Future Perfect (by Jen Larsen)

It is so exciting to have this book in my hands finally, this gorgeous book written by my spectacular friend Jenfu. Also the book is dedicated to me, you guys. I am sorry for the bragging but nothing like that has ever happened to me before and it never will again so there you have it. A once-in a lifetime brag.

Future Perfect is the story of Ashley Maria Perkins, whose grandmother bribes her every year on her birthday to lose weight in exchange for a car, or a shopping trip to Paris, or other extravagances. I don't even think Jen knows this, but I had a grandmother who was a little similar -- she helped financially support our family, and although she never was as evil as Ashley's grandmother (oh man do I hate Ashley's grandmother), she definitely did pressure me around my weight. She dominated our childhood and loved me fiercely. So it resonates for me personally on many levels.

Ashley is strong, she's smart, she carries her family and all their hopes on her shoulders. She is confident in herself, but that confidence erodes with her grandmother's every attempt to chip away at it. Her friends Laura and Jolene have their own inner lives and are extremely well-drawn. There are gorgeous sentences, because it's Jen's book and of course there are gorgeous sentences. It's the book I wish to go back in time and present to my teenage self. It absolutely feels like a gift. A wonderful, five-star YA.