Review: Never Enough by Denise Jaden

Never Enough
Denise Jaden
July 10th 2012
400 pages (paperback)
Simon Pulse
Source - Publisher (unsolicited)

"Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special… even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship —and her sister—before it’s too late?"

"Nothing is ever perfect....Beauty isn't perfect. It's something 

to be felt and something to be breathed." * 

Claire has it all — beauty, talent, a great figure, and Josh Garrison. Our narrator Loann, however, has a short stature, an ample amount of curves, and a mysterious yet amusing locker neighbor named Marcus. But the next moment, Loann's oridinary life begins to change completely as her sister Claire spirals out of control with her self-image and destructive eating habits. There's nothing worse than trying to help someone when you're rendered incapable of doing so, and Jaden captures this dilemma and portrays it honestly through Loann as she watches her sister's perfect life crumble to pieces. 

Never Enough draws you in with tender moments and breaks your heart with the harsh reality of the price beauty and "perfection" demand. There are plenty of other interesting character interactions, but it is the moments between these two sisters that made the most genuine and memorable impact. Never Enough is a story with multiple varieties of issues and can feel a bit busy sometimes, and yet this story remains realistic and touching. While I did enjoy Denise Jaden's first novel Losing Faith much more,  Never Enough is a strong sophomore effort that's worth reading. 

Highlights: Claire and Loann's complicated sisterly relationship is sure to be something readers with siblings will relate to. The ups and downs of their relationship felt very real and I wish they had interacted more in this story. I very much enjoyed Marcus and Loann's slow friendship. Jaden's characters always seemed authentic because they have positive and negative traits that serve to make them more realistic. It was interesting to watch Loann grow throughout the story.  

Lowlights: Loann could be a bit naive. It took awhile to get to the main plot. A few subplots could have been cut to give this story more focus. There wasn't enough time to stretch out and fully resolve the extra subplots¹, so they made the story weaker (and almost resulted in a much lower rating).

Rating:  

* pg. 371
1 This footnote is a long spoiler that can be found on my Goodreads review of Never Enough.

The Queen's Library (10)

Purchased for Kindle

Possess by Gretchen McNeil 

Free AudiobooksThe Woman in White by Wilkie Collins Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (my review)
These Kindle deals are too good (and too tempting) lately...Thanks to Sync for the audiobooks! 

What did you get this week? 

Inspiration/Credit

Waiting on Wednesday (84) (times two!)

WOW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

The Murmurings by Carly Anne West

March 5th, 2013

Simon Pulse

"After her older sister dies from an apparent suicide and her body is found hanging upside down by one toe from a tree, sixteen-year-old Sophie starts to hear the same voices that drove her sister to a psychotic break."

Not much info so far, but it does sound pretty intriguing. 

Can't wait to see a full summary...

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver

March 5th, 2013

HarperTeen

"Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. Of Pandemonium, ALA Booklist noted that 'like all successful second volumes, this expands the world and ups the stakes, setting us up for the big finale.'

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge."

I am so excited for this book! The ending to Pandemonium was such torture and I can't wait to see what happens next. Plus, having Hana's POV along with Lena's should be interesting!

What are you waiting on?