I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was fourteen. At fifteen I had corrective spine surgery. I remember the brace I had to wear after my surgery and I hated it! Although braces are different now, it was still unattractive and uncomfortable. Mine actually did hurt because the most sensitive part of my spine stuck out a little and the brace dug into it roughly. The first time I had to wear it at the hospital was the day after my surgery and I cried because it caused me pain. I recall a male physical therapist snapping at me and telling me it didn't hurt. Oh, I wanted to hit him! When my doctor finally said I didn't have to wear it anymore, I drew a bikini on it with marker and slashed the padding on the inside with a pair of scissors. Hey, I was fifteen! But it felt great being able to throw it in the trash.

I've never read a story about a girl with scoliosis, and I wish I had known about this book back then. I'm thankful to Judy Blume for exploring this important subject, shining light on it, and for the young girl who inspired Deenie.

I really liked how Blume wrote about Deenie's posture, because my own posture always bothered me and still does to this day. When I was in ninth grade, one of my shoulders was higher than the other and one of my hips stuck out more. I felt like a freak! I also like that Deenie had to see many doctors, because I lost track for how many doctors I had to see to get diagnosed, to get measured for my brace, and to prepare for my surgery.

Deenie is a quick, nice read that explores scoliosis and the thoughts of a young girl who has to wear a brace to fix her spine. This story will not only help teens and parents in this situation, but everyone who doesn't understand what scoliosis is.