My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters

Feb 23, 2009 Mandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: debut2009, 2009reads

MY BIG NOSE is such a fun book! From the first page, I was swept away in a hilarious, endearing story about accepting yourself--flaws and all. In MY BIG NOSE, Jory wants nothing more than to save enough money over her summer vacation to finance a nose job and finally be as beautiful as she wants to be, snare Mr. Right, and be good enough for her perfection-seeking-mother.

So Jory gets a job. A job involving delivering cakes and flowers--even though she has no idea how to drive a stick and she wr...more

like 3 likes · see review

Jun 14, 2009 Nian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

Forget the intriguing description of the book that you just read on the back of the novel, because I can pretty much sum it up in as little as twenty words, and I don’t even get paid for this: A girl with self esteem issues complains about boys, her big nose, dying a virgin and boys again. Basically, it all comes down to boys. Which, I guess, is pretty typical in a YA novel. So, sounds good, right?

Not. It shouldn't be called My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters; it should just be called Bo...more Forget the intriguing description of the book that you just read on the back of the novel, because I can pretty much sum it up in as little as twenty words, and I don’t even get paid for this: A girl with self esteem issues complains about boys, her big nose, dying a virgin and boys again. Basically, it all comes down to boys. Which, I guess, is pretty typical in a YA novel. So, sounds good, right?

Not. It shouldn't be called My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters; it should just be called Boys and I because of how obsessed the protagonist is with finding someone to like her. Guys popped up here and there for no apparent reason; rather, just to be fawned over by Jory. In fact, this happens so many times that I got so annoyed because I didn't know who Jory would ultimately end up with. It's like those cliched movies where all the people in the show are in love with one girl, or vice versa. So unbelievable. And it's just outright lame that one of the potential boyfriend turns out gay. Seriously, what's up with that? Not all good guys are gay. Let's not play too much into these stereotypes, alright?

Truly underdeveloped story. Actually, I wasn't even sure there was a story. It was supposed to be about so many things: self esteem, self image, friendship, love, and mother-daughter relationships, but in the end, I was left with this annoying thought that the book failed to develop any of these issues.

First, self esteem. Yeah, sure, make your protagonist super klutzy, to the extremes where I'm wondering if a person like her even exists. A ploy to try to get me to relate to Jory? Hm. Sure, I'm clumsy as hell, but do I ruin every moment of my life? I don't think so. So this attributes to her self esteem, as well as the constant mention of her nose. I don't even understand where everyone gets these ideas from. I read teen magazines constantly and honestly, I have better things to notice than the size of my nose.

And there's friendship. Did anyone hated Megan and Hannah (well, less of Hannah) as much as I did? Please say yes. Because they were just terrible. Why not just title this book The Summer We All Wanted Boyfriends? It's as simple as that. The pretty and smart girl wants a boyfriend. The sweet and safe girl wants a boyfriend. And the girl considered just cute wants a boyfriend. Bravo. So they choose boys over friends. Just typical novel behavior. But what I found annoying was the lack of explanations for each friend. If you're going to tell me about friendship problems, at least get a little in depth about the friends. If you're going to convince me that Jory is all forgiving, at least let Megan and Hannah show some compassionate and redeeming behavior after nearly destroying their friendship.

So, love. There's only one thing I can say: What is the deal with Gideon? He's like one of those characters who was just whiffed up with a potion by an amateur witch. He's in a band? Sure, play into every girl's fantasy about having a rock star boyfriend. He makes jewelry? Yup, might as well make him as sweet as my grandmother. He loves his mom? Right, go ahead and say that every teenage boy is ungrateful and does not show their affection for their parents. He just made me cringe. Really, almost everything about him made my raise my eyeballs. Who knew so many characters could get on my nerves so much in one book?

