North of Beautiful

by Justina Chen

As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat- Why not fix your face?

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Chick Lit

373 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Justina Chen was fated to be a storyteller. After all, her middle name means illuminate, which is what she aims to do with her novels: to be a light in the world.

Her novels include NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, a finalist for 9 state book awards, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (AND A FEW WHITE LIES), winner of the Asian Pacific American Literature Award. Additionally, she's written a beloved picture book, THE PATCH, a number of other YA novels, and multiple storytelling guides for leaders.

Justina's next book is WITH TWICE THE LOVE, DESSIE MEI, her debut middle grade novel for young readers. She's thrilled for you to meet Dessie and Donna in May 2024. The book is available for pre-order now.

While she has called Seattle, Sydney, and Shanghai home, Justina feels at ease wherever she goes so long as she has her coconut black tea, books, and a notebook.

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen up people! There is a reason why this book has so many raving reviews, it is simply gorgeous. When I finished it I actually sat for a whole 30 minutes in the same exact spot thinking about the book, and all that I took from it. That's how great it's impact was on me.

The story is like a block of wood that you see has the potential to be something beautiful. The carpenter (the author) chips away slowly and deliberately. Doing a through job of sanding the wood down until finally you get the exquisite piece of art. This book reminded me a lot about that process.

Everything about it made so much sense to me. It's like everything clicked. This book isn't packed with action, but with truth. There is so much to say about it but you really have to read it.

Terra is one of the most real main characters I have encountered. Jacob (the love interest) is so painfully great it hurts. And there is an equally great supporting cast surrounding these two people.

You get to see a tiny glimpse of Syrah (from Girl Overboard , another great one from Justina Chen Headley) and see how things worked out for her. Before I read this book I had no idea about geocaching (way cool hobby),which plays a very big role in this story.

From start to finish this story was perfect, or how the author would say perfectly and beautifully flawed.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted at Shelf Inflicted

Terra Cooper is blonde, beautiful, a talented artist, and dating a popular and athletic boy. She has everything going for her, or does she?

Well, she has one physical flaw, a port-wine stain birthmark in the shape of Bhutan on her right cheek. Along with her daily exercise regimen, Terra skillfully applies an assortment of cosmetics and moisturizers to conceal the red stain that brings her shame.

She lives in a small, boring town in Washington, has a father who is controlling and overly critical, and a mother who is overweight and passive. She wants to escape by attending a college far from home. When she gets accepted, her plans are thwarted by her father.

While Terra and her mom are in Seattle for laser treatment to lighten her birthmark, they get into a minor collision and Terra meets Jacob, a handsome Chinese boy with a propensity for black clothing and a physical imperfection.

Terra and her mom and Jacob and his mom decide to travel to China. Terra and her mom will be visiting Merc, Terra’s older brother now living and working in China. Jacob and his mom will be visiting the orphanage he lived in. Freed at last from her father’s biting comments and in a country where language, culture and customs are unlike anything she’s ever known, Terra reconnects with her mom, grows, changes, and learns new ways of being in the world. She gradually gains self-confidence, learns to accept herself, and becomes more open to life’s possibilities.

This book was truly a joy to read. It is beautifully written, thought-provoking, sometimes sad, and ultimately uplifting. The characters were realistic, complex and well-developed with all their imperfections. The maps, geocaching sites, geographic details and cartographic information were all fascinating.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of realistic YA fiction precisely because of books like this: well-meaning, angsty Books with Messages whose earnest agendas are perfectly clear to anyone who skims the jacket. It's funny that a book that wants so very much for people to look past the mark on Terra's face has so much trouble focusing on much of anything except that.

Despite being a decently-sized novel, somehow how the abusive dad, the meek mother, the endless references to cartography, the artwork, and the boyfriends all feel like 2-dimensional filler, much like Terra herself. None of the characters or details really come alive or invoke any feeling for me, and the writing furthers the awkwardness with sentences such as, "Spent, I fell into bed, closed my eyes, and dreamt of torn maps falling on me like fresh snow." The events and emotions just didn't ring emotionally true, although I seem to be in the minority in my opinion on this one!

This isn't really a bad book, but it's not one I would really recommend--unless there's a reader out there that has somehow made it through life thus far without realizing that beauty is only skin-deep.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

North of Beautiful is about Terra Cooper, the blond bombshell with a killer body and perfect boyfriend whose life would be unblemished if not for the port-wine stain encompassing the entire left side of her face. There is a saying that goes "Humans only take into account bad deeds, and once a bad deed has been committed, the good will forever be ignored." This is true for Terra, for when most people think of her, they forget that she works strenuously to keep in shape and that she has promising ability in art; they make her out as the poster child for port-wine stains. This is only one of the reasons she wishes to escape her small Washington town and attend a college on the east coast. Terra's father is over-controlling, vicious, and so emotionally abusive that his words could substitute as punches being thrown at a person's self-esteem. Couple him with Terra's incompetent and easily frightened mom, it's no wonder that both of Terra's brothers ran out of the family as fast as they could. Terra cannot wait to follow suit. However, one morning while she and her mother are on a drive they are part of a fateful collision, with Terra almost ending a Goth boy's life. Terra soon learns that the Goth boy's name is Jacob, and that he is Chinese and was adopted with a cleft lip. After Terra and her mother get to know Jacob and his family, a string of events causes Terra to embark on a journey to China - where all of those in lieu learn a little bit about themselves, and where Terra might find the real meaning of true beauty.

North of Beautiful was simply amazing. The first thing that attracted me to the book was that one of the main characters was of Asian ethnicity (Jacob). I wasn't disappointed - Jacob wasn't just a love affair, he was real and developed and had problems of his own. He was also very adorable. Anyway, all of the characters in this book start out with problems and develop gradually, they were all three-dimensional and they were each very special.

