I admit that as a reader I can get caught up in what’s newly released, what’s coming out when, and making sure my review copies actually get reviewed. Sometimes, though, I still make time to just browse the shelves at the library or my favorite book store, which is where I find gems like Mary Hogan’s Pretty Face.

In this story, high school girl Hayley feels “oversized” for the California beach life, causing her to feel awkward and unsure of herself. She’s that girl with the pretty face that nobody wants to date. And while the cover would make you feel like it’s a book all about weight loss or weight obsession, it’s really not. It’s more about one teenage girl’s journey from horribly self-conscious to confidence.

When her parents send her off to Italy for the summer, which would of course be catastrophic to the social lives of most American teenage girls, Hayley finds a refreshing new beginning. I really liked Hayley’s journey in Italy, and as if I didn’t already want to go to Italy bad enough, it definitely made me wish I’d been sent there for a summer in high school!

This is one that’s worth reading if for no other reason than to see the setting jump off the page.