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Such A Pretty Face

by Cathy Lamb (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 1,686 ratings · 302 reviews

In this warm, funny, thoroughly candid novel, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb introduces an unforgettable heroine who's half the woman she used to be, and about to find herself for the first time…

Two years and 170 pounds ago, Stevie Barrett was wheeled into an operating room for surgery that most likely saved her life. Since that day, a new Stevie has emerged, one who walks wi...more

Paperback, 467 pages

Published August 1st 2010 by Kensington

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Jun 27, 2011 Tina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

This was a very dramatic read with a BIG emphasis on "dramatic". There were parts of this book that made me want to cry and laugh at the same time. And while there were instances where I felt this way, I feel that most the characters were hugely unrealistic and extremely cliché. Everything was so over-exaggerated. I will say that Helen's struggle with schizophrenia and the relationship between Stevie's grandparents are what kept me interested enough to complete this novel. I could actually feel...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Such a Pretty Face” is the journey of a young woman who has shed 170 pounds through life-saving bariatric surgery, a big story involving family, friends, love, set against the sobering themes of mental illness, childhood abuse and eating disorders.
The opening pages left me stunned as Lamb introduces a schizophrenic mother and her young daughters during a full blown, tragic schizophrenic episode. As the pages continued, I was swept in and came to care about the characters, willing them toward re...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-to-look-for

I don't know what to say about this book except that I loved it. Stevie Barrett knows the darkness of mental illness. After the tragic loss of her mother and sister, Stevie finds herself eating her way to comfort; so much so that at the age of 32, weighing 320 pounds, she has a heart attack. Weight loss surgery literally saves her life, but at the same time, it overwhelms her. She isn't sure who she is anymore and while she has visible scars from her surgery, she has deep, unseen scars from the...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

This will be a, largely, negative review. I just couldn't enjoy the book (I will get into why I say "couldn't" instead of "didn't" a bit later). The good things first- I liked the story line and the ideas behind it. I liked the abstract of the book- Stevie, her coworkers and her family. Her struggle to accept her new body. The execution is what I had a problem with.
I liked the good characters. It is impossible not to. The author paints them as such good, wonderful, and kindhearted people that...more This will be a, largely, negative review. I just couldn't enjoy the book (I will get into why I say "couldn't" instead of "didn't" a bit later). The good things first- I liked the story line and the ideas behind it. I liked the abstract of the book- Stevie, her coworkers and her family. Her struggle to accept her new body. The execution is what I had a problem with.
I liked the good characters. It is impossible not to. The author paints them as such good, wonderful, and kindhearted people that you would have to be without a heart or brain to dislike them. She tells you over and over how good they are- sure she does show you how good they are (remember telling vs showing when writing?) but in between the showing, she interjects and tells you too. The bad characters are so thoroughly evil and bigoted it is unbelievable- and there are so many of them in Stevie's life. Her best friend might be the worst because we are suppose to believe that her cruelty stems from her jealousy (the author tells us as much) but it comes out that she has always been a terrible person (which undermines the whole jealousy angle). These characters are good vs evil- their is no grey (except for Stevie's mentally ill mother who gets a pass considering that she was so tortured mentally).
The result, of these contrasting characters, is that The reader is incapable of misinterpreting the characters because they (we) are never given a chance to interpret them. The characters actions don't speak louder then the authors words. Everything is explained, even during passages with heavy dialog, when information can be written in, the author is cutting in and explaining the reasoning behind the characters actions/words. The story is narrated by the main character, Stevie, so I guess you can say that Stevie interjects and explains everything (weather it needs explaining or not) except it doesn't feel like it is Stevie. I counted three times (3!!!- but their may have been more) where the readers are referred to as "folks", usually it's after one of Stevie's proclamations/observations (sometimes they are a page long or longer) that an extra sentence with "folks" is thrown in to sum it up. It took me completely out of the story.
There was even a part where the author Stevie stated out right that her garden was a metaphor for her life. I wanted to see the garden grow as Stevie grew but all we get are some scenes with her garden (insisting that she can't grow corn) and the author telling us that it stands for Stevie's life. And there was a part (view spoiler)
I felt like I couldn't enjoy the book because the author wouldn't allow me to just read the story. She kept trying to make points without letting it come out naturally. When we learn that Stevie's cousin has an eating disorder (anorexia) we are told that their issues stem from the same problem- they both want some control. I would like to be able to see that for myself. unfortunately this book, which could have been amazing, doesn't reach it's potential because it lacks subtlety. People are never completely good, or completely bad we all have sides. Lamb doesn't show those sides and the book suffers.(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is definitely not a page turner, it took a little bit of work to get through it, but maybe that was the goal of the author. It wasn’t an unpleasant thing, some books are just that way. I really felt horrible for the main character, Stevie, along with her two cousins who suffered such tragedies in their lives that they were having a difficult time growing up and making their own lives as adults.