Headley's prose was magnificent; I love the way she writes so elegantly but still captures the essence of beautiful scenery. I'm not a huge fan of traveling and geography, but the theme wasn't overdone and she wrote it in subtly and smoothly. The plot was also great, I really felt satisfied with the beginning, middle, and end.

I would recommend North of Beautiful to anyone and everyone. So many topics are covered, ranging from geocaching to falling in love. Headley doesn't stumble and manages to balance every aspect of the book equally, creating a solid story.

[Flannery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time, I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning while sitting under the covers in a darkened air force base hotel, watching a PBS Nova special about the magnetic poles. (hold on while I push up my nerd glasses) The people I was with were all asleep but I was watching it, flabbergasted, and wanting to wake them up--because I never knew, until that moment, that what we know as magnetic north and south have changed several times in the history of Earth. Can you imagine? Obviously it blew my mind. And we're overdue for another change! (Here's the link if you are interested: Your Mind Blown)

Anyway, the point of this story is that this book has a map and discovery theme that I found totally refreshing. Though the story is one of self discovery and relationship evaluation, I felt like the author did an amazing job of making the story original and the characters believable and multidimensional. After reading, I can say that this book evoked the same sort of reaction from me that I felt after reading Saving Francesca--I really enjoyed it and moreso because it dealt with heavier issues in a realistic way. In this novel, the protagonist is a girl who has a large portwine stain birthmark on her face which resulted in teasing from her peers and low self-esteem. While she does come into herself, and that is the largest focus of the book, the storyline I felt most involved in was that of the family dynamics.

The way Justina Chen Headley writes family scenes is so real that I actually cried thinking about how heart-wrenching being in that situation would be. Each member of a family has a different impact on your life and Headley's writing made me think about where the pressures in my life are coming from--good and bad--and how the failure of someone in your family can devastate other people nearly as much as the person who failed at something. And, in the same vein, one person's negativity or rudeness can ruin an adventure/day/dinner for the entire family. (Boy, do I ever know what that is about...)

Headley wove so many interesting tidbits into this story that I really can't talk about them all, but here are a few more topics that I found of particular interest:

*Cartographers drew dragons and sea monsters in sections of the oceans on maps to keep people from going to those areas. (who knew?!)
*As adults, I feel we accept a lot more quirks in people. It saddens me to think how many people feel left out in high school.
*Memento mori
*Headley mentions a mnemonic device to remember the streets in downtown Seattle! Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest (Jefferson, James, Cherry, Columbia, Marion, Madison, Spring, Seneca, University, Union, Pike, Pine)
*I want to go geocaching.

I am between 4 and 5 stars on this book but I'm closer to the 5 so that's what it gets. (Edited it down 5/11) I definitely recommend it but beware, the love interest is goth. At first, I didn't get it, but I really came to like him by the end. You will, too.

[Emily May]

I'm sure this must get better as it goes on but the opening was too dull for me to want to spend any more time finding out.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing people notice about Terra Cooper isn’t her gorgeous blonde hair or killer body: it’s the port wine stain that spreads across her cheek, marking her face. Terra is desperate to escape her tiny Washington town, and plots to attend a small liberal arts college on the East Coast, but her controlling father dashes her plans. When she meets Jacob, a Goth Chinese boy, after she nearly hits him with her car, things begin to change. Jacob gets her. For the first time in her life, Terra is with someone with whom she can let down her shield. Through Jacob’s friendship and a life-changing trip to China with her mother, can Terra find her true path and figure out who she really wants to be?

This book is gorgeous. Gorgeous. The thing about Justina Chen Headley’s books is that I start each and every one noting how similar they are to each other—the ultra-self aware teen, the unloving/broken family. And then the protagonist’s voice gets into my head, and I all but forget that there were other books at all. There’s only Terra, and Terra’s struggles and problems and issues.

And Terra is so relatable. You know her. She’s someone you’ve spoken to, or someone you’ve been, and you are instantly inside her struggle. And watching Terra learn who she is and who she wants to be—watching her try to put the pieces of her family back together—it’s beautiful. Her relationship with her mother is beautiful to watch, and they make you want to cheer.

This is a tremendously satisfying coming-of-age story.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

TBR Pile Reduction Challenge #3 - Kristy

North of Beautiful and I were off to a rather rocky start. After about 50 pages in I was contemplating giving up on it because what I had read so far had either bored me or had made me uncomfortable to a great extent.
Terra’s family is more than shattered. Her father is a real bully and all those mean and hurtful things he said to either Terra or her mother hurt me so much that I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to stick with the story or not. I guess the fact that I was unbelievably mad at Terra’s father and that I desperately wanted to see her standing up to him made me continue reading and luckily, I found myself warming up to Terra and her story more and more. Jacob’s appearance on the scene helped a lot, too. Even though I didn’t really know what to make of this goth boy at first, I liked him enough and was curious to see how Terra’s and his relationship would play out.

I definitely enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first one. I loved to see how Terra and Jacob grew closer and how he helped her accept herself. The relationship between Terra and her mother was also beautifully portrayed and it was great to see her mother coming out of her shell a little.

To sum it up: A very well written, though slightly too wordy story about the meaning of true beauty and finding one’s self in which the love story plays an important but not central role.

[Milly · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Terra, a sensitive, artistic high school senior born with a facial port-wine stain, struggles with issues of inner and outer beauty with the help of her Goth friend Jacob.

