Perfect

Author's Bio:

Natasha Friend has taught at the Brearley School in New York City and Ecole Bilingue in Boston and currently directs the Brimmer and May summer camp in Massachusetts. She has written for FamilyFun magazine, contributed to Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul, and is the author of a camp counselor resource book used throughout New England. This is her first novel. She lives in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Quotes:

“This first novel by Natasha Friend has been well named, Perfect. Both the internal and spoken dialog have a crisp, real feel. Her descriptions are vivid and fresh. Friend’s subtle use of language, her delicate touch, brought me to tears and out-loud laughter. The story line, a girl’s struggle with an eating disorder, is aching to be told. Friend shows thirteen-year-old Isabelle Lee as a member of a family frozen by grief over the sudden death of Isabelle’s father, which no one talks about. . . . An excellent novel.”—Midwest Book Review

“Natasha Friend's first novel is every thing a first novel should be. . . . Excellent for teen girls whether they have an eating disorder or not. All girls in this age range struggle with the same issues and will find in this book tools for coping. Friend's treatment of the subject is realistic, never cheesy even in its solution, funny, and just about perfect."—Jessica Powers, New Pages.com

“When Isabelle fails to meet her younger sister’s bribe standards, April tells their mother Isabelle’s secret: she’s bulimic. This revelation lands Isabelle in group therapy, where she adamantly refuses to discuss her grief over her father’s death or her mother’s subsequent incapacitating depression. In Isabelle’s mind, the real benefit to Group is her incipient friendship with Ashley, the queen of eighth grade. . . . Eating disorder plots aren’t new . . . but Friend tells this more as a family story, bringing a spontaneity and engagement to Isabelle’s narration that lifts this above most pointed problem novels. . . . [A] witty and perceptive family drama.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 

 “Clearly and simply written with a nice balance of humor and drama, with insight into the mind of 13-year-olds and how families suffer from trauma, this story can speak to girls coping with their own transitions into adolescence.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The believable and likable heroine relates many heart-warming and heart-breaking moments. Ultimately, Isabelle's story will both touch and educate readers.” —Publishers Weekly

“Middle school girls who have enjoyed Judy Blume and similar authors will appreciate the humor and the realism in Friend's novel. Everyone can probobly think of the “Ashley” she went to school with, and too many of us also probobly know someone with an eating disorder or someone dealing with grief. Recommended.” —Suzanne Libra, Teacher/Librarian, Huron Middle School, Northglenn, Colorado, LMC Library Media Collection