Pretty Things

Fiction by Sarra Manning
Reviewed by Shelby W.
Not in the NVHS Collection as of this post


Summer has just begun in London, and Charlie is determined to make sure Brie and him do something other than stay home and watch soap operas, so they join a drama group. There are many different characters joining the drama group Charlie who is gay, and his best friend Brie who is obsessed with lip gloss, fashion, and getting a tan. The political lesbian Daisy, and the player Walker, all are being tortured by their crazy instructor Lavinia. Throughout the summer each of them must find out who they truly are, and the different meanings of love. Brie is in love with her gay best friend Charlie, who is in love with Walker, who takes advantage of every girl he meets but is now is in love with Daisy, who is a lesbian, and has so many anger issues love is something she can’t understand. Each chapter is told by one of the four characters and is always changing, helping you figure and follow their difficult journeys, and just when you begin to think you know what will happen, the story changes so you don’t know how it all goes down until the very last page.

Pretty Things is a very exciting book that involves more than one character, the story is told by all four of the main characters. I think that makes it better because one person may make you think one thing about one of the characters, and then you read their point of view and you understand where they’re coming from. It’s a book that you can’t put down because it’s luring you with its unpredictable pages that always leave you wondering. It’s a book that many teens can relate to because as we all get older we are trying to figure out the meaning of love and friendship.

I recommend this superb book of genius to anybody who is willing to read a book with different points of view on different kinds of love, and anybody who is trying to figure out how to deal with all the changes in life like love, and friendship, or even if your just looking for a quick read. It is a perspective changing book that is truly a life changing and meaningful, and I recommend that everyone read it.