I was initially dismayed by the first few chapters of this book because of the intense amount of references to maps and cartography, of which I was not well-versed in, making it feel like I was reading an encyclopedia and in need of constant referencing with a dictionary to find the meaning of certain words. The cartography metaphors slowed down my reading and almost turned me off from continuing on. But with the encouragement of fellow ‘goodreaders’, I trudged on and gladly that I did. Because once I’ve finished peeling the top layers of map metaphors, I was gifted with such beautiful ,smart, and heart-warming prose. I realized that the use of cartography references in the beginning and throughout the book was Justina Headley’s way of mapping and building Terra’s story. I felt that Justina Headley was ingenious in writing this book, in picking out her heroine’s name (Terra: ), in breaking the book in three parts according to the protagonist’s journey into finding herself (Terra Nullis, Terra Incognita, and finally Terra Firma).
“Dad has done his damnedest to do that, to steer me to Terra Nullis, that godforsaken empty land where one might survive but never flourish. To keep me in Terra Incognita and remain a girl as undiscovered as Unknown Land itself.”

I-love-love-this book!!! Reading Terra’s story made me wistful. It made me long to be with my mother and brothers. It made me shed a bucket of tears. I might not be the most objective reviewer of this book because I could only sing praises for it. This book hit too close to home for me. There were times that I was left speechless and stunned as I felt that Justina Headley was talking about my life: about me, about my family. How could she know? It was like déjà vu, over and over again. The reading experience was just too personal, too painful at times, but therapeutic. There’s much to learn from reading this book as it touches different topics: poor self-concept and low self-esteem, abuse from a spouse and parent, divorce, mother and daughter relationship, teenage romance, and self-discovery. Though it touches such deep and emotional topics, the mood of the book is not depressing at all. Instead it is touching and heart-warming especially when each of the characters of the book discovers themselves and overcome their personal struggles.

The story: Terra struggles with low self-esteem due to a port-wine stain on the left side of her face. Her concept of beauty has always been skewed as she was teased early on about her face. It didn’t help that her father was not the most encouraging parent in the world, often condescending and belittling Terra and her mother and brothers. Her father’s disgrace from the cartography world has made him an a$$h0le, elevating his ego by trampling on everyone else around him. Terra, her mother, and brothers all suffered from verbal and emotional abuse from her father. As a result, her brothers had all left town and hardly visited, and her mother took refuge from food and became very overweight, taking all the abuse without standing up for herself or for her kids. It was heartbreaking to read about Terra and how low she thought of herself. She hid behind thick make-up and behind a relationship of convenience with one of the popular guys in school. It never occurred to her how she could be beautiful just by being herself. She never thought that she was good enough to be with someone great or that her artwork was good enough for a show. She couldn’t learn to love herself until she met Jacob.
“You know what’s funny?” Jacob asked. He didn’t wait for my answer. “You can see beauty in everything, except for yourself.”

Jacob is a 17-year old teen whom Terra happens to literally crash into while driving on her way home from a doctor’s visit. Jacob is Chinese-American who was adopted when he was 3 years old from a Chinese orphanage by his adoptive mother, Norah. Though a boy and valued in China, he was left at the orphanage by his birth parents because he had a birth defect: a cleft lip and palate. Norah adopted him and brought him back to the United States where she had his cleft lip and palate surgically fixed and raised him like her own. Jacob grew up being different, having a scar on his face due to the cleft palate and having Caucasian parents. He dealt with the prejudices by deflecting under Goth clothing and personae. Because of Jacob’s life experiences, he was more appreciative of Terra and found her beautiful despite her port-wine stain and her low self-esteem. Through Jacob, Terra learned to accept herself and understood what True Beauty is.
"Some things are meant to be kept – what you learn from experiences good or bad, smiles from an orphaned girl, a boy who is your compass pointing to your True North. So I look Jacob full in the face with nothing obscuring him. Or me. And then I step closer to him. And closer. And closer yet."
“Here I am,” I tell him. “Here I am.”

A book that makes me cry always gets a Five from me. And this book wasn’t lacking in that arena. There were so many parts in the book that made me cry: I cried tears of pain when the book mentioned about t how Terra’s older brother, Claudius purposefully got into accidents to distract the father from their mother when the father got upset. I cried tears of relief and joy when Terra’s mother finally stood up to the father. I cried wistful tears when I read about Terra and her mother and their self-discover together when they traveled to China.

Other note worthies: Geocaching! Now that’s fun!!! Am I alone into thinking this is such a smart and fun hobby to pick up? Is it because I’m a nerd that’s why I find this so interesting and exciting? It’s the modern day version of treasure hunting using a GPS! How could treasure hunting not be fun?!!! And Terra and Jacob did it in China to boot! Now that’s crazy exciting! And what about tobogganing at the Great Wall of China? Who would have thought?! Now the Chinese definitely know how to have fun! Just thinking about it gives me the butterflies! Boy, I would love to do that! Two exciting activities! Two things I’ve already added to my bucket list!

If I had the opportunity, I would have read this book with my Mom or with my girlfriends who wouldn’t mind being emotional with me. I went through so many emotions reading this book. It is such a touching and empowering book! I highly recommend!

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

NoB was a birthday present from one of my best book buddies, @SarahO97 - she didn't tell me anything about it, but Sarah has great taste in books. I can definitely say that I wouldn't have picked up NoB if it hadn't been for Sarah....but boy, am I glad I did.

When I first started North of Beautiful, I expected it to be fairly light-hearted, with lots of self-discovery and a cute romance with some self-esteem stuff. Not so. This book surprised me with its depth and its honesty. But be warned: this is not an easy book.

At first, I was really put off by NoB, because seriously? Terra is a mess. She's beautiful - except that she has a birthmark on her face that she thinks makes her look ugly. She's tried a zillion times to have it removed through painful laser surgery, and it hasn't worked, so she covers it up everyday with a pile of makeup. She's got a boyfriend, but he doesn't really care or pay any attention to her. And her family? YIKES. Her dad is possibly the worst person on earth. There are deadbeat dads, and then there are dads that verbally abuse their entire family, prodding and poking at every insecurity. Terra's dad is the latter.