We all have our own coping mechanisms and I enjoyed going through Stevie’s with her while she...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Carla rated it 1 of 5 stars

So glad to be done with this one. While the dialog is often quirky and great, I wish it had been in a better plot. There is a 'big moment' where lots of folk get to tell the selfish jerk how they really feel, and he stands there with his mouth open and takes it all. Point one, not realistic to his character, point two, EVERYBODY had already done this at various times throughout the story. Yes, you called him a narcissist. Again. Loudly. Others agreed with you. Big whoop. If you want to have a co...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Chantal Montes rated it 3 of 5 stars

All little girls or even growing up to "young adults" or "teenagers" are told more then half of our lives that we're beautiful and we have the best personality's but what people and especially parents think is that it's an easy process. We all look at other teens and think to ourselves "Why Can't I Be Like That?" What we don't understand is that were unique in our own way and that's what makes us special. We go from relationships to confidence and growing up as "remember in high school and colle...more All little girls or even growing up to "young adults" or "teenagers" are told more then half of our lives that we're beautiful and we have the best personality's but what people and especially parents think is that it's an easy process. We all look at other teens and think to ourselves "Why Can't I Be Like That?" What we don't understand is that were unique in our own way and that's what makes us special. We go from relationships to confidence and growing up as "remember in high school and college you'll be the most successful person." Leaving Pre-School and saying "I want to be a teacher." Or a Vet, Cop, Firefighter, etc. As for Stevie Barret she grew up calling herself "fat."

Such A Pretty Face, Cathy Lamb writes Stevie Barret as a girl who never thought she'd be one thing:thin. She was wheeled into the operating room for surgery that changed her life, but not only changed her life brought a new opportunity to her life but never really got the hit to it. She lived with her aunt, cousin's and her uncle. Loosing her family in a car accident. After all the therapy she was given she still remained the same, her shyness refuses to melt away. She's still scared to look at her gorgeous neighbor in the eye. Working at the Portland law office where she works, with her dysfunctional family and her once supportive friend clearly hates her weight loss. Stevie faces her biggest challenge in finding herself. All collaborating with her cousins and her aunt and uncle.

But through that path she finds surprising answers about who she is, who she wants to be, what she wants to be and how the old Stevie evolved in the first place. Not only is she realizing how she's changed shouldn't have been because of what she's lost. But what's important is the courage and confidence she's gaining day by day. I must say, this book isn't normally something everyone would read. It's more of a chick flick and it gives a teenage girl an idea and a view of how to find herself or themselves no matter what the change may occur in their lives or what makes a big impact in they're lives and could change them for maybe a life time. Change could happen to anything whether it's to you or your family, friends, motivations, inspirations, it can cause a big impact. But what we all need to realize is that everyday we become stronger or gain courage whatever trate we thing we've gained within a day.

I recommend Such A Pretty Face to girls who like to read about the process of finding out who you are and finding the true meaning of finding who you are without having to make changes in on your face of figure or personality. All you can really do is reflect on your mistakes and what you would do differently if you ever go through those moments ever again.

