A feminist middle grade novel that really tackles the hard parts of being a girl in middle school. I really enjoyed this book, and think many girls will see themselves in these characters.

This was a very quick read. Middle school girls look to find out who created a list of the 50 prettiest girls - some see it at objectifying girls, while others are upset as to their placement (or not making the list at all).

I absolutely love that there are body positive books coming out for tweens and teens. I absolutely loved the message of The Prettiest and will be encouraging tweens and teens to read this book!

Although I read mostly middle grade, I loved this upper middle school/YA book. It has an empowering message to readers on fighting against sexism. The way the 8th grade girls are ranked as the top 50 prettiest girls in the grade causes much self-consciousness and a self=hate of bodies, also objectifying girls based on their physical appearances. I loved the resistance of some of the characters that fought against this and banded together. Girl power!

The Prettiest by Brigit Young brings the #MeToo movement to middle school in an accessible, inclusive, and ultimately empowering story about fighting against toxic masculinity and sexual harassment.
The eighth grade class is rocked by drama as an online list of the top 50 prettiest girls is released. Bookish and budding poet Eve is suddenly on the spotlight as she is ranked number 1 and her life is thrown into chaos. Popular girl Sophia Kane is second-placed, which threatens her security at the top and being seeing as anything but "less than". Nessa Flores-Brady never had any expectations of being on any kind of list due to her body size. The story is told through these various points of view in alternating chapters. The author does a great job in highlighting the complexities of middle school life, especially when girls are either have gone through puberty or just beginning and how quickly they are seen as objects by boys in their school. Unfortunately and realistically, the author does highlight the failures of adults to address the incident though steps are taken later in the book.
What makes The Prettiest a standout for me is how the author is able to create full character arcs for each of the main characters. Eve struggles with self confidence and paralyzing insecurity and even though she is harmed by text messages ranging from Anti-Semitic vitriol to comments about her body, there is a part of her that likes the spotlight especially when the most popular boy in school begins to talk to her and asks her out. She has to come to terms with these conflicting emotions. Sophie Kane is the polar opposite to Eve. She is an ambitious young woman though she too is incredibly fearful of letting know the real her, the poor girl whose mom works as a waitress in a diner. She uses make-up, which ages her beyond her years, as an armor and mask to create an illusion of a perfect girl. She at first does not care about being objectified by the list just so long as it's rewritten with her in first place, but slowly accepts herself and attempts to not objectify her female classmates by their looks. Nessa is confident and has her eyes sight on Broadway, but she too hurts knowing her body type is never going to be an acceptable beauty standard.
Along with the personal character journey's, the list highlights the insidiousness of toxic masculinity and targeted bullying. Eve’s father believes there is nothing wrong with the list as it's "boys being boys" and glad that his daughter is ranked number one. Eve's older brother, Abe, and classmate Winston offer insights into the pressures of toxic masculinity and the complacency of being bystanders. I really appreciated how the girls came together and talked about the effects of normative beauty standards and that they come together against the majority boys who enforce them. I would have liked to see the perpetrators' own epiphany and discussion of what they did wrong and the actions by the school administration. This timely and diverse discussion of bullying and sexism is a must read for budding feminists and their parents.

Summary: A shock wave travels through the eighth grade when an anonymous list appears on social media ranking the top 50 prettiest girls in the class. The story is told from alternating points of view of three characters: Eve, a shy introvert who’s uncomfortable with her body’s sudden changes and is in the #1 spot; Eve’s best friend Nessa, a theater kid who doesn’t make the list and has been teased about her weight; and Sophie, a girl from the wrong side of town striving to be best at everything who is dismayed to be ranked #2. Although Sophie’s never hung around with Eve and Nessa, the fallout from the list brings them together, and they plot to bring down the boy they think created the list. Several plot twists reveal to the girls that appearances can be deceiving, especially in middle school, and that everyone, including the three of them, has something to hide. 320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros: This seems to be the year of the middle school sexual harassment book, and this has been one of my favorites. Too often, stories that take place in middle school have the good kids versus the mean kids, but this showed that all kids are struggling with their identities as they enter adolescence. The question of who created the list creates a page turner that will keep readers engaged to the very end.

