Cheryl Miller Dellasega

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Published by: Skyscape
Release Date: October 1, 2009
Pages: 200
ISBN13: 978-0761454564

 
OVERVIEW

In this second title in the Bloggrls series, Meg (a.k.a. sistrsic92) can’t help having a serious inferiority complex—you would, too, if you had a sister like T2P2 (The Totally Perfect Person), who can usually be found surrounded by a circle of adoring friends and her ultra-popular boyfriend. But Meg soon learns that she has one thing T2P2 never had—blog pals who are the VBFs a girl could ever hope for. When Meg’s sister develops an eating disorder and reveals to Meg a huge secret, Meg will have to decide how far sisterhood goes and what secrets are worth keeping—before it’s too late. Chronicling the main events throughout are hand drawings by teen-illustrator Tyler Beauford.

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PRAISE

“Meg is a sophomore who takes up blogging as a sort of online diary. She gives only three friends the password and proceeds to share her pains, sorrows, and joys using all the jargon and typing shortcuts frequently used online. Fortunately, those not in the know have a "clicktionary" to help in translation. The main plot focuses on Meg's jealousy of Cara, her older sister who has always been T2P2, the totally perfect person. Suddenly Cara has developed an eating disorder, is rebellious and difficult, and has no friends at home or school. Hard as it was to follow in Miss Perfect's footsteps, Meg discovers that having a gaunt, antisocial sister is even worse. When hospitals and treatment become necessary, the girls' parents are overwhelmed by Cara's behavior, leaving Meg feeling even more isolated. Thus her only comfort is her friends on the blog, who are always supportive and focused on her. Aside from the awkward narcissistic aspect, the plot moves forward fairly logically. The revelations about the progression of Cara's disorder and slow recovery are superficially relayed, as is the huge effect it has on Meg. A subplot about a nosy elderly neighbor who turns into a cool friend is a nice touch. The format of texting, blogs, and IM is cryptic, and the intermittent illustrations are reminiscent of bad manga, but there is a little substance here, making the novel almost a palatable package for chick-lit fans.”
—Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, CO

“A lot of readers can probably relate to Meg. She's the younger sister of Cara, someone she calls "T2P2" for "The Totally Perfect Person." Cara is smart, popular, athletic, has a cute popular boyfriend, is pretty, and a favorite of all the teachers. Meg dislikes being in Cara's shadow all the time, especially because people expect her to be Cara Part 2. The problem is, she's not as smart as her sister, not as popular, doesn't have a boyfriend, and is 100% completely average. She blogs (to all of three people) about her sister and her feelings as a way to deal with them.

However, Meg begins to see changes in Cara. It is learned she has an eating disorder, and her parents hospitalize her for treatment. Meg tries to help her sister, but overcoming her eating disorder isn't an easy path. Meg continues to blog about her sister and what they are going through, and eventually the sisters come to realize that they aren't the annoyances each thought the other was.

I have to admit that I didn't read this as closely as my niece did as I wanted to make sure it was an okay read for a 12 year old, so I might have missed some of the smaller nuances. Still, I found it to be a good story, especially for her being in middle school, surrounded by quite a a few girls who have decided that being thin is the be-all-end-all and have tried to convince her to join them in dieting as well, even though she wears a size 1! She really liked how the book was written in blog posts, though I would have preferred more in-depth writing. I can see how this style appeals to younger readers, especially how they've grown up on-line. The subject of eating disorders was done in an approachable manner, and would make a great starting point for parents to have this particular talk with their children. The story itself is a very quick read even though the size of the book makes you think it's longer than it really is. My niece was able to finish this along with another book from this series in less than an afternoon. She really, really liked it and can't wait for more in the series. To be honest, I hope this author keeps adding to this series as well. I like how she makes such taboo and touchy subjects approachable. I would say to other parents please read this first before giving to your daughter (or son) so you can answer any questions they might have or as a way to begin to broach the subject. While some might think that this is too mature a subject for younger readers, the way this book is written might actually be better for them to grasp the subject matter.”
—Radar 626, Amazon Review