Because of his abuse, Terra's brothers have both left home and barely ever contact her or her mother. Terra's mom used to be a really strong woman, but has since retreated into herself, letting herself gain tons of weight and letting Terra's dad stomp all over her. Terra herself is an amazing artist, but she has very little self-esteem, and can't bring herself to finish any of her pieces or even sign her name on her art.

This was a lot for me to take, especially because I was on vacation and it was hard to read about someone who was so down on herself. This is not an ass-kicking heroine. This is a girl who could fall apart at any moment. In fact, at some points, I wondered if I was just being manipulated into feeling sorry for Terra and her family because some of the things that happened seemed so unbelievable to me. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that this book was a gift, I probably would have put it down.

But I'm so glad I didn't, because towards the middle of the book, it really clicked in. I understood how Terra's mom could be so weak, because the verbal abuse had happened for so long that it had just become routine to internalize the things Terra's dad said to her. And once things started to change, in little ways, for Terra, I could really stand outside and see the authenticity in the book.

By the middle of the book, I felt like I was running a marathon with Terra, and I had hit my stride. From there on, it just got better and better. Justina Chen is obviously a huge fan of slow burns, and you really have to get through all of the hard stuff to get to the payoff.

This is a book that doesn't take the easy way out. Each and every decision that Terra and her mother make is an effort for both the reader and the characters. But by the end of the book, I was so invested in the characters that I teared up - not because anything super sad or happy happened, but because I felt so full, raw, and inspired.

Read the rest of this review at Mostly YA Lit

[Tatiana]

Can't bring myself to care... Way too boring.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I’d read Headley’s Girl Overboard, and I wasn’t that big of a fan. I love Headley’s writing the MC in Girl Overboard, just rubbed me the wrong way. But with North of Beautiful everything came together. I just loved this book!

The writing was so perfect, I just enjoyed how the story was told, I could not stop reading this book. The words were addicting. The characters were so well developed. Even Terra’s dad, he was such a remarkable character, not saying that he did great things in the novel, because the guy was the biggest pompous ass, but the fact that I loathed him to the most extreme state that you can loathe someone, must give some sort of kudos to Headley’s characterization. And yet at times, I even felt bad for him..... how is that even possible?

It’s a story that I think everyone can relate to. I know personally I related to Terra’s low self-esteem and how it trapped her in a relationship that she knew she shouldn’t be in. My heart ached for her. And art as her escape, just genius!

It was such a powerful book! Ah, I loved it! And it’s such a thought provoking topic. Beauty. You can’t get much more complex, so many times authors get it wrong, but this story totally blew me away.

Another enjoyable aspect was the trip to China that Terra and her mother take. It was eye-opening for me to read about. I never thought that I’d be interested in going to China, until I read this book, and now I’ve already been checking out travel deals online! I never realized how truly sheltered I am.

Overall, just read this book. It’s fantastic. I honestly cannot say enough good things about it.

[Limonessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been thinking about this book for a few weeks now and decided I needed to re-read it and give it a better review since the one I wrote before didn't do it much justice.
I loved this book, even more so the second time around. True, it's got most of the clichés of YA fiction (girl with issues meets perfect boy, love triangle, HEA, blah, blah...) but the story was developed so well and with so many subplots that I think it is worth giving it a special place in the chaos of YA lit.

Terra is a beautiful girl, her beauty marred - only - by a port-wine stain on her face. She is part of a dysfunctional family, where everybody and everything rotates around an emotionally abusive father - the worst kind, difficult to rebel against.
On her way back from the umpteenth medical treatment to try to remove her stain, she literally crashes into Jacob (sliding on ice, bit of a Twilight deja vu here but that's where the similarities end) an Asian looking Goth boy who is going to turn her life pretty much upside down.

Terra and Jacob, though both remarkably handsome teenagers, both have a physical problem that doesn't make them fit in. Terra has a rather big port-wine stain on her face while Jacob, apart from having a cleft lip, is also an adopted kid from Asia with a stunningly blond mother. So they are both different from others but where Terra tries to mask herself and her insecurities behind cosmetics and look like others while replicating beauty through her art, Jacob interprets his diversity by exasperating it and camouflaging - as a Goth, for example. I like when he says:

" People stared at me whenever I went out with my parents. I mean, you might expect little Chinese girls to be adopted, but not boys. So I figured if people were going to stare at me anyway, then I would choose the term of their staring. I can dictate what they see.

I liked his attitude.
So, while the both have problems, Terra is the one who is truly lost. The "spatial" theme permeates every part of the book. Terra's name, the fact that her father is a cartographer, her being directionally challenged, the geocaching game, her journey to China with Jacob; these are all parts of the puzzle that is Terra looking for her direction in life, her True North, which she finally finds thanks to Jacob, who becomes, eventually, her compass.

All characters were extremely well developed, up to Terra's father, the ultimate bully. With his psychotic behavior, he influences the lives of so many people. Terra's insecurities are thanks to him, her mother has become his doormat and finds her means of escape in food, her brothers have both disappeared and are slowly turning into some facsimiles of their father.

So, while the book can be considered YA and a light read for its romantic content, I loved it because it has a lot of substance, it goes deep into the fragile balance of relationships within a family and even Terra and Jacob's story didn't sound the idiotic love-at-first-glance-and-forever kind of love. True, Jacob is a bit too perfect to be true even in his imperfection, he seems to me like the projection of what women want from men but will never attain - at least, i've never met such a man. I also thought the scene in the orphanage was a bit too melodramatic and sappy, both when Jacob finds his ahma and when Terra finds the little girl. But again, minor imperfections in an incredibly well written, enjoyable and thought-provoking book.
Will be looking for other books by this author.