(less)

like 6 likes · see review

May 06, 2009 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Remember Jennifer Grey from Dirty Dancing? Back then she was a cute young actress with a rather distinct nose that gave her a unique face. In the 1990s she had a nose job that so altered her appearance that she was unrecognizable with the result that her career was arguably over. I found a site with two of the most unflattering pictures of Grey I have ever seen, but they illustrate my point. The change is so great that it's hard to say what the nose job actually accomplished because the before a...more Remember Jennifer Grey from Dirty Dancing? Back then she was a cute young actress with a rather distinct nose that gave her a unique face. In the 1990s she had a nose job that so altered her appearance that she was unrecognizable with the result that her career was arguably over. I found a site with two of the most unflattering pictures of Grey I have ever seen, but they illustrate my point. The change is so great that it's hard to say what the nose job actually accomplished because the before and after photos look like different people.

While reading My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters (2009) by Sydney Salter, I kept thinking of one thing. That thing was Jennifer Grey's nose job and how it totally changed her life in a not-so-great way.

Jory Michaels desperately wants to be one of the beautiful people. Or at least one of the smart people. She'd even settle for being an athletic person. But Jory is none of those things. Instead, she is the mediocre sheep in a family of beauty and talent. All, Jory is certain, because of her big nose--another outlier in a family with cute, small noses. Like Jennifer Grey, Jory is convinced that a nose job will solve her problems and ultimately make her life better in every possible way. She will be smarter and prettier, her family will appreciate her the way they worship her little brother, and her gorgeous crush will finally realize that she is perfect for him. In other words, with a new nose, Jory will be as perfect as everyone else in her life.

In order to ensure that she and "Super Schnoz" will part ways before the start of her senior year in high school, Jory take a job as a cake delivery person to fund her cosmetic surgery. She also begins a nice nose notebook to be ready for the big day.

It seems like everything is going Jory's way until an unlikely acquaintance, an unfortunate driving mishap or two, and other (natural) disasters force Jory to rethink everything she thought she knew about her nose, herself, and the perfect people she wanted so badly to emulate.

Set in Reno, Nevada My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters offers an interesting perspective on cosmetic surgery. Her hyperbolic fantasies about Super Schnoz and her new dream nose illustrate the irrational hopes Jory has pinned to the possibility of plastic surgery. At the same time, as the story progresses Jory begins to realize that there might be more to reinventing herself than restructuring her nose. That thread, set against the backdrop of friend-drama, and the social-climbing ambitions of her ever-dieting mother, gives this ostensibly quick read a fair amount of depth.

I enjoyed a lot of this book. At times the characters read younger than I would have expected for sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, but that likely says more about who I was at that age than anything else. Jory also reminded me a lot of Georgia Nicholson with her singular focus on boys but in a far less annoying way. I also had issue with the way friendships were treated. It must be the latin in me but I would have held a grudge a lot longer than Jory (and other characters in books I've read recently), but again that's probably just me.

I loved Jory's humor throughout the narrative, which made her lack of self-esteem at the beginning of the novel bearable. As part of a mother-daughter jewelery making duo, I also loved that beading came up in the story and was handled so realistically. At the start of the novel I will admit that I was not sure I could like Jory as a character, but by the end of the book I not only liked her, I was proud of her. My only disappointment was that the book didn't go on a little longer so I could spend more time with this new and improved heroine. Beyond that, My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters is a clever, humorous book about how finding beauty sometimes involves more introspection than anything else.
(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 24, 2009 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was such a fun book to read! It was absolutely charming/hilarious/authentic throughout the entire novel! Jory’s character was phenomenal. It’s easy to relate to her and her self-esteem/self-image issues, because honestly if it’s not your big nose, it’s your big ears, your big butt, maybe even your lack of certain assets! But whatever your insecurity is we all deal with it. Salter told Jory’s story though a uniquely hilarious and heartfelt way. It was nice to see Jory overcome her issues wit...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 05, 2012 Gleniz Da Menace rated it 5 of 5 stars

super sweet ni Gideon :) gusto ko pati yung ugali nya na wala sya pakealam basta gusto nya yung ginagawa nya. wala syang kinakahiya sa sarili nya dahil wala naman syang ginagawang masama. basta sinusunod lang nya yung passion nya na tumugtog ng violin tas ang bait pa nya sa mommy nya. hay ang sweet talaga :) gusto ko ng ganun..

