Pretty Is As Pretty Does by Alison Clement

Pretty Is As Pretty Does by Alison Clement took me on an unexpected journey. Clement lured me into what I thought was going to be a light read only to deftly weave in some heavy issues after I'd gotten comfortable. The main character, Lucy is hard to like, but she's also intriguing enough that I wanted to like her more than I did. At times, her attitude towards other people was infuriating but her seeming naiveté about life, especially beyond her small town, was refreshing in an unexpected way while at the same time being disturbing. I often wondered if Lucy was really as oblivious as she seemed to be because she could certainly be manipulative. Still, my heart often ached for her as she navigated the circumstances of her life and longed for something different. Lucy's family was all too reminiscent of small town families I've known all my life, and I found myself wincing at harmful attitudes, words, and actions. Lucy's seeming detachment from the consequences her actions had on other people made me want to scream a time or two. Pretty Is As Pretty Does grapples with issues that permeate our culture in ways we often try to ignore until they can no longer be ignored through and engaging story about small town life.



 Currently Reading:


A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn 

How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking by Sönke Ahrens

If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer


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