Pretty

Sayre, Justin. Pretty. 2017. 222p. ISBN 978-0-448-48417-4. Available at FIC SAY on the library shelves.

At thirteen, Sophie has already experienced more abuse and worries than most kids. Her parents are divorced. Her White father is French and lives in Paris. Janet, her Black mother lives with Sophie in Brooklyn, and is a fashion editor. But she’s also a drunk, and for years Sophie has suffered in silence as Janet drinks herself into oblivion every night. Some nights Janet makes it to bed okay. Most nights Janet passes out before landing in her bed. Sometimes Janet gets violent and hits Sophie. Always Janet berates Sophie for not being good enough. Sophie lives in fear of the bad days and counts her blessing every time her mother makes it by herself to her bed. Sophie always manages to escape early in the morning and makes her way to school with her friend Ducks.

Following a particularly violent encounter, Sophie attends school and hangs out with her friend Allegra, who’s very interested in boys, especially Brian. Ryan, Brian’s friend, shows some interest in Sophie, but she’s not sure how to reciprocate or even whether she’s actually interested. When she returns home that night, she finds that her aunt Amara, a successful university professor, has moved in and Janet has left on a trip for an undetermined period of time. Suddenly Sophie doesn’t have to worry about her mother passing out, or hitting her. But her aunt also has expectations. She wants Sophie to tell her about her school day. She supervises homework. She takes Sophie to church. And as restrictive as her aunt’s way of parenting feels, it also feels comforting.

With a more stable home environment, Sophie can now fully focus herself on her school life. It’s complicated with Allegra, who seems to hold against Sophie the fact that she is pretty. She’s not certain whether she likes Ryan, but he sure talks about himself a lot and never asks questions about her own life. Her friends Ellen and Ducks are there for her, but is she there for them? Through Janet’s absence, Sophie will discover what it means to be true to herself.