Review: Picture Me

Picture Me by Lori Weber

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



There's absolutely a place for those quiet, thoughtful types of books for kids. Some are done really well, like with Cynthia Lord. Others are good but not always for me, like with Linda Urban. Lori Weber's Picture Me tries to be that sort of quiet and thoughtful book, but doesn't really hit the mark.

The story is more about bullying and dieting and the impacts of self-image among teen girls. Spurned by reading a poem in class, the story follows Krista coping with social implications, with her own weight, and so on. There's bullying involved as well, because of course there is.

This largely ends up being a book that's about a lot of things that are hot button issues, but without a real cohesive point, it feels muddled. Krista isn't especially likable or sympathetic, and the bullying feels mild compared to other books that handle it. It tries really hard, but just doesn't work.

I will almost certainly look for more books from Weber, as there's something here. This book, unfortunately, just didn't work at all.



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