Cons: Trying not to make this a spoiler, but after learning so much about many of the characters, we never really get to know the one who actually created the list.

Eve, a quiet, studious girl who studies hard and is very responsible, begins dealing with her changing body by wearing her older brother's baggy sweatshirts. She is shocked when a list of "The Prettiest" 50 girls in school is posted and she is listed as number 1. Sophie Kane, the pretty, popular girl is furious to come in as number 2, and Nessa, Eve's best friend, is not even on the list and knows she never will be. After Eve is accused of writing the list herself and the most popular boy in school begins paying attention to Eve, the three girls realize they must band together to find the real culprit and put the social hierarchy back in its proper place. But it isn't quite as easy as that.

As the girls begin to investigate, they face their real feelings of being judged on what they look like and the imposed social hierarchy of middle school. Eve realizes she is a pawn in a revenge scheme by popular guy, Nessa realizes she is more hurt by appearance judgements rather than talent judgments than she lets on, and Sophie realizes that even though she was fully aware popular girls were hated, she was missing out on not having true friends and being able to realize her true talents and pursue her real interests.

I felt the writing was stilted at times, but those parts were easily eclipsed by the storyline. This is a *girl power* book, but the males are not made out to be the misogynists. Eve's father at first, was proud that his daughter was named the #1 "prettiest," but it was her older brother who stepped in and realized that this list was not okay and confronted their father about it. I even felt somewhat sympathetic toward the popular guy at the end without feeling like I was betraying the girls. I at least understood why he acted as he did. This story shows the complexities of middle school life, how easy it is to sway public opinion, how harmful objectifying women can be, and how important it is to create a "strength in numbers" support system in any type of institution to prevent this from happening or to stop the practice.

This story is about three 8th graders Eva, Sophie, and Nessa who stand up for themselves and others. The story starts off with an online list of the top 50 prettiest girls at the school. I really enjoyed reading the story that I stayed up late nights trying to finish. The characters are relatable, interesting and well developed. I like how the perception of each character changes over the course of the story. This book is for middle graders who will comprehend what is happening in the story. The story is heartbreaking, funny, and inspiring. The issues in the book address bullying, sexual harassment, physical appearances, peer pressure, and rivalries. This book will definitely spark conversation and build self-worth. I recommend this book for every middle-grade female. I will be reading more by this author. I give this book five stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian Children’s Publishing Group for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I kept seeing this book for the longest time but I must admit I was turned off by the cover. I believed the content would be as juvenile as I perceived the cover. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong with my summation. And am happy that I requested to read this amazing book.

As Eve, Nessa and Sophie prepared for what they thought was just another day at school they were unaware of the list. A list ranking the top fifty prettiest girls. Eve ranking as No. 1 and Sophie as No. 2 sends everything into a tailspin for both of them. Nessa, who isn’t on the list and never expected to be, feels as though her friendship with Eve is threatened by everything that begins to happen. The girls have to figure out how to not only face this challenge head on but how to change things moving forward.
This was a FANTASTIC work of middle grade fiction! This novel is timely and is a powerful look at female objectification and sexual harassment at the middle school level. It also emphasizes the importance of female friendship and diversity. Every character in this book is multi-layered and readers get a well-rounded look at the main characters with a multi-POV narration. This book is one that I can’t wait to see how much our students will enjoy. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to middle schoolers and above. Librarians and Media Specialist this is one that should be added to any YA collection.

This book made me so sad for middle school students and the seemingly constant social pressure they face. When quiet, unassuming Eve is thrust into the spotlight after being named #1 prettiest girl in the 8th grade, her life is turned upside down. She joins forces with her best friend and the formerly most popular girl in 8th grade to uncover the author of the list.