You can read my reviews also here: http://lisa-nightreader.blogspot.com

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

North of Beautiful is almost an awesome book. The only problem is that it doesn’t know what it wants to be. Clearly it is YA but beyond that it is a bit jumbled. Dysfunctional family? Coming of age? Self discovery? First love? Is it defined by art, cartography, Chinese culture, a prominent facial birthmark, or small towns? Of course, it can be all of these things, and in the hands of a more talented writer it may have worked. Unfortunately, as it is written I couldn’t help but feel that Justina Chen Headley had a lot of fantastic ideas, and was simply unable to separate them from each other. I would have loved this book so much more if only it had a little bit of focus.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating- 4.5 stars

"True beauty lays within."

I've never read a book before that I could relate to so much. North of Beautiful is a beautifully writtten book. It explores the meaning of true beauty and love. There are so many things in this book that touched my heart. I've never before found a character like me in any book. This book is totally re-readable. The only problem I had with this book is that it had an unnessecary love triangle (WHYYYYYY????!!!).
Nevertheless, it's a great book that every book lover should read.

[Jacki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Summary: Terra has an enormous birthmark on her face that causes her to wear a lot of makeup and worry that she isn't pretty. Actually, her d-bag father makes her worry that she isn't pretty, or smart, or worth anything as he terrorizes and controls the entire family. When she almost runs over Jacob the Goth boy, the two start a friendship that begins to change the way Terra sees herself.

Verdict: Oh, puh-leeze.

Positive: The writing was pretty decent, and I liked the extended cartography metaphor.

Negative: I only made it a little past the halfway point with this book. I picked it up because I thought it was about the heroine's struggle to live with a large facial port-wine birthmark. Actually, while she does occasionally bring up the birth mark, her chronic low self-esteem is from her emotionally abusive father, and that is really the focus of this book. It's not about inner beauty or medical difficulties, it's about family drama. Her father belittles the heroine, her brother, and their mother constantly and makes the heroine doubt herself. He's incredibly dismissive of her artistic talents and aspirations.

I felt like this book was a bait and switch, purporting to be about one thing, but actually focusing on something else entirely. I'm so tired of reading about artistically gifted teens whose parents just don't get it. Someone please get a new plotline! Maybe the heroine is a gifted athlete and her parents don't care. Maybe she could win the Nobel prize and her parents belittle her. Surprise me! Alas.

I have no idea how the book ends, but I would guess that she: gets a gallery show, dumps her loser boyfriend for the Goth guy, stands up to her dad, and doesn't get her face fixed but realizes she's beautiful on the inside anyway. At least, that is how it ends in my head, the only place I'm bothering to finish it. This baby is going right back to the library.

[Aimen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

First things first, I really did not like Erik. I think he was supposed to play off as the totally-hot-boy-that-everyone-wants-and-is-mr.-perfect kinda guy. To me he came off as a no good jerk that needed some serious help. And then there's Jacob. Sigh, Jacob. I don't care if he was a goth or not. He could totally play it off plus he had his reasons. And smart reasons they were. From the very beginning, I could see that Terra and Jacob's relationship would develop to be those totally puppy cute relationships. He was just such a sweet guy and that was someone Terra definitely needed!

Moving on. Wow...their family relationship...their dad. It was all just so sad and I felt myself feeling so bad for Terra and especially her mom. Her dad was cruel in the worst possible way and I hated his guts. True, he became more composed but that didn't exactly change the kind of person he was. Out of all family members, I felt Claudius to be the most alluring. Merc was just too distant despite his good intentions. Trevor, wow! That little boy is so cute I actually went green with envy thinking "I wish my bro was like that". An absolute sweetheart he was but then again, it's just what Jacob needed. His dad too I disliked. A LOT.

So I guess it goes to show how well Terra and Jacob connected in terms of family and especially because it was only a single part of their family that tore it apart. They seemed to have a lot in common and that was a good thing. Sweet.

The issues with this book...Hmmm. As well written as it was, There was just so much Mapping. I mean I get it, North of Beautiful, yeah yeah. But seriously? All those things about the world map and geocaching I was all like 'Not in the mood for a geography lesson'. Yeah it made sense and did connect in a way of Terra's feelings and background but I mostly skimmed the parts where she went all in detail with. In a way, mapping was like her symbol, her connection to finding herself and a lot of people do that. I especially liked the little geocaching trip of her and Jacob because when they were looking around for such items, you could see it was the authors way of saying find each other. Which is pretty cute, right? I was looking for a nice rom-com, one that didn't fall to heavy on the rom but on the com and this was it. Jacob to say was hilarious with all his witty comments. And Terra, how she was always like "Oh my god, I wanna kiss him. Wait I shouldn't. But he's right there!" And I love how they met! She almost ran over him. What are the chances?

All in all I enjoyed this. A good read. Others may disagree but this definitely agreed with my mood. I honestly love how Jacob was able to ignore Terra's birthmark and how Terra ignored Jacob's gothicness and his other problems. (Wouldn't wanna spoil). It goes to show how if your willing to look over everyone's flaws, the outcome is always beautiful.

[Annalisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took Headley awhile to get into a groove with her story and her characters, but once she did, she captured the emotional insecurity of Terra so well. For all her work to appear perfect and put together, she is broken inside. The hide inside herself, don't show any reaction to her verbally abusive father, the insecurity of people talking about her port-wine stain as a defect that needed to be fixed, the urge to get out of high school and yet want to stay and protect her mother. It was all so spot on. I loved watching Terra grow into herself and realize what she needed and didn't need from people to feel okay with herself.

I loved Jacob. Everyone deserves to meet someone like that in high school. Someone who will really look at you and ask "Why" to all the fake demeanor you show for the world. I even liked Erik. At first he seems like a shallow jock, but he was a good guy who gave Terra a chance when nobody else did. I know at times he was embarrassed by her, but I think that's a normal teenage reaction. I know there were plenty of times when I embarrassed or was embarrassed by others as an insecure teenager. He may not have gotten her enough to give her what she needed, but he still gave her what he could and stuck by her all that time. Just as Terra deserved more from him, he deserved more from Terra. But I can't fault Terra too much. It's also a natural teenage reaction to need people, even people that are wrong for you, to be defined and validated.

