A perfect life on the outside...
The beautiful Ellie Summerfield seems to have the perfect life: she's Senior Class President, she has a gorgeous boyfriend who seems to love her, a 4.0 GPA, and a list of extracurricular activities that would make almost any college beg for her. But just because Ellie's life seems perfect, that doesn't mean it really is. Ellie might not be as happy as she appears as she struggles to decide how she feels about her life, her friends, and even her boyfriend. But one night, everything changes. Something happens to Ellie that changes the course of not only her life, but also the lives of everyone around her. Now, Ellie has to figure out not only her own true feeling about her life, but she also what it really means to be beautiful.
Cindy Martinusen-Coloma managed to write a novel that's fitting of its name, Beautiful. There's something about Beautiful that stuck with me long after I put it down. Ellie's story is an important one, and I think Cindy Martinusen-Coloma told it in a totally relatable and realistic way. I found Ellie's thoughts and feelings to be totally justified, especially given her situation. Ellie’s her older sister, Megan, turned out to be my favorite character. Her humor and sarcasm are not only hilarious, but also gave the story a kind of lightheartedness and enlightenment that you don't get from Ellie's. This is one of those stories that I think everyone should read, it's happy, it's sad, it's...Beautiful.
