...more
Dara was Little Miss Maine at seven; now seventeen, she has abundant hips and breasts, and a consciousness that she doesn't fit the prevailing American ideal of female beauty.
When her clever portrayal of society's obsession with beauty lands her in the school counselor's office, Dara is judged to be "depressed and angry" by her controlling mother and ineffectual father. They take her out of school for the remainder of the semest...more
I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at the ARC for SECRETS OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY. I was planning to read a few chapters before bed to get started, but soon, I knew I wouldn't be able put it down until I saw where teen narrator Dara's journey would take her.
After a misunderstood school project lands her in the guidance counselor's office just before the end of her junior year, Dara's parents pull her out of school to save face. Frustrated by the adults in her life and struggling to uncover the...more
After a misunderstood school project lands her in the guidance counselor's office just before the end of her junior year, Dara's parents pull her out of school to save face. Frustrated by the adults in her life and struggling to uncover the...more
This isn't usually my preferred genre, but I still loved this book. Which I think is a great tribute to the author. She did a fantastic job at creating a likeable and utterly relatable character. I'm a 25 year old guy, and I still found myself relating to the main character in a lot of ways. Plus, the story just sucked me in, I seriously had a hard time putting this down. The characters and story are all believeable and feel very real. And it manages to be heartfelt and meaningful without being...more
Vor 10 Jahren war Dara Cohen die „Little Miss Maine“. Heute ist sie jedoch scheinbar weit entfernt davon, irgendeine Miss Wahl zu gewinnen. Denn die ehemalige little Miss Maine ist nicht nur älter, sondern vor allem auch breiter geworden. Als Dara ihr Übergewicht für ein Schul-Projekt thematisiert, läuft alles aus dem Ruder. Kurz entschlossen nimmt Dara Kontakt zu ihrer Schwester Rachel auf, welche ihre Eltern ihr bislang verheimlicht haben. Sie besucht Rachel, die mit Freunden auf einer Ziegenf...more
actually 1 1/2 stars. this could have been a really interesting/good book. the main character won a little miss something or other beauty pageant as a young girl but then gained weight as she grew older and as a teenager no one can believe it. she makes some video for a class assignment criticizing society's perception of weight and beauty that gets "misunderstood" by her teacher and parents. they think she has deep seated issues with her mother/parents because of her weight. and then we also fi...more
Dara Cohen was Little Miss Maine when she was young. But after gaining more than a few pounds, no one can believe her. When she tells about her experience in an English project, it's wildly misinterpreted and her parents pull her out of school. Dara, no longer willing to suffer under her parents' scrutiny, decides to visit her sister Rachel, the sister her family never told her about. Dara moves to her sister's goat farm and begins a whirlwind of a journey.
Based on her first novel, Megan Frazer...more
Based on her first novel, Megan Frazer...more
Dara is an achiever. She has carved out academics as her venue for success because event though she is pretty, talented and has some great friends at her posh school she is f.a.t.
As a little kid she was Young Miss Maine, she has a great singing voice and stage presence. Her mother has focused on those moments as the shining time for Dara and all Dara's other qualities pale, making f.a.t. Dara a disappointment to Mom. Add to this a startling discovery Dara made as a child- and has kept secret for...more
As a little kid she was Young Miss Maine, she has a great singing voice and stage presence. Her mother has focused on those moments as the shining time for Dara and all Dara's other qualities pale, making f.a.t. Dara a disappointment to Mom. Add to this a startling discovery Dara made as a child- and has kept secret for...more
At its heart, this is a coming-of-age story about accepting oneself and looking beyond exterior labels to the person beneath, moving past one's history to create something new. The culmination isn't a big surprise, but where this book shines is in the characterizations: in lesser books, the Fat Girl's goal would be to lose weight to win over the boys; the gay characters would either be on a crusade to end discrimination everywhere or become the Fat Girl's Cause To End All Discrimination. Here, t...more
Secrets of Truth and Beauty is by Megan Frazer. This book is amazing! I love how it is so easy to relate to, especially for teenagers. Although I think it is probably easier to relate to for teenagers, I also believe that adults can relate to it too because it's extremely detailed and well written.
This book is about a young girl named Dara Cohen. Dara is a Junior at Portland Academy when her English teacher assigns her an autobiography project. She isn't to worried about it, especially when ev...more
This book is about a young girl named Dara Cohen. Dara is a Junior at Portland Academy when her English teacher assigns her an autobiography project. She isn't to worried about it, especially when ev...more
Dara was once Miss Maine... when she was seven. Now she's a junior, and overweight. When her teacher assigns an autobiography project, she decides to do it on her life in pageants and how society looks at weight. She never considered herself upset or angry about her weight, but her project lands her in therapy and her parents freak out.