I thought relationships in the book were very authentic. The only person I didn't like was the mom (well, other than the dad). I know she shouldered years of verbal abuse and that can degrade a person to nothing, but she was so emotionally needy she overwhelmed me. I could feel sorry for her and want to tell her to buck up and get a spine, if nothing else for her children, all at the same time.

This is a great read about what real and true about beauty, love, and self acceptance. I think every girl can find a piece of themselves in Terra' story.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. LOVED. I stayed up way too late last night to read it all in one sitting, despite the fact that finals are looming. You guys, this is a story worth reading. Justina Headley has gained herself a fan in me.

Terra has a port wine stain on her face, the far-too-common "friends" that aren't really friends, a scattered and dysfunctional family and one heck of a horrible father.

Her father seriously sucks. He emotionally abuses Terra and her mother all throughout the story, and you will hate him. Headley's characterization is awesome with this guy. He is a real piece of work. So incredibly weak and self centered...ugh. I also loved the way Headley wrote Terra's mother. The way she blooms throughout the trip to China will have you fist pumping because it is really something. Despite the fact that she lost her way and let her husband walk all over her, you can't help but root for her!

Jacob. Oh, Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. I want one. Really. I know I can be a bit of a book slut always falling for the male MCs, but this really is a guy to treasure. He teaches Terra - and everyone who reads the book - to go beyond the surface. He teaches us about strength of character, love, acceptance and the real meaning of beauty.

Beauty is the center of the story. Terra's growth to accept and love herself, her mom's journey to finding herself again...and just the general way that beauty should be defined by the inside, not the outside. Jacob is the maestro: he is the one that leads the way and schools everyone in the book, and everyone that reads and loves the book.

Pick this up and read it. You won't be able to tear yourself away from Terra and Jacob's story. It's a book that'll stick with you, because unlike a lot of other books that deal with the issue of true beauty and self-worth - Justina Headley got it right.

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was whoa to me. I rarely find books nowadays that really make you think, and feel changed at the same time.

I think this story was what I perfectly needed, being a teen that cares too much about what people think and say about me and is just not so sure about the way I look. At the end of the book, I felt healed in a way, more confident about myself--I don't give a damn about materialistic, egoistical people that deny myself from feeling secure and doing what I really want to do.

Headly's writing can't be described as extravagant and too-good-to-be-true. I think what makes her writing outshine is the truth behind her words, and the sincerity. You would never hear her voice behind the narrator's, Terra, and feel Terra is nothing but a character. Terra is every bit breathing and alive as me and you, also the rest of the characters, even the secondary!!

It's obvious Headly was so into her character, you feel like this character is really talking to you, telling you her story, showing you how she found real beauty.

Beauty is there for a reason of course, but not being beautiful on the outside doesn't mean you're not from the inside. There are other types of beauties, and I've found one in me. Some people say I'm pretty but I never believe them and it never stops me from being paranoid about the way I look. I even sometimes feel degraded and lower than the real beauties. But after turning the last page to the book, I felt a comforting peace inside me, and satisfaction.

I think everybody should read this at one point in their lives, and the sooner the better.

[Brigid ✩ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! I loved it! Brilliant story, great characters, and an inspiring message about what beauty really is. :) I highly recommend it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theresa was born with a port-wine stain on her left check. Over the years, she's pursued a multitude of medical remedies to try and remove it with little success. Now, in her senior year of high school, she dreams of going to an art school in the East and escaping her small town life, her domineering father and her passive mother.

But when her father intercepts her acceptance letter and refuses to allow her to go to the college of her dreams, Theresa feels her dreams are going up in smoke. Then she meets Jacob by hitting his car while driving back from a doctor's appointment.

"North of Beautiful" is a coming-of-age story for Theresa as she learns to embrace her own inner beauty and become the woman she wants to be. The story does hit a lot of the standard teen angst markers, including Theresa already having a doting boyfriend when she meets Jacob. However, it's her voice (the story is told in first-person narration) that overcomes the standard trappings and makes this novel something more.

[Kurukka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might have rated it two stars, had I not read the last half of the book, because the first truly bored me sometimes. I liked the conclusion, even though I thought it was way too much justified (I think that's my main problem, writers trying to explain everything and writers who don't explain enough; the line between these two is very thin so maybe it's just me getting lost there).

However, the relationship between Terra and Jacob didn't raise any kind of emotional wave in me. Maybe it's because I'm a frustrated single young woman but the constant cheesyness and drooling got on my nerves. She instantly liked him. I mean, come on. Goth guys are not my type either and there's no way I'd be this quickly attracted to one of them. No matter how handsome he might be. And honestly, the dialogues were not that good.

I like Terra's mom a lot better. Her character is the most realistic of all in this book and the way she progresses through the story, toward her independance, is splendid.

This book is sure not one of my favorites but I'm glad I read it.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original post at One More Page

I'm a big reader (obviously), but there are certain books that I can say are my absolute favorites, ones that I would willingly read over and over again and bring with me to a deserted island, if given a choice. Some of them are This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen and probably Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

I'm happy to say that North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley just joined their ranks. :)

In this day and age, media plays a heavy influence in how one views beauty: one must be tall, thin, have straight hair, blemish-free and white skin. If you fail to meet any of these requirements, then sorry, you can't be beautiful. A lot of girls suffer from low self-esteem back then, including me. I never really talked about it and I covered everything with laughter, but deep inside, I didn't feel beautiful at all. Every other girl I know seems to be more beautiful than I am, and I feel like being beautiful is a long shot.