FAVORITE LINES:

"i wanted to shout at them, so what if he has a big nose? are you afraid we might breed and have children with noses so big that when we all sneeze a small...more

like 1 like · see review

Oct 10, 2011 Nouran rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just wish Sydney Salter made My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters a series.My Big Nose is one of my all time favorite book besides the Harry Potter series. I find IT entertaining and hard to put down because of the comedy actions and how Sydney Salter lets the reader get in to the character's thoughts. Such a character is Jory the main character of the story and the protagonist aswell, so further in reading the book It was difficult to find who really is the antagonist of the story becaus...more

like · see review

Jul 28, 2010 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary

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 disapp...more 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 Amazon UK

This is such a brilliant book! I really loved it! Such a sweet novel! I really loved it!

Jory has two goals for the summer. Find her passion, and get a job so she can save her money for a nose job, so she can nab the gorgeous Tyler Briggs. Her passion goal is half-hearted, as that's what her friends are doing, but she is obsessed with the rest; nose jobs and Tyler - or any other cute guys who happen to be around at the time.

It's really quite sad how badly she thinks about her nose. She keeps a Nice Nose Notebook, where she keeps pictures of models with nice noses to show to the surgeon when she gets her nose job. Everything that goes wrong in her life, is down to her big nose. Her mother is constantly on a diet, and trying to get Jory to wear beauty enhancing make-up. It's just really sad.

But there is more to this book than just Jory's nose. There's friendship, family, and boy issues that go a lot deepers than a squabble and an unrequited crush. But they're all dealt with in such a brilliant way.

I don't know what else I can say about this book. So much goes on in it, and I don't want to spoil it. It really is a brilliant book, one that is right up there with my favourites! I absolutely loved it, and can't recommend it enough! I will definitely be checking out more of Sydney Salter's novels.

From Once Upon A Bookcase - YA book blog.(less)

like · see review

Jun 04, 2010 Talese rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: engl-420

This romance novel is about a girl named Jory who is expecting great things from the summer before her senior year. Jory feels extremely insecure about her large nose. She constantly feels overshadowed by: her smart and beautiful friend Meg, her cute and bubbly friend Hannah, her skinny-as-a-supermodel mom and her talented and handsome younger brother. Jory is also absolutely obsessed with a boy named Tyler. Too bad, he is the most popular, athletic and gorgeous guy in school. Jory plans to get...more

like · see review

Jan 17, 2010 Holly Lee (Bellas Novella) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, amazon-vine

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters is downright hilarious. I had to hide my face multiple times in public when I had tears rolling down my face from stifling laughter.

The book is classified as "young adult", but I am 25 and loved it all the same. I would recommend it to all my "not-so-young-adult" friends in a heartbeat.

Sydney Salter writes about 17 year old Jory's summer before her big Senior year. Her goals are to knock boots for the first time, find a life passion, and to decide what to...more

like 1 like · see review

Jun 05, 2009 Books and Literature for Teens rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-contemporary, teen-romance, young-adult

Courtesy of BLT: booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters was great narrative by an average teenage girl with some acceptance issues. (Who doesn't right? As for the people who love themselves as is: Good for you!)
After finishing her junior year of high school, seventeen year-old Jory Michaels has three things on her summer to-do list: get ride of the Super Schnozz, find her passion (aka land Tyler Briggs as boyfriend), and learn to drive a stick-shift.
When...more Courtesy of BLT: booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters was great narrative by an average teenage girl with some acceptance issues. (Who doesn't right? As for the people who love themselves as is: Good for you!)
After finishing her junior year of high school, seventeen year-old Jory Michaels has three things on her summer to-do list: get ride of the Super Schnozz, find her passion (aka land Tyler Briggs as boyfriend), and learn to drive a stick-shift.
When both Jory's friends, Hannah and Megan find their "passions", Jory feels she must speed things up a little; and when she does, natural disaster follows. If only she can get ride of her big nose everything will be peachy....right?
In this comedic drama about every girl's worst nightmare comes the story of accepting yourself and getting the guy without causing natural disaster.

