“Boys, Beauty & Betrayal” by JC Conrad-Ellis is a book aimed at teenage girls that covers issues that concern these girls in this day and age. The story is told from the viewpoint of Tanisha, who is 14 years old, lives in a broken home, is in the beginnings of discovering boys (who are now discovering her), and is learning about the fragility of friendship.

Ms. Conrad-Ellis definitely wrote this book with teenage girls in mind. She covers the gamut of issues that many girls feel. Tanisha is a likeable character who definitely is going through a lot with being in middle school (which can be hell to begin with), noticing and being noticed by older boys, trying to protect a friend but losing the friendship in return, and having a mother who is most likely undiagnosed bipolar.

I had a hard time getting into this book and I don’t know why. It was written well, but I think that the characters could have been more fleshed out. The author is trying to cover a lot of themes throughout this book so that she can present a positive way of looking at life. I did like the uplifting message but I just wish that I had connected to the story better. ( )

Tanisha Carlson is a typical 14 year old girl. Well really not so typical as she is in Honors classes in middle school and is a good athelete. Tanisha lives with her mother and three brothers in a suburb of Chicago but not in one of the fancier parts of town. She is very much aware of her position in life and is constantly trying to make herself seem to have more than she actually does.
Tanisha seems to have a good relationship with her brothers (as much as a teenage girl can have with brothers) as there seem to be an us against them mentality fo the children against the mom. Tanisha even goes as far as calling her mother by her first name behind her back.
Tanisha has a secret at the beginning of the book that she doesn't want her friends to find out about. This situation is later resolved in the book and her friends don't find out.
Her mother also is hiding a secret that she doesn't want anyone especially Tanisha to find out about but seems to come to a good conclusion later in the story.
Tanisha and her friends are constantly worried about what others are thinking of them, what the boys are thinking of them, how their clothes makes them look.
While I read this it made me remember those days in middle shcool and high school when I thought I would die because I didn't have the right clothes or I wasn't wearing the right makeup or that I wasn't popluar enough. I thought that the author captures the whole teenage angst thing very well.
I read this book with the intention of handing it over to my 14 year old daughter to read . There is some mild language and some mild sexual innuendo so I will discuss that with her before I let her read it but I am sure that she will enjoy it. Tanisha does tell quite a few white lies and I will discuss that with my daughter as well. ( )