At first glance Terra seems to have it all. She's tall, blonde, in perfect shape. But if you look a little closer as she turns her head, you can't help but notice the large port-wine stain on her face. What you won't notice is her family, and how it seems to be falling apart around her.

North of Beautiful is the story of Terra and her quest to find herself. Her beauty map is flawed, but she is unsure of how to fix it. Then she meets Jacob, a Goth boy with problems of his own. They find themselves navigating through their problems together as the map of their lives comes together.

The story is told beautifully. The author captures so many of the things I remember going through as a teenager, and while everything doesn't always work out in the end (much like real life), the characters find a way to discover who they really are and what is most important to them.

5/5