Slant

By Laura E. Williams

Book Overview

Thirteen-year-old Lauren, a Korean American adoptee, is best friends with the prettiest -- and tallest -- girl in the school, Julie, who has an endless amount of confidence. Lauren, on the other hand, has been saving for years to pay for a special eye surgery that will deepen the crease of her eyelids. It's not that she wants to look like everyone else in her suburban Connecticut school; she'd just be happy if kids stopped calling her "slant" and "gook." Up until now she's been able to ignore the insults, but when the cutest boy in her class calls her "slant," she realizes she needs to do something about her "nickname." When she convinces her reluctant father to consent to the eye operation, Lauren suddenly finds herself faced with a challenge: should she get the operation that might make her more confident and popular, or can she find that confidence within herself? Laura Williams' sensitive, beautifully written story offers a powerful lesson to young readers whose self-esteem depends too much on how they look.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571316817
• ISBN13: 9781571316813
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 8

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Plastic surgery or not? Will it change your life and give you more self-confidence, or will it not change your life as dramatically as you thought? These are the questions brought up by SLANT. There are many Asians having surgery to make their eyes more European-looking. I had an Asian living with me from Vienna. She said that she was lucky because she was born with a fold in her eyes. She also said that many of her aunts (she has many; her grandparents had nine children) have had the surgery. So this just isn't an American phenomena. This story is about 13-year-old Lauren. Lauren was adopted by an American couple. She is Korean. Her younger adopted sister, Maia, is Chinese. Her adopted mother died when Lauren was ten, and she and Maia have been raised by her dad. Her dad is a university professor. Lauren's best friend is Julie, a tall, beautiful blond. You can tell how much love is around these characters. At school there are a group of students who call Lauren slant, gook, or chink. She hates it but never stands up for herself. Lauren has been saving her money for two years for this surgery. When her grandmother, Ann, comes to town, the surgery may finally be a possibility. Does she have the surgery? That is the question of the book. I liked the characters in SLANT. They are written realistically, and you can tell the author likes these people. The story is written at a time where secrets are coming out and people are ready to move on with their lives. I really enjoyed this book. Reviewed by: Marta Morrison