Cathy Lamb in my opinion relates to this in some way maybe she even went through the same process as her character Stevie Barrett did, maybe she is Stevie Barrett, who knows. But this is a story about finding yourself at whatever age you could possibly think of, everyday is a day we all take in but never know what will come. We find out a new trait about ourselves every single day even if people declare us as a teenager, a young adult, old person, or adult. We never stop finding ourselves until we feel satisfied but honestly who feels good about staying in one spot? Personally I'm the type of person who loves to take adventures and challenges all through out my life no matter how crazy they may sound to others. No one knows who you completely are all they can do is judge you and get to know you more if they decide too, the only person who will ever know you best is you. And your family members you grew up with your entire life. Maybe even at some point someone walks into your life and lights up a new spark inside you.
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Jun 11, 2012 Stephanie Motyka rated it 2 of 5 stars

After reading the train wreck in the first chapter, you'd think I would have heeded the warning and abandoned my efforts. But, no, I finished the book, which was clearly created in the mind of someone intending this to be made into a crappy teen movie.

This book was loaded with extreme characterizations--not a bland one in the bunch, folks. All totally unbelievable! I could have bought it, maybe, if there weren't several unbelievable scenarios going on at the same time, with those extreme person...more

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May 03, 2012 Kristi Fleming rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Such a Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb caught my eye because of the title. You heard me right, the title. You see someone said that to me, "You've got such a pretty face, it's a shame the rest of you went to shit". That was when I only weighed 160 lbs. Like the main character, Stevie, I didn't dare stand up for myself, I swallowed hard and took it because I believed I deserved it. Hurtful words like this take us to a whole different place, especially as women. Overeating causes people to be fat, yes...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Karalee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: women-s-fiction

In this fourth offering from Cathy Lamb, Stevie Barrett had a heart attack at age 32 at the amazing weight of 320 pounds. Now, two years, a divorce and 170 pounds later, Stevie is struggling to find herself and emerge from the painful past that caused her to eat her pain and try to lose herself and her past in food. The book also follows the journey of some of Stevie's friends and relatives, who similarly struggle with their painful pasts and their fears about the future. The journey to a new St...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Shauna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Every single one of the people in this book is either completely stereotypical, or was put together using a series of synonyms. Except maybe Jake, who I don't know enough about. But he's probably perfect.

I can't even say that they're sassy, controlling, or goodnatured. No, they're "sassy" to the nth degree, down to their clothes. They're so "controlling" nothing gets done without their input. They're so "sweet" they cry because their imaginations run wild and they can't help but feel bad at the...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars

It could have been a lot better! Everybody who was ever mean to Stevie got their comeuppance in a most humiliating way. Yes, fat girls know the pain of humiliation, so we get to see the fat girl get thin and everybody who hurt her gets far worse than they ever gave her! The villains were all pretty much the same -- bullies, loud, without any kind of sensitivity, just louts.

The issue of schizophrenia was handled nicely. The mother, Helen, was mostly a sympathetic character, even though she commi...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, women

I wish there was a zero star option. I picked this up on the recommendation of one of my supervisors, and I only wish I could get the time back I spent vested in it. Stevie Barrett is a young woman in her 30s, who recently suffered a heart attack, presumably associated with health issues from being over 300 pounds. Stevie undergoes gastric bypass surgery, has a new body, but still struggles with her family's past and emotional issues. The characters are horrible. Unrealistic, pretencious, stereo...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Gina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I am so glad that I happened upon this book at the library. None of the books I was looking for were there and I wanted something to read immediately. I pulled this randomly of the shelf. Cathy Lamb must have been reading my mind somehow. I identified with a lot of Stevie's character and life experiences. Also, I live in Oregon, so the setting was familiar. Cathy Lamb's understanding about so many issues that people do not like to talk about was extremely insightful. This book ended up making me...more I am so glad that I happened upon this book at the library. None of the books I was looking for were there and I wanted something to read immediately. I pulled this randomly of the shelf. Cathy Lamb must have been reading my mind somehow. I identified with a lot of Stevie's character and life experiences. Also, I live in Oregon, so the setting was familiar. Cathy Lamb's understanding about so many issues that people do not like to talk about was extremely insightful. This book ended up making me laugh, cry, and most of all, it helped me understand a lot about myself and the people in my life. I think that you can influence others in ways you don't even know about. Ms. Lamb will probably never know how therapeutic this book was for me. It was so close to home and I wish I could thank her.
Such A Pretty Face is about healing the pain of abuse, mental illness, tragedy, obesity, and to be able to discover yourself again and open your heart to love. It's awesome to see the transformation in Stevie, the main protagonist, who experienced the trauma of all the aforementioned issues, plus the guilt of a young girl who loses her sister and mother in a murder/suicide, herself having survived attempted murder. I loved the other characters in the book, with the exception of Herbert, because he reminded me of someone I used to know that caused myself and my family so much pain. When Stevie, and her Aunt Janet finally stand up to him, it's so awesome. Also, Eileen, Stevie's so-called friend was so horrible but Stevie finally lets go of her and cuts off any ties. Sometimes we have to do that for our sanity and self-respect.
Lance, Zena, Polly, Cherie, Jake and so many other characters were so endearing, hilarious to the point of making me unable to stop laughing. I wish Lance was real. The big football player with such sensitivity and love was so attractive. His twitching foot cracked me up and I loved the way Zena falls for him. Who could blame her?
Such A Pretty Face is now my favorite book of all.(less)