That was how Terra felt, even if she possessed great body and great hair and the smarts to finish high school a year early. Despite all of these, Terra never thought of herself as beautiful because of one flaw: the port-wine birthmark the shape of Bhutan on her face. All she wanted to do was get out of the small town and make her own map at a faraway college -- far away from the people who know her, especially far away from the control of her father, a disgraced cartographer.

Now if you'll think about it, the search for true beauty is not a new story line. Other books might have mentioned it, had a story about it, but I think the beauty of North of Beautiful is that it really tackled the issue head on. Although Terra never called herself ugly outright, she admits to hiding behind a mask and falling under everyone's expectations of her. She craved control, so she set out on a plan to follow her older brother's footsteps and to be finally free of everything in her life. Of course, all her plans change when life throws her all kinds of things -- like getting into a car crash, for instance -- but that is really where her journey started.

This is another book with very strong characters, all of them somehow making a mark in me as I read it. Strong characters are easier to identify with, and could make even the most cliched story somehow work. They all had unique voices, and I can actually imagine them in the small town of Colville: from Terra's dad and his condescending comments to Terra's mom's timidity to Jacob's easy smile and funny quips. I don't think I've ever seen a more effective antagonist who uses words to abuse other people -- I mean seriously, Terra's dad definitely takes the cake. I can't remember how many times I willed for Terra and her family to stand up to their dad on the first parts of the book! The attraction between Terra and Jacob felt real, too, and not rushed. The author certainly took her time in building their relationship, which I really appreciated, and when the fallout came? Oh dear, my heart went out to both and I almost wished that the little complication didn't happen at all. Even Susannah, Terra's aunt, who passed away before the story started, made her presence felt in the story.

A lot of other interesting concepts were discussed too, especially the ones related to cartography, since it was Terra's dad's occupation. Other than Colville and a bit of Seattle, I was also brought to China, making me want to see the sites that they visited there. The concept of geocaching was also explored, which is kind of like a more high-tech type of treasure hunt. Definitely something a geek would like. ;)

And the book's ending? Totally satisfying. :)

North of Beautiful is a wonderful book, and I'm really glad I had the impulse to buy it. :) It's definitely something I recommend, especially for girls, to remind us all of what true beauty is really all about.

I leave you with this quote from the book:

Let the glossy spreads have their heart-stopping, head-turning kind of beauty. Give me the heart-filling beauty instead. Jolie laide, that's what I would choose. Flawed, we're truly interesting, truly memorable, and yes, truly beautiful.

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/4 Stars

I can honestly say that North of Beautiful was not the novel I expected it to be. Yes, it discussed the age-old theme of beauty going deeper than what you see, but it also had a plethora of other important messages. Its characters, although easy to sympathize with during the first half of the story, truly came alive in the second half, proving to be well-fleshed out and deep. Furthermore, North of Beautiful addresses beauty through maps, cartography, geocaching (I am totally going to try this someday), and China. If that isn't a recipe for uniqueness then I don't know what is.

Terra has grown up learning to hide the port-wine stain that marks her cheek, constantly self-conscious about herself. Despite having an enviable figure, she cannot see the inner beauty within her. She is lost and broken, seeking to escape her torn family by moving across the country to attend Williams College. However, her over-bearing father dictates every aspect of her life and she is chained to the small town she grew up in. When Terra meets Jacob, an adopted Chinese boy who surprisingly shares her self-consciousness, her eyes are opened to the brutality of her life and the true beauty that lies within her reach - if only she could bring herself to look.

North of Beautiful was a wonderfully written novel that expressed its message in a deep and provocative manner. However, what I loved the most about its story was that it was more than simply Terra's journey to discovering herself; it was also her mother's journey, Jacob's journey, and the journey of Jacob's mother. The tale that Headley spins is unique in many aspects and I found myself admiring the easy manner in which she related the pivotal themes of the book to cartography, art, and maps - all major aspects of Terra's life. The lens through which she forced you to view Terra's life and society's image of perfection was different and yet managed to convey multiple themes all while creating a beautiful love story.

The romance between Jacob and Terra is slow to develop, evolving from an unlikely friendship to a true understanding of one another. My only qualm with this book is that I wish we could have seen a little more of Jacob and Terra's relationship at the end of the novel. To me, the ending felt abrupt - an epilogue would have been nice. Also, the first few chapters of the novel were uneventful and took awhile to get into.

Still, the first half of the novel which devoted itself to Terra's broken family were important to the plot and understanding the characters of Terra and her mother, who I was surprised and delighted to find being made such an important character. It is rare that parents become just as important as the main character in a story and this was definitely a refreshing perspective.

That being said, North of Beautiful was a remarkable novel - one that will change the way you look at the world. Despite having grown up in an environment that urges its citizens to look beyond and see deeper, North of Beautiful has made me appreciate true beauty in an entirely different light. I can only hope that other readers will plod past the first few chapters of this novel to see the true beauty within this story.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially deterred by the abundance of mapping mentions, it took a while to see what lied beneath all the cartography trivia. But around 40 pages in, something shifted, and I was introduced to the raw story that was being obscured by all that detail. North of Beautiful made me gasp for breath while sucking in tears. Because Justina Chen Headley got it exactly right.

Terra Cooper is a lost and broken girl, further damaged by the port wine stain splayed across her cheek. Intent on being perfection personified, Terra attempts to obscure her birthmark with a layer of make up and body to die for. A body she has worked rigorously for years to shape. But Terra’s pain is more than skin deep, and her drive for obtaining the ultimate physical ideal isn’t entirely due to her flawed face.