Being a middle school girl is hard; being judged, slapped with a label, and then judged more is even harder. This is an excellent book that has great voice and really digs into the mindsets of three completely different points of view. It's funny at times, deft with the pacing, and ends in a way I didn't expect. Students can definitely benefit from this book, and as soon as we return, I'll be purchasing copies for our program.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A list of the prettiest girls in the middle school gets released, and now there's all the fallout. Wow, this premise and set-up is super timely and relateable for my students. I love the girls and their friendships, but also how it tackles self-esteem and dealing with school-wide issues like this. Would recommend for grades 6-8.

The Prettiest is a powerful look at female objectification and sexual harassment in middle school. Every character in this book is multi-layered and readers get a well-rounded look at the main characters with a multi-POV narration. I loved Brigit Young’s debut novel, Worth a Thousand Words, but I have to say, I LOVED this even more. If you enjoy books about (unlikely) friendships, bookworm characters, and challenging society’s standards of beauty, you will enjoy this novel.

Good middle grade book for both boys and girls to read. Characters were 8th grade and though I’ve read a “the list pretty girls” in a HS scenario, setting it in a middle school was good to be explored too. I liked the ending and the revelations and the processing of characters. Good book.

An upper middle grade book novel filled with middle school drama where an anonymous student shares a list of the top 50 “prettiest” girls in school. One problem is that Sophie isn’t #1 like she thinks she should be, instead Eve Hoffman is. Figuring out who is behind this horrid act is harder than it seems. Broken friendships and new friendships have to occur.
This was a sad but true story of what happens in schools today, totally would not recommend this for my students as they are not at the maturity level to read this (4th grade), but definitely would recommend for 6th-8th grade students. I think Brigit Young developed these multifaceted middle schoolers quite well. It was easy to follow through with the alternating perspectives and you could easily connect with the main character Eve as she struggled with making some hard decisions.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this one, which is out next week (4.14.20)! Poetry-loving, not particularly popular Eve, who is coping with her newly developing body, is mortified when a list of the top 50 girls in the eighth grade is released - and she is number one. Sophie, the most popular girl in the grade, is upset to be ranked second. She KNOWS Brody made this list up because he refused to kiss her. The two, along with Eve’s best friend Nessa, team up to expose Brody for the bully he is. With themes of bullying and consent, this is a top pick for middle school readers. Recommended for grades 6+.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a GREAT piece of middle grade fiction! A list surfaces in an 8th grade classroom, ranking the top 50 prettiest girls in the class. Who made the list and why? The book switches between three narrators: Eve is number one on the list and not happy about it - she hates the attention. Sophie is number two and furious about it - why isn’t she number one? And Nessa is not on the list at all and just wants to figure out who is behind the sexist list that objectifies girls.

Very timely and empowering, emphasizing the importance of female friendship. I appreciated the diversity in the book as well. Loved this and think a lot of young readers will too!

The Prettiest is a compelling, relatable story of sexual harassment and objectification of girls at middle school when a list ranking the fifty prettiest girls in the eighth grade is released anonymously. The effect the list has on different girls in the school, especially surprisingly top-ranked Eve, her best friend Nessa, and Sophie, the most popular girl in the school, is interesting and rings true. Sophie's character comes across as shallower than the author probably intended, especially early in the book, but her perspective and social anxieties are still clear and overall she is a sympathetic, dynamic character. The book is a fast read, with the question of who wrote the list driving the plot forward--the ultimate reveal is also exciting. The book also depicts day-to-day Jewish life and celebrations, although it is included rather clunkily in the greater story. Overall well-written, relatable, and timely. Girls (and boys) will find their self-worth reaffirmed, and will also see the often-hidden consequences of objectifying themselves and each other. Ages 10 to 14. 4.5 stars.

This novel presents a welcome representation of girls supporting other girls. It explores the conflicted emotions young women have about being "pretty". The message of this book, while at times heavy handed, is an important one. I enjoyed seeing girls try to overcome everyone's else's perception of them to discover who they truly are. It was an interesting read that would be welcome on middle school shelves. Because it is written from three very different points of view, we are able to sympathize with a wide range of characters from the theater nerd to the most popular girl in school.

Every young girl needs to read this book. It’s a step away from the traditional teen book and goes deeper into what a girl thinks. You will rally behind the characters and cheer them on as they navigate the world of high school.