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Jun 08, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are so many things I like about this book. It was recommended to me and after the first 3 pages, I wondered why. The initial scene is absolutely horrific and takes your breath away, but it ends with the sentence, "I started inhaling food the next day. Mountains of it." And that is something I can relate to.

The main character had a heart attack at 32 due to obesity. She had some type of gastric bypass surgery after that and lost about 170 pounds. It's obvious from the beginning why she was...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Such A Pretty Face is the story of Stevie Barrett, a woman trying to find her true self after a traumatizing childhood and enduring life-changing events as an adult. The story is told from Stevie’s point of view and it flips back and forth between the present and her childhood. Two years after having a heart attack at thirty-two, Stevie Barrett is trying to gain a new perspective on life now that she has lost over two hundred and fifty pounds. The problem is that her childhood has had a major im...more

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Aug 08, 2010 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-favorite-read

In Such a Pretty Face, the protagonist is 30-something, Stevie Barrett. Stevie is a heart attack survivor. Just (2) years earlier, Stevie weighed over 300 lbs, but the new Stevie has lost 170 lbs. Weight loss surgery has given Stevie a new life -- well almost. You see Stevie, like most morbidly obese people had deep rooted, personal issues that caused her to eat, and eat and eat. Food was her friend and helped comfort her from the bad memories. Food, at least temporarily, eased her emotional pai...more In Such a Pretty Face, the protagonist is 30-something, Stevie Barrett. Stevie is a heart attack survivor. Just (2) years earlier, Stevie weighed over 300 lbs, but the new Stevie has lost 170 lbs. Weight loss surgery has given Stevie a new life -- well almost. You see Stevie, like most morbidly obese people had deep rooted, personal issues that caused her to eat, and eat and eat. Food was her friend and helped comfort her from the bad memories. Food, at least temporarily, eased her emotional pain.

For Stevie it was an early childhood spent with her schizophrenic mother Helen. Helen graduated from an Ivy League College on a full scholarship, was musically gifted, and performed on stage in New York City for four years, until one day she stripped on stage, and appeared to have suffered a total nervous breakdown. When Stevie was little, Helen became pregnant once again, and was sure, an alien had invaded her body. She wanted the baby out, and poor little Stevie, alone with her mentally ill mother, were there together when the birth occurred at home. Stevie named the her baby sister Sunshine, but Helen was sure the baby was evil and referred to it as Trash Heap.

"Helen continued to hold out her left hand in a weird way and told us it didn't belong to her. "Get this off. It isn't mine,"

"I said, "Okay Helen, I'll take it off for you after school, but I have to find a hand screwdriver."

"Do you see how I had to buy her sanity at times, how I had to talk to her, manage her ?"

" That afternoon I ate three cupcakes and tried to calm the nervousness that stalked the better part of my childhood on the farm......

"I knew something bad was going to happen."..............

