The True Meaning of Cleavage

by Mariah Fredericks

Book Overview

Sari and Jess are best friends and total opposites. They've liked each other ever since they discovered that they are the only two normal people at Eldridge Alternative. As they prepare to face the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689850921
• ISBN13: 9780689850929
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Atheneum Books
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

I bought this book for every teen/tweener girl in my family!

I'm a mom and aunt, who ran across this book by accident, (while surfing the web). I was surprised and thrilled to find that this kind of fiction is being written for girls. The characters are unique, interesting, and powerful role models. Their story was well-drawn and was funny, sad, and educating to me.Jess, the main voice, is a real find. Her interest in art and science fiction, and her alienation from the "popular" crowd, including boys, makes her complex and fascinating. I would very much like to meet her, if she were a real person. Unfortunately, Jess's friend Sari fares a little worse. Although she is a wonderfully and believably drawn character, she is the kind of teenaged girl that every mother hopes NOT to raise: one who uses sex to gain attention and popularity. Being a bit on the conservative side, I was relieved, however, to find that the author handles sexual issues delicately; in fact, I never saw the word "sex" anywhere in the book, and sex itself is never described or talked about as such.(You have to read between the lines.) However, the implications are enough, and the message is clear: sex in high school can make a girl miserable.Interestingly, despite the cover art and title, this book has the most wholesome values of any book I've read lately, including adult fiction. The story's message seems to be that girls should empower themselves, find themselves, and be people first, before they tackle sex. And THAT is why I bought five copies of this book and sent it out to all my nieces and let my 10-year-old daughter read it. (She loved it! ... Nieces' books just went out in mail.)I definitely will be following this author in the future. She clearly has her head on straight and has a knack for creating compelling, believable characters and stories. (Plus, I want my daughter and nieces to hear what she has to say!) Also, I don't think tweeners and teenagers will settle for anything less than honesty. They can spot a phony a mile away. This author, however, was the real thing. (I think I was drawn to her, initially, because of the recommendation on the book jacket by Meg Cabot, who wrote "The Princess Diaries.")P.S. Sorry for the wordiness. Can't help myself. I'm a voracious reader and books are a sort of religion for me!

Great characters. Incredibly realistic. I loved the story!

I didn't know what to expect from this book at first, because I didn't know what the title referred to. I mean, I thought it referred only to sex, but then I read the book and discovered that the title is about how people become separated from one another, especially girls. High school is such a difficult time in a girl's life, and this book told how two girls deal with it in a really fabulous way, one I could really relate to. I loved the characters. They were so unique and, yet, so much like people I know must really exist. The book also had a lot to say about sex, without really ever talking about sex directly. It was GREAT the way the book gave the message that girls should focus on being true to themselves and that having sex just to be popular or to 'get' a boyfriend will only make a girl feel bad about herself in the long run. I read this book all the way through after school one day. Couldn't tear myself away from it!

A very refreshing story about friendship

To be upfront, I'm a former colleague and friend of the writer. However, as a male in his late thirties, I'm hardly the target market. That said, I enjoyed this book very, very much. It's funny, realistic, and I cared very much about the characters. The story moves quickly and I loved the developing friendship between Jess and Danny. I look forward to Mariah's next book.P.S. My 11 yr old stepdaughter ate this book up. I withheld the book from her halfway thru it till she cleaned her room. I never saw her clean that room so quickly. Now if I could only get the book back from her...

An awesome book YOU should read!

This book is a page-turner ! It is a funny and gripping story about two girl-friends who are in their first year in high school. They are very different. What happens to them during the year makes you think a lot about your own experiences with friendship and romance. If you are a teenage girl, or about to be one, you will really enjoy this book!

Meg Cabot and I LOVE this book!

Meg Cabot says on the back of this book that it's "Laugh out loud funny and way twisted!"She's right! I bought the book because my niece saw that Meg Cabot liked it. I read it first because the picture on the front looks kind of racy. But there's nothing to worry about in that sense. The book is about friendship between girls, and competition--and growing up. It's funny and sweet and real, and both my niece and I (and Meg!) loved it.