Mini-March Review: Everyone is Beautiful

By Katherine Center

Rarely have I identified with a main character so much. Lanie moved because of her husband's job, but now she's home all day with three kids and no support network. Baby Sam's too young to much more than make messes and be loud, but toddlers Toby and Alex and the perfect age to get into trouble. Everyday Lanie frays around the edges a little more. She finds an outlet in the gym. It helps her feel better about her body and it gives her that time to focus on herself.

And boy do I feel driven crazy by work myself. (You know what I thought as I ended that paragraph? According to Ochiai Emiko, most women loathe being full-time housewives. They can't take it. As societies industrialize, more women become housewives because the household can afford it. Then they re-enter the workforce - shorter and shorter time later from when the kids are born - because they can't take being in the home all day centering their lives around their kids and husband. I think it's in chapter eight of her book, but not positive.)

All this week I've been snatching moments with Lanie. I haven't been able to finish yet, but the third I've read of EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL calmed me down. At least I don't have three kids running around. As Lanie frays it reminds me that my difficult week is temporary and once I turn these papers in on Thursday I barely have anything to do.

I'm not a mom, but I have baby-sat my cousins since they were born. (I have no maternal instinct. Somehow disaster has been averted. Mad puppet skills?) From my experiences, Lanie's troubles with her children seem accurate. Kids will repeat everything. They can teleport. Read this and admire the women who look after their kids day after day. Or the men, as it may be.

But the book is promising marital problems beyond Lanie's husband totally missing her distress, and I can't wait. I love this woman. And I am so glad I'm not her.



What do you think of the newly released trailer? EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL is available now. I've even personally seen it in bookstores. Find out more at Center's website, blog, or MySpace. She's also the author of THE BRIGHT SIDE OF DISASTER. If you return tomorrow you can read a guest blog by Center.

Review copy provided by Pump Up Your Book Promotions.