"It is not normal for children to see their mothers covered with blood. These images stay with you, burned and red and jagged, pricking at your innocence like a butcher knife against you skin".

As an adult Stevie works as a legal assistant. She has a friend Eileen, who is jealous of the thin Stevie, and instead of being happy for her friend, tells her she "cheated", losing weight the way she did. Stevie is attracted to her neighbor, but she finds her shyness makes it tough to act on these feelings. Despite her weight loss, she is still insecure and haunted by her past. Stevie takes some big steps in changing her life and her image. She decides to plant a garden for all of the changes that have taken place in her life. She becomes obsessed with chairs, (but you'll have to read the book to find out why), and she longs to quit her job as a legal assistant, to become an artist.

MY THOUGHTS - I liked this (450+ pages) novel a lot. The story is touching, and I suspect most readers will feel sad about Stevie's early life. The novel delves deep into Stevie's painful childhood, and the loss of people she loved, all within a short period of time. The story covers serious issues: eating disorders, mental illness and self esteem issues. Sad at times, but poignant and funny at others, I really did enjoy this novel, and think it would have been just as good if the story focused totally on Stevie and her family. I felt that some of the other story lines: her job, planning an anniversary party with her cousins etc., seemed a bit under developed and unnecessary. Despite this, I would not hesitate to RECOMMEND this book.

Rating - 4.5/5 stars(less)

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Aug 20, 2011 Terry Grant rated it 1 of 5 stars

I thought this book was dreadful. I was attracted to it by such high ratings and the fact that it is set in the city where I live and in a thinly disguised version of a small town where I once lived. This proved irrelevant because there is no sense of place or atmosphere in the writing or descriptions.

The story is a soap opera, filled with angst and melodrama. The writing is very simple, with quite a few grammatical problems. The author repeatedly writes "Me and Zena (or another character) did s...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Gloria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: discussion-group, contemporary-lit

Excellent book covering two conditions that you may encounter in your lifetime via acquaintances if not your own family: schizophrenia and morbid obesity. If you've never understood schizophrenia, this gives the reader an idea of both what it is like to live with an unpredictable and manic person and what it is like for the schizophrenic person, too. The obese character here has lost 170 lbs and she does not know how to construct a new life for her, and others don't always know how to treat as w...more

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May 19, 2011 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another story of a woman learning to make her way in her life and world. Her main character has to overcome a horrendous past and learn to value her present self and the changes she's chosen to make. The book possesses more cliched and one-dimensional characters than the previous book I read, but I still enjoyed the story of self-discovery and the facing of fears and past horrors and coming out stronger on the other side -- who can't relate to that? I do think the title of the book is a little o...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Alayne Bushey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stevie Barrett once weighed over 300 pounds. She ate food to smother the grief she felt over the loss of her baby sister, schizophrenic mother, and loving grandparents all within a short time period. She ate to lose herself. She ate to hide. And then she had a heart attack, and eating was no longer the solution if she wanted to survive. Several surgeries and 170 pounds later, Stevie has lost the weight but hasn’t managed to find herself in the process. Such a Pretty Face is the beautiful story o...more Stevie Barrett once weighed over 300 pounds. She ate food to smother the grief she felt over the loss of her baby sister, schizophrenic mother, and loving grandparents all within a short time period. She ate to lose herself. She ate to hide. And then she had a heart attack, and eating was no longer the solution if she wanted to survive. Several surgeries and 170 pounds later, Stevie has lost the weight but hasn’t managed to find herself in the process. Such a Pretty Face is the beautiful story of one woman’s search for herself amongst the burden of this thing we call Life.

At times both literary and whimsical, Such a Pretty Face fulfilled my need for a meaty, meaningful story, while also lightening my soul with love and sunshine. It made my heart ache with sadness for Stevie’s childhood and the oppressing reality of schizophrenia, but the flashbacks to her earlier years are followed with laughter as she struggles to keep an outraged divorcee from tearing her ex-husband to shreds.