Finally, Dara's had it. She decides to find her sister Rachel, who left before she was born. Dara's parents never talk about Rachel. So Dara ends up on a goat fa...more
Finally, Dara's had it. She decides to find her sister Rachel, who left before she was born. Dara's parents never talk about Rachel. So Dara ends up on a goat fa...more
Frazer's story, of overweight Dara and the summer she learns who her family is, is touching and beautiful and poignant. I loved this main character, who, being removed from school because of a misunderstood English project, goes on a quest to meet her sister and grows to see herself in a new light. A lovely read.
A disclaimer here -- I've met the author, Megan Frazer, because she's on a library committee with me so I was predisposed to like this book. But she really deserves the 4 stars. High school junior Dara has some issues with a controlling mother, a disconnected father, and a few extra pounds. Okay, more than a few. There is also the fact that she has an older sister whom her parents never told Dara about until she stumbled upon a folder about her. Due to an incident involving a school project, Dar...more
An enjoyable and engaging YA novel which is summarized well by other reviewers. The author handles the issues of weight and body image with great sensitivity and depth. The gay characters were also well-rounded and amounted to far more than just their sexuality. My only fairly minor quibble was that I couldn't help wondering why the two main characters who are brothers were presented as Eurasian. Because this aspect of their characters was not developed in any way - but much is made of Owen's mo...more
I thought this book was gonna be good 'ole chick-lit, but it actually had some depth to it. The author really got the experience of an overweight teenager down. I got to understand what it's like to be overweight and have everyone judge you for a flaw that you feel comfortable with. It also taught the importance of being yourself, and it also had some soulful sister parts.
Dara was a really likable character. Although she is struggling with self-esteem issues, she manages to be an entertaining, f...more
Dara was a really likable character. Although she is struggling with self-esteem issues, she manages to be an entertaining, f...more
3.5 stars. I thought this book was overall well-written and enjoyable to read. However, I thought it could have been better. Dara Cohen was crowned Little Miss Maine when she was 7 years old. Now 17, she has gained weight and no longer feels like she reflects any sort of pageant winner. Her family and classmates agree, and when a misinterpreted video auto-biography expels her from school and estranges her from her family, she decides it is the perfect time to seek out her long lost (and disowned...more
Dara was a cute little 7-year-old. Cute enough to win the title of Little Miss Maine(even though it was a talent contest. Dara's talent was and is singing. She just doesn't think she's quite so cute anymore, and definitely not little. After winning Dara started to gain a lot of weight and is now quite large. After she makes an autobiography project out of clips and voice overs of her pageant, things start to go downhill. Nobody got that the project wasn't meant to be just about her and it was mo...more
I found myself not being able to put this book down. From the first day till the moment I stopped reading this book, I found myself trying to fit in any amount of time I could spare to read this lovely book. From in between classes, during free periods and breaks and even in front of my teachers in class. Needless to say, I gave up my studying time just to finish it. I simply was pulled in by this book and the story.
This book is all about acceptance. Finding who you really are. Cliche, I know....more
This book is all about acceptance. Finding who you really are. Cliche, I know....more
Reading this was difficult because I had to let go of my knee jerk reactions about size. For example, anything below a size 14 isn’t fat to me. I’m not saying that folks don’t feel fat at size 14. And I can’t say that the world (at least in the U.S.) doesn’t see them as fat. Women between size 16-18 are bigger but not fat. These folks are definitely viewed as fat. Anything above that and there is not hope for you. You are just a death sentence waiting to happen, so say the doctors with the term...more
Secrets of Truth and Beauty is a multi-layered coming of age story of 17-year-old Dara Cohen. Once a junior pageant winner, Dara is now an overweight teen with some very deep-seeded self-loathing and dysfunctional parents. When an English assignment is misinterpreted, she is removed from school and forced to go to therapy. Striking out on her own, Dara tracks down the long lost sister she never had and spends the summer working with her on a goat cheese farm. During the summer, Dara makes a good...more
"Secrets of Truth and Beauty" by Megan Frazer is a 347 page realistic fiction novel. Former Little Miss Maine, Dara Cohen, is flung into a different world with her secret sister. Her sister Rachel was never mentioned to Dara by her parents but, when a controversial class project causes problems Dara goes searching for her. As her friendship with her sister grows stronger she gets pulled into the meaning of where her sister lives. Then, a boy living with her sister pulls her into the small town'...more
The cover is so wrong for this book, it really bothers me. The liner notes about the book so not what the story is about as well. Honestly, if someone had told me what it was really about (a fat girl staying with her estranged sister at a goat farm for lesbians) I would have not read it, so i guess I am kind of glad that the cover was all wrong and the blurb was trite.
