pickThis story opens with Vanessa Williams winning the 1983 Miss America pageant. 13 year old Vanessa Martin is watching at home. Her family and teacher encourage her to join the middle school pageant. She‘s not sure she‘s pageant material though. This book tackles colorism, family secrets, and complex female friendships. Charles peppers the first person narrative with poems and diary entries, all of which are beautifully written. (See comments)
MandaMT I finished the final 3rd of this in one sitting. There were some tears! This book does a beautiful job of layering together the many parts of Vanessa‘s story. 5y