Lamb’s writing is skillful and exploratory, drifting from inner dialogue to prose and back again. We really get to know Stevie, staying inside her head throughout the full novel, feeling the tide of emotions she is drifting on. With an oppresive uncle, a bulldozing best friend, a mound of medical debt, and a hopeless crush on her neighbor, Stevie is lost in the world and the narrative explores her natural sense of fear, followed by her internal strength and courage to stand up for herself and what she wants.

Overall, Such a Pretty Face is a culmination of fabulous traits from some of my favorite books: a story of family pain and love (Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson), mixed with a woman’s courage and strength (The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens), with a dash of Sarah Addison Allen’s fanciful language thrown in the mix. But most of all, it simply is what it is: a beautifully literary and touching novel by a wonderful writer. I will definitely be reading more of Cathy Lamb in the future.
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Sep 30, 2012 Jane M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

This is the story of the ongoing transformation of Stevie Barret. It begins before the book does with a gastric bypass operation that causes Stevie to drop 170# after a near fatal heart attack. During the course of the book she creates a garden, art, and new relationships that give her the courage to process her horrendous past.
Those are the facts, but that's only the outline, not the book. The book is hilarious, and the characters are delightful-except for one or two that are horrendous. There...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Bella rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I loved this book! It has a little bit of everything - weight loss journey, love interest, evil co-worker, frenemy, terrible childhood due to a parent suffering from mental illness. The writing was predictable at times, but the character development and growth more than makes up for that.

Of course I could relate to Stevie's weight issues, but I found her incredibly interesting for many more reasons. I found myself cheering her on, cringing, and wishing she'd fight back a bit. Cathy Lamb is a gi...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Sophie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish

The prologue hooked my interest--and even the first scene of the first chapter drew me in. But then the story moved to the law firm where the main character works and one of the silliest, most unrealistic scenes I've ever read. Worse, the author showed signs of having an axe to grind. Author with political agenda + ridiculous scene = DNF.

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Oct 20, 2010 Richelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

After a traumatic childhood spent dealing with a schizophrenic mother, Stevie begins to sort through all of her feelings and unbury them and come to terms with them. What she finds underneath all the pounds she gained over the years is a face that she has never seen before. It haunts her and brings back hard-to-handle memories because her face now reminds her of her mother's. Such a pretty face. I think the book had more strong language than was necessary for showing the characters' personalitie...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Gina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cathy Lamb is one of my favorite writers. I don't know what it is, but her books stay with me. Her first book, Henry's Sister, is one of my top five books. In Such a Pretty Face, the author continues writing in a style that makes the reader want to continue to the next page- full of foreshadowing and tricks like repetition for effect. This story is told by Stevie, a woman who suffered through tragedies in her childhood involving her schizophrenic mother and who dealt with the pain by eating. By...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Shuree rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the story much more than I thought I would in the end, given my annoyance at some elements.

Some of the characters were far too unrealistic - caricatures that didn't fit the real-life structure of the story. I also thought everything for the main character was wrapped up so perfectly that it left me rolling my eyes a little bit. How does every element of her life - love, career, abusive family member, finances - end up like perfect-ending after school special?

That being said, the perfec...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Alison Oburia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once again, Cathy Lamb has shown why I love her writing so much. Quirky, unpredictable characters, deep storylines, beautiful descriptions, heartfelt emotions... She's an amazing author. This story is about Stevie, who survived a devastating childhood and a heart attack at age 32 and is trying to put the past behind her and allow someone to love her. With continuous flashbacks to Stevie's upbringing, with loving grandparents, a schizophrenic mother, and a little sister who died too young, reader...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Lori rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-fun-fiction, literary-fiction, great-stories-badly-written

This book had a great plot, but I kept getting distracted by the bad writing... and I'll be the first to admit that I read a lot of mind candy/chick-lit garbage, so when I object to writing, I've really found some flaws.

That said- this book definitely had a great story. The characters were a little two-dimensional, and she told us who they were instead of letting us get to know them through their actions, but there was enough there to enjoy them when the writing didn't get in the way. Except her...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

I really enjoyed reading this! It's one of those books that you finish and are sad it's over.