Yes, you can take away the Barbie doll image now ladies. This girl has a serious problem. After reading the first chapter I was hooked! The humor was great, the issues surrounding Jory were so-true and relateable, but she was a little too obsessed with boys for my taste. Kinda to the point where she was getting rather ridiculous and getting way too desperate. I think girls should never get desperate over boys-especially when some girls only have boyfriends for approx. three months. Me? I'd rather skip the boyfriend fling and find my "Edward" for keeps.
How cool is this? Not only do you get to read a fun teenage novel, but you get to be introduced or re-introduced to those life lessons we keep ignoring. Now if only there was a book on how to accept those pesky black-heads. Talk about best-seller....

*Because of some sexual content and references and underage drinking, I would only recommend teen girls that are at least fifteen read this.

Pages: 345 Year Published: April 6th, 2009 Fiction: Realistic/Contemporary
Level: YA, ages 15+ This Book is For: Teen girls
Should I Waste My Eyes On This? Yes Buy or Borrow: Both
(less)

like · see review

May 09, 2009 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

For Jory Michaels, it’s all about the nose, that oversized facial feature of hers she’s dubbed the Super Schnoz. It’s the one thing ruining her life, making her look like the adopted daughter next to her classically good looking family and the odd one out among her gorgeous friends, and preventing her hot crush from really noticing her. If Jory could just fix her nose, she knows everything will be better. Enter the plan: Jory gets a job delivering cakes and flowers to foot the bill for her nose...more For Jory Michaels, it’s all about the nose, that oversized facial feature of hers she’s dubbed the Super Schnoz. It’s the one thing ruining her life, making her look like the adopted daughter next to her classically good looking family and the odd one out among her gorgeous friends, and preventing her hot crush from really noticing her. If Jory could just fix her nose, she knows everything will be better. Enter the plan: Jory gets a job delivering cakes and flowers to foot the bill for her nose job. She even prepares to join the “Nice Nose Club” by compiling a Nice Nose Notebook to show the cosmetic surgeon. But is rhinoplasty really Jory’s cure all? Or will she start to accept and love herself, big nose and all?

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters, a hilarious and sweet novel, explores personal image and identity in a heartwarming story. Jory obviously has serious issues with self esteem, and all because of her nose which she views as a supersized monstrosity. Salter portrays Jory and her insecurities well and realistically; lack of self confidence causes Jory to obsess over and exaggerate the size of her nose and makes her feel like an ugly, unloved failure. It’s so sad how most of Jory’s experiences have soured due to someone outshining her, only feeding her self-degradation. I liked how in the end, Jory and her mother together come to terms with their appearances and start to love themselves, but I was disappointed that Jory’s friends never offered her moral supposed when she truly needed it. I didn’t like how they continued to pick of Jory’s choice of a guy even after they made up from previous fights, because I’d like to think a good friend would be happy for her friend’s happiness; it’s good that at least Jory gained enough confidence at this point to not let this get to her. Despite those little things, I enjoyed reading Jory’s personal journey because even though much of it was terribly sad, the sweet and satisfying ending made it all better.

Fans of Faking 19 by Alyson Noël, A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian, Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker, and Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman will also enjoy this cute story. Readers who liked this novel may also enjoy Purge by Sarah Darer Littman.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

like · see review

Jun 10, 2009 Adele rated it 3 of 5 stars

Anyone who has ever been sensitive about a part of their body can sympathise with Jory, the protagonist of this novel. But what is most magical about Jory, isn't the Super Schnozz, but how ordinary she is. Unlike many protagonists she's not gifted, fiercely intelligent or especially feisty - she's just like everyone else...with some spacial awareness issues. But like everyone else in the known world, Jory's self-conscious, self-doubting and wanting to find herself.