Terra’s father finds his pleasure belittling, intimidating and controlling his family. While he may not physically lash out, his verbal attacks do far worse, they manipulate the minds, change the personalities and break the spirits of those who he should find most dear. Terra and her mother are forever dodging his oral lashings in everyway achievable. For Terra, this includes being as close to flawless as possible. Never learning who she is, never able to be herself, or discover who she truly wants to become. Terra’s home is a stack of cards, and the slightest wind could turn the tide from verbal abuse, to physical blows. Terra has spent her life walking on eggshells, praying to make it one more day, desperate to leave, but terrified to go due to what she would leave behind. Her mother. Then, one fateful day, Terra’s direction changes course. She has a wreck and meets her salvation.

Jacob is shiny beacon of truth, acceptance, understanding, and adventure. Everything that Terra needs. With his encouragement, Terra finds the missing pieces of herself, discovers who she is, and where she wants to go. North of Beautiful provides a fantastic journey of self discovery, first love, China, and the meaning of true beauty that is sure to resonate with all of our Iron Goddesses.

[Grace Stinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the book until the end then I feel it was ruined

[Jami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I just didn't love the writing style of this book. It was boring when it was trying to be meaningful, and I think just overdid the whole map/cartography theme. Okay, already, we get it! It's a map motif . . . the main character, Terra (yes, that's how it's spelled. Map motif, remember?) is trying to figure out the map of her life. I understand. I felt beaten across the head with millions of map references and cartography jargon that I just didn't care about and didn't feel added to the story that much. It probably could have been a 100 pages less and still have gotten the point across.

It's not to say there was nothing redeeming about the book. The plot was interesting-ish, and there was fairly good character development. I just didn't enjoy reading it very much. Again, I think this might have been more of a mis-match between writing style and reader than anything else.

[Patrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This story drew me right in and made me care about these characters. I don't know if it's because I am a mother myself and those instincts were pulled out while reading this book; but, yeah, wow. A powerful story of discovery; awareness of self, others, and the world around us. The family dynamic is one that you so often hear about and therefore,easy to relate too.

I detested the father from the beginning of this story. He is the worst kind of bully to his entire family. He is verbally abusive and instills low self-esteem in his wife and children; all so that he can feel superior, because he's a screw-up.

A great story that I would recommend to folks that like to read about the road to self-discovery, overcoming diversity, and maybe just a tiny bit of romance.

[Caylynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would it be like to look in the mirror and actually accept what you see? Not loathe the reflection, or despise it, or be resigned to it? But to like it?

God damn it, I just really love this book. I honestly can't remember if this is the second or third time I've read this book, but either way I loved it even more than the first go around.

I remember reading this book for the first time back in middle school and thinking "wow, there's actually a character just like me for once." Now, mind you, I don't have a port-wine stain like our dear Terra. I have rosacea. While I'm not too knowledgable about port-wine stains and whether they're actually painful or just extreme discoloration of the skin, I can certainly tell you that my face hurts like a BITCH 24/7 unless I have all of my customized moisturizers and makeup on. I can't change my face wash or experiment with new products unless I know for a fact that I don't have any plans for the next few days in case my face decides to explode and cause me more burning pain than usual. Rosacea is a real self-esteem killer.

So obviously I heavily related to Terra's struggles throughout a majority of the novel in terms of accepting that she's beautiful in the eyes of the people who matter. Amidst dealing with her fragile mother, her abusive father, absent brothers, selfish boyfriend, and a best friend who sticks around purely because she feels prettier when she's standing next to Terra, it takes "Goth Boy Asian" Jacob to drag her out of her society-conforming shell. After almost accidentally running Jacob over in an ice slip and hitching a ride with him and his mother Norah back home with her mother, their friendship slooooooowly evolves from surprise geocaching at 5 in the morning to taking a trip to China together with both of their moms courtesy of tickets provided by her oldest brother.

Aside from the whole fact that the main character has a skin condition similar to mine, my favorite aspects of North of Beautiful are Jacob himself and the incredibly realistic portrayal of verbal/mental abuse in regards to Terra's father. Jacob is so fucking adorable and I wish I could have someone in my life that is even remotely similar to him.

"So really," continued Jacob, "when you think about it, the artists who make people stop and think, who push the form, who make you uncomfortable, who are laughable, well...they're the ones who get remembered. So why wouldn't you want to join the ranks of the ridiculed?"

He continuously finds ways to push Terra past her carefully controlled boundaries and introduce her to worldly experiences that she otherwise would never have attempted. From ordering the fattiest drink on the menu to not wearing a pound of makeup in public to geocaching on the Great Wall of China to looking her father in the eyes and finally drawing the line, Terra grows from a fragile wisp of a daughter who watches every step she takes into an able-bodied young woman who is ready to take on the world.

In terms of the issues that her father presents, it was actually almost uncomfortable for me to read some of the interactions between Terra, her mother, and her father because they were so realistic. I've noticed in a lot of early 2000-2010s YA contemporaries that deal with domestic abuse, they tend to focus solely on physical abuse. And most of the time the abuse is over inflated and highly false in relation to real life situations. Terra's father likes to focus on the more subtle hits and degradations, which is something that a lot of people have experience with.

From her dubious tone alone, I could see how Karin had no idea how terrifying words spoken quietly could be. How words chosen precisely to wreak maximum damage ticked like a bomb in your head, but exploded in your heart hours later, leaving you scarred and changed.

The way that Terra acts both inside and out of her house because of the influence her father has on her life is cleverly imbedded in every page, every interaction, and every thought that she has about herself, and I applaud Justina Chen for how she keeps that influence strong throughout the entirety of the plot instead of practically forgetting about it like too many authors have done in the past.

I just really fucking love this cute little novel, OKAY?? If you're looking for a golden late 2000s contemporary with a flawed as hell main character, emotion inducing abuse, family relationships coming together and falling apart, and an adorable Goth Boy worthy of Magnus Bane's attention, then look no further than this book.