This was a really nicely crafted story. Not a lot happens, but you begin to get sucked into this peaceful world. I enjoyed the r...more
This was a really nicely crafted story. Not a lot happens, but you begin to get sucked into this peaceful world. I enjoyed the r...more
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced proof of this book (I know people). I read it in 2 days, I loved it!
I had hoped more for this book but unfortunately found it to only be average or slightly below average. There were some interesting issues at hand, however, they could have been elaborated on more for how long the book was. To me, the story had a slow beginning and didn't really grab me until more than half way through. The writing was decent but not uplifting nor impressive. It definitely applies to teenage concerns and sexual development. There were a few innuendoes about sex but nothing racy....more
In sticking with my resolve to accept that 3 stars is still a good book, I would give SECRETS OF TRUTH & BEAUTY 3 1/4 stars. I enjoyed this more that just "liking it" but not quite "really liking it" (per the Goodreads star indicators). I was definitely turning the pages on this book as I learned more about Dara, her past, and the mysterious secret sister that she never knew about growing up. The story had a good message about accepting yourself and others for who they are along with making...more
Mar 23, 2010
Good Golly Miss Holly
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of the tv show Toddlers & Tiaras and readers of GLBT
Shelves:
abandoned
I've recently started to watch the tv program Toddlers & Tiaras, I have to say I see Secrets of Truth and Beauty as a look at the types of lives the stars of this show will face 15 or so years on.
The protagonist was a beauty pageant star as a kid and is now cursed by parents who ignore her and keep secrets. She also happens to be overweight now, she resents the fact that her other classmates have no idea what her childhood was like and is presented with a perfect opportunity to announce thi...more
The protagonist was a beauty pageant star as a kid and is now cursed by parents who ignore her and keep secrets. She also happens to be overweight now, she resents the fact that her other classmates have no idea what her childhood was like and is presented with a perfect opportunity to announce thi...more
SECRETS OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY is a surprisingly sweet read with strong undertones of Sarah Dessen’s work. At times a little choppy, the novel is overall a nice and quick read, perfect for those days when you want a little slice of optimism in the face of hardship.
Characters are strong in this book, but Dara is by far the most well-drawn and most likable. Unlike many other protagonists in books that deal with weight, Dara is not constantly apologetic of it, and undergoes a very real struggle to not...more
Characters are strong in this book, but Dara is by far the most well-drawn and most likable. Unlike many other protagonists in books that deal with weight, Dara is not constantly apologetic of it, and undergoes a very real struggle to not...more
1 like · like · see review
Pub Date
: July 2009
Summary: Dara Cohen was the cutest seven-year-old. She was a star when it came to singing.
No wonder she was crowned Little Miss Maine.
Now at the age of seventeen, Dara isn't so little anymore.
When her classmates find out about her past, they're amazed.
This becomes only one of her problems.
Her mother is a control-freak and won't get off her back about things.
But the worst thing is their family secret, Dara has an older sister that her parents tried to erase from their lives.
Da...more
Summary: Dara Cohen was the cutest seven-year-old. She was a star when it came to singing.
No wonder she was crowned Little Miss Maine.
Now at the age of seventeen, Dara isn't so little anymore.
When her classmates find out about her past, they're amazed.
This becomes only one of her problems.
Her mother is a control-freak and won't get off her back about things.
But the worst thing is their family secret, Dara has an older sister that her parents tried to erase from their lives.
Da...more
Dara Cohen can't believe her luck. After one misinterpreted English project gets her kicked out of school and practically ignored at home, she decides it's time to meet the sister she has never known. Her parents aren't exactly happy about her decision but she has made up her mind. Surprisingly, her sister seems more than willing to have her.
Once there, Dara sees no reason why her parents would have kicked her sister out. She is the perfect host and an even better worker at the goat farm. She se...more
Once there, Dara sees no reason why her parents would have kicked her sister out. She is the perfect host and an even better worker at the goat farm. She se...more
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| This looks soo amazing! | 2 | 17 | Nov 12, 2011 06:27pm |
Megan Frazer was raised quite happily in New Hampshire. She studied Literature and Creative Writing at Columbia University in New York. After moving around the world for bit, she settled with her husband in Maine. Her first novel, Secrets of Truth & Beauty, will be released in July of 2009.
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“Rachel could sell cheese to vegans.”
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