This novel is predictable in th...more

like · see review

May 17, 2009 Yan rated it 5 of 5 stars

So I heard several different takes on this book. Was okay, was not that good, was amazing! I happen to be in the latter class. Sydney Salter made me laugh, cry, and smile throughout the entire process.

Jory was relatable in the sense that every teen has self-confidence issues. I know I do. So it was a relief to find one that a problem with herself that was not so outlandish. A nose. Simple, but effective. What she does she solve this problem made me cry my freaking eyes out. She has this entire n...more

like · see review

Jul 01, 2011 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, because it showed you a main character that could relate to many of the teens that are out there in the world today. I know that I have had some of the moments that Jory has and I can see why she let them grow so big. Watching one of her friends break out of her shell and start to think about things other than her school work and life, and finding out that the boy that she has been in love with for so long is… well I won't spoil that...

I can understand where she got the idea o...more

like · see review

Oct 09, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: psc, seattle, 2009

I really hated Jory at the beginning of the book. Hated hated hated. My desire to smack her was almost overwhelming my ability to read. It's the summer before her senior year of high school, and all she does is obsess about boys and the size of her nose. The girl has no hobbies and no interest, and she's quite naive, but not in an endearing way. She gets a summer job driving a delivery van for a cake and flower shop in order to save up for a nose job, and spends every moment obsessing about Tyle...more

like · see review

Sep 04, 2009 Kai Yi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11th-grade

Summer is the exact time where people will go through metamorphosis and change into someone new. that is exactly how Jory Michaels wants it to happen. but nothing always goes smoothly for everyone, when Jory wants to spend her summer to find possibilities for her future... something will get in her way. Jory isn't the exactly the beautiful flawless kind-- she has a big nose. this nose may ruin her whole life, that is why she took a job as a cake deliverer to pay for her nose job. But in this boo...more

like · see review

Jan 18, 2010 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although borderline way-too-long with excessive underage drinking and references to large noses, this book is, in the end, a humorous and uplifting read. I actually laughed out loud several times. Jory (the main character, a seventeen-year-old girl) and her friends make lots of bad decisions involving alcohol, college-age boys, and late-night parties; Jory makes her summer goal to not die a virgin; and practically every other sentence is Jory complaining about her "Super Schnozz." At first these...more

like · see review

Apr 09, 2010 Amanda-Lee (StoryWings) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

This is such a funny book!

Jory is a lovably annoying character with serious self-esteem issues. My Big Nose takes place during the summer before her senior year. The summer she wants to lose her virginity and get a nose job to fix Super Schnozz.

In the first half of the novel we watch the events unfold as Jory takes her first job. Just watching her write out the resume was funny enough and paramount to what was to come. Babysitting equalled experienced carer, and driving experience as a delivery...more This is such a funny book!

Jory is a lovably annoying character with serious self-esteem issues. My Big Nose takes place during the summer before her senior year. The summer she wants to lose her virginity and get a nose job to fix Super Schnozz.

In the first half of the novel we watch the events unfold as Jory takes her first job. Just watching her write out the resume was funny enough and paramount to what was to come. Babysitting equalled experienced carer, and driving experience as a delivery driver came from ferrying groceries from the supermarket for her mum. Needless to say the job was an absolute disaster, and hilariously funny.

Whilst doing her job though Jory met Gideon, a moody and rather odd cafe worker who also has a Super schnozz. She befriends him thinking that he can only sympathise with her because of their mutual “problem”. Also enter Wooster Tom, a guy from the ‘burbs who sounds really nice, funny, genuine and all around good guy. Both boys a nice distraction from Tyler Briggs whom Jory has been crushing on for 12 months 16 days 3 hours and 45 minutes.