Admittedly, I found it a bit melodramatic at times (some of the characters were so out there and odd or ridiculous), but then you could turn the page and it was incredibly poignant, heartbreaking, funny and joyful to read. And, isn't that life, to some degree? People are unpredictable, as is life. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. :)

I don't know if the author has ev...more

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About Cathy Lamb

Cathy Lamb was born in Newport Beach, California. As a child, she mastered the art of skateboarding, catching butterflies in bottles, and riding her bike with no hands. When she was 10, her parents moved her, two sisters, a brother, and two poorly behaved dogs to Oregon before she could fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a surfer bum.

She then embarked on her notable academic career where she e...more Cathy Lamb was born in Newport Beach, California. As a child, she mastered the art of skateboarding, catching butterflies in bottles, and riding her bike with no hands. When she was 10, her parents moved her, two sisters, a brother, and two poorly behaved dogs to Oregon before she could fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a surfer bum.

She then embarked on her notable academic career where she earned good grades now and then, spent a great deal of time daydreaming, ran wild with a number of friends, and landed on the newspaper staff in high school. When she saw her byline above an article about people making out in the hallways of the high school, she knew she had found her true calling.

After two years of partying at the University of Oregon, she settled down for the next three years and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and became a fourth grade teacher. It was difficult for her to become proper and conservative but she threw out her red cowboy boots and persevered. She had no choice. She had to eat, and health insurance is expensive.

She met her husband on a blind date. A mutual friend who was an undercover vice cop busting drug dealers set them up. It was love at third sight.

Teaching children about the Oregon Trail and multiplication facts amused her until she became so gigantically pregnant with twins she looked like a small cow and could barely walk. With a three year old at home, she decided it was time to make a graceful exit and waddle on out. She left school one day and never went back. She likes to think her students missed her.

When Cathy was no longer smothered in diapers and pacifiers, she took a turn onto the hazardous road of freelance writing and wrote almost 200 articles on homes, home décor, people and fashion for a local newspaper. As she is not fashionable and can hardly stand to shop, it was an eye opener for her to find that some women actually do obsess about what to wear. She also learned it would probably be more relaxing to slam a hammer against one’s forehead than engage in a large and costly home remodeling project.

Cathy suffers from, “I Would Rather Play Than Work Disease” which prevents her from getting much work done unless she has a threatening deadline. She likes to hang with family and friends, walk, eat chocolate, camp, travel, and is slightly obsessive about the types of books she reads. She also likes to be left alone a lot so she can hear all the odd characters in her head talk to each other and then transfer that oddness to paper. The characters usually don’t start to talk until 10:00 at night, however, so she is often up ‘til 2:00 in the morning with them. That is her excuse for being cranky.

She adores her children and husband, except when he refuses to take his dirty shoes off and walks on the carpet. She will ski because her children insist, but she secretly doesn’t like it at all. Too cold and she falls all the time.

She is currently working on her next book and isn’t sleeping much.(less)

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Quotes from Such A Pretty Face

“Stevie: "If you think he's a lecher and all men are disgusting, why do you want me to date?"
Zena: "Because, Stevie. Now and then, when the moon is full and bluish, when the galaxy is all calm and peaceful and serenity rules and even the falling stars are falling gracefully, and the wind creates a beautiful song, that's when you find one outstanding man. Kind. Loyal. Funny and smart, great in bed but not kinky. A lover in his head and in his body. A man who doesn't think as a dick-obsessed monkey with a brain the size of a testicle, but one who is thoughtful and can hold his emotions in one hand and hug you close with the other. A man who is a hunky, manly man but who can talk to you like your best girlfriend, because that's what he wants to be for you. Your best friend."
(Page 44)” — 8 people liked it

“A child’s bond to her mother cannot be understated, and my bond with Helen was a ragged, baffling, disheartening, chaotic mess. I felt crazy, often, around my own mother. I grew up questioning what was normal, asking what reality was and wasn’t, and not trusting the outcome of different situations. She scared me and I couldn’t predict her behavior, so I was often off-kilter and worried.” — 7 people liked it

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Such A Pretty Face

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