The second half of the book focuses on relationships between friends and guys. To be perfectly honest, if I had some of Jory’s friends I would want a nose job too, talk about some of the most unsupportive friends in the universe.

Jory does go through some funny things but also some very confronting ones, ones in which I was almost scared for her with what was happening. I think My Big Nose also provides us with an insight into the consequences of one’s actions, and how sometimes things can spiral very quickly out of our control. This is mainly shown at the frat party, and it was only sheer luck that kept Jory out of trouble, and her aversion to drinking “hard lemonade”.

Anyone who has ever had a problem with a certain part of their body will be able to relate to this book, it isn’t inspirational but it does provide a funny take on those who would go to extreme measures just to fit in.

Although My Big Nose is extreme, it is also believable. It is believable that someone would be so desperate for money for something that they would take a job as a driver even though they couldn’t drive a manual car. It is plausible to have issues with even your best friend because she is in your eyes so much prettier than you. It is plausible to want to change your body so badly that you would consider surgery to do it.

Overall, My Big Nose is hilarious and anyone who likes YA Fiction would love it. I would recommend this book just for the yoga scene; I was in fits of laughter for nearly an hour after Jory had cabbage soup, then went to a yoga class.

This review can be found at storywings.blogspot.com(less)

like · see review

Mar 29, 2009 Alea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-for-review

Oh my gosh did I have a good time reading this book! I couldn't get to the end fast enough! I think my favorite thing about this book was how many layers it had, for example not one potential love interest, or even two, but three! I mean yeah, I definitely knew who she would end up with but I liked having those few extra challenges for Jory to face! I like how the book mixed a fun summer, romance, learning about yourself, and body/self-esteem issues. It takes A LOT on and I think it does a prett...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2009 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

Jory Michaels is going to transform herself before school starts. This is going to be the Summer of Passion; the summer before senior year.

The big obstacle to making it perfect, of course, is her nose. Jory is obsessed about her big nose...she's just sure that the key to making her life perfect is getting it fixed. She plans to earn enough money for a nose job, then she will be one of the popular kids, and maybe attract the guy she has a mad crush on.

E...more

like · see review

Apr 24, 2013 Bloomie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, humor

I loved this book! It piqued my interest with "big nose," hoping it would help improve my self-esteem, and I am so glad I read it! There is a downright hilarious narrator. The thoughts that went through her head reminded me so much of myself at that age, given my extreme insecurity over the size of my own "Super Schnozz," only I wasn't nearly as creative. I wouldn't have thought of as many news headlines of my nose destroying the world as Jory, that's for sure. She also gives cute percentages- "...more

like · see review

Feb 04, 2010 Chanelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

It didn't take me long to finish this book. Not because it was short, or because it read quickly, but because I couldn't put it down. Though my high school situation was probably the opposite to the MC, Jory's high school experience, I related to her so much that I had to see how it ended for her.

Let's talk about Jory, shall we? Average looking girl, big nose. Desperately pinning her happiness on getting a boyfriend and losing her virginity. She's the kind of girl who likes someone out of her le...more It didn't take me long to finish this book. Not because it was short, or because it read quickly, but because I couldn't put it down. Though my high school situation was probably the opposite to the MC, Jory's high school experience, I related to her so much that I had to see how it ended for her.

Let's talk about Jory, shall we? Average looking girl, big nose. Desperately pinning her happiness on getting a boyfriend and losing her virginity. She's the kind of girl who likes someone out of her league and spends hours evaluating three word sentences they may have said to her last week. She likes to like someone. She's completely boy crazy. I wasn't very boy crazy, but I do remember liking guys a little out of my league and having the fantasy that it might happen.

Jory also had 'friends' that both hindered and helped her journey. I put friends in tags because for most of the time, they didn't really act like friends. Big realistic point about this book. During high school, most girls look out for number one. They put themselves first and explain it away with feeble excuses.

Megan is smart, wants to be popular, and very pretty. But she doesn't admit wanting to be popular and instead sneers at everything school-social related. And then Tyler, the boy Jory has been crushing on for like one year, ten months blah blah starts to work at the same intern company over the summer. The author did an amazing job showing the progress between Tyler and Megan romantically without pointing it out. You question their 'friendship' because Jory does. I ended up hating Megan for taking Tyler from Jory, even though Megan's excuse is that Tyler wasn't Jory's in the first place. You sit, as the reader, and evaluate their body language, and it does leave you guessing. I felt so bad for poor Jory.

I didn't fall head over heels swoonfest for the final love interest. He was...okay. Kinda sweet, kinda weird. I did, however, like that Jory's friends weren't all supportive. Definitely another bitchy high school experience of mine. You can't say anything about their boyfriends, but they can badmouth yours down to the ground.

All in all, this was a great book about self image and finding out who you are in the midst of finding out who your true friends are. It deals with so many issues, and each one was a necessary point to the plot. Definitely read this if you have the chance. It was funny too!(less)

like · see review

May 10, 2010 Tabitha Olson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: recent-reviews

Girl doesn't like the way she looks.
Girl obsesses about how different she is from those close to her.
Girl discovers there's plenty within herself that she just wasn't seeing.

This kind of story has been told a zillion times, but *how* it's told is what sets the story apart. MY BIG NOSE is funny and real, and I think everything Jory obsesses over is very typical of teenage girls. It's not what I obsess over, so some parts didn't hold my interest. But I can see teenagers completely relating and bei...more

like · see review

Jun 02, 2009 Danylle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Danylle by: Debbie

Shelves: author-s-signed, own

A fun story any teenager girl should read to help keep outside appearances into their proper perspective. And also a great book for mothers of teenage daughters who are most likely the root of all their teenage daughters problems. I snuck this book in between my scriptures at church Sunday, and when I should have been listening to the Gospel Doctrine teacher I was holding in my laughter during a very interesting Yoga class scene.

Three stars is probably too harsh So pretend there's a half tacked...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2010 Robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

This book was one of the cutest, funniest, sweetest reads I've read in a while. Jory is funny, sincere, and honest. She made me laugh out loud countless times. I got a few strange looks when I was reading the part where Jory throws the tantrum while getting her senior photo taken and when she crashes the van. My mom looked at me like I was insane. But it was funny! I couldn't help it!

I just fell in love with some of the characters in My Big Nose! Characters like Jory, Tyler, and Gideon made my d...more This book was one of the cutest, funniest, sweetest reads I've read in a while. Jory is funny, sincere, and honest. She made me laugh out loud countless times. I got a few strange looks when I was reading the part where Jory throws the tantrum while getting her senior photo taken and when she crashes the van. My mom looked at me like I was insane. But it was funny! I couldn't help it!

I just fell in love with some of the characters in My Big Nose! Characters like Jory, Tyler, and Gideon made my day. I was a little sad that Tyler wasn't in the picture as much as he was in the beginning/middle. I'd have liked to find out what happened with him, like if he ever told his parents that he was gay. I felt so bad for him, he seemed so sad when Jory was talking to him. He seemed a little - no, a lot - defeated when Jory, Megan, and Hannah found out his secret. I really found myself routing for him.

Gideon was a character that I can see myself being friends with. Actually, he kind of reminds me of someone I am friends with. A ton of laughs, and a down-to-earth, nice guy. He and Jory make a wonderful couple.

Two characters I started off liking, then started almost hating were Hannah and Megan. At first, they seemed like, nice, sweet friends. Then, as Megan started liking Tyler, and then after she found out about Tyler, Megan seemed not so great. There was a point where I thought that she might blab about Tyler's secret. I was happy though, when she didn't. But one thing got to me. Megan very obviously knew that Jory liked Tyler, but she still went after him. Him, of all people. And miss-I'm-not-bothering-with-boys. Even though Jory is her best friend and has liked Tyler for over a year? Um, yeah, if I was Jory I'm not so sure I would have forgave her that easily.

Hannah? Was sweet and naive and someone I'd want as a best friend. Until, you know, she dragged Jory almost against her will to the party. And then wouldn't leave with Jory when she wanted to go, even though Jory was upset. But I guess every book needs characters like that to make the books interesting.

I really liked reading about Jory's nose issues. And Jory's mother's diet issues. (Peanut butter diet? Really? I never knew such a thing even existed!) I liked how Jory's mom was trying, but she just didn't know how to tell her daughter that she was beautiful, and that her nose made her unique.

I want to talk about the cover before I go. The cover makes me laugh. It made my sister laugh, too, when she saw it. A barbie. Really? Was my first thought. I was like, why? When I finished the book I got it. Jory thought she wasn't pretty, that she wasn't prefect. Barbie's are supposed to be "perfection". Therefore, barbie. I like the idea. It also really makes you think. Is image really that important? Can we change how other's think of body image by accepting what we look like without having to change ourselves? Or are we doomed to lose our confidence because other people think we should look a certain way? I was happy when Jory finally realized that she was beautiful. That her nose made her beautiful and unique and special.(less)

like · see review

Jun 22, 2009 Darin rated it 2 of 5 stars

For some odd reason, I've been reading a lot of girl-focused teen lit lately...especially since I'm nowhere near the demographic. :) Salter's effort here didn't impress me at all, and I get the impression that she was trying to write the story that she *thought* she should write rather than a *good* story or an *interesting* story.

The after-school-special lessons (body image issues, friendship, responsibility, parental relationships) are so overbearing that they diminish the characters themselve...more

like · see review

Jan 29, 2009 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

The main character of this novel has some serious insecurities and the reader can see why when Jory's mom comes into the picture. Jory wants a new nose and has to get a job to pay for it herself since she knows her parents won't go for it. The idea of plastic surgery for a teenager is absolutely terrifying to me so I really wanted the author and characters to treat this as a sensitive issue. The author did just that and I'm very pleased with the outcome of this book. Jory's summer before senior...more

like · see review

Oct 24, 2010 Mari rated it 2 of 5 stars

"tayo'y mga pinoy, tayo'y hindi kano.. wag kang mahihiya kung ang ilong mo ay pango!"

above are lyrics to a filipino folk song which basically says that filipinos shouldn't be ashamed of being snub-nosed. for a while back, i hated hearing this song because i felt it brought attention to my flat, pug nose in all it's glory. it's like when the heavens gave out nose cartilage, i was sleeping in. now the song just makes me smile. i've long grown to accept and love my nose just the way it is.

i saw thi...more

like · see review

Jan 26, 2013 Becca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: id-let-my-besty-read-this, ya-makes-me-feel-young, 2013-reads

Sometimes light and fluffy is just what the doctor orders and while this one wasn't extreme fluff, it felt like a light read after the last book I read. Fun, humorous, light-hearted for the most part, and quick. The only complaint I had is the end wrapped up a little too perfectly. The mommy-issues and body issues this book deals with seemed to go away after one incident, one conflict and sit-down to talk about it. From experience, it isn't that easy to be done with deep rooted issues. They were...more

like · see review

Mar 02, 2010 Moona rated it 2 of 5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Jory and her two best friends, Hannah and Megan, decide to spend their last summer of high school seeking out their passions. In a series of disasters, Jory tries yoga, watches old films, searches for a boyfriend, and takes a job as a delivery-van driver. Her secret goal, though, is earning enough money to pay a plastic surgeon for a new nose that will make her beautiful. Then she'll fit in with her family, boys will love her, and her life will truly begin. But is her nose rea...more

like · see review

title link	preview: My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
avg rating	preview: My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters Goodreads rating: 3.60 (425 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5598955-my-big-nose-and-other-natural-disasters?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348534039l/5598955.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5598955-my-big-nose-and-other-natural-disasters?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter[/url]

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Sydney Salter

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About My Big Nose and O...