Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick

Becky had promise from the first page. She's aware of her own physical shortcomings and she doesn't make any excuses for them.  She is the way she is, and everyone can accept that or keep their opinions to themselves.  When she's offered the chance to be the most beautiful woman in the world, she takes it.  Who wouldn't? My opinion of her didn't last. 

 There were a few problems with this story as a whole, though.  The conversation is stilted quite frequently.  There's also something...off about the entire narration. Maybe because it's written by a man voicing a teenage girl, maybe it's because Becky has a tendency to describe everything to epic proportions.  Becky was okay as a narrator, but I didn't connect with her fully.  She never upheld her promise of being that sarcastic, funny girl who wryly observes the world and subtly changes it to suit her own needs.

The biggest issues with this book are Tom Kelly and his dresses.  He promises to make Becky the most beautiful woman in the world using "magic" but this magic is never explained.  Sure, I was able to glean some of how it works along the way, but I never fully understood what was happening.
 Then there is Tom himself, with the biggest plot twist of all.  This could have been an amazing addition, bringing readers back again and again.  I won't say what it is, in case you want to read the book, but the reveal was pretty huge and then the whole thing just fizzled.  Not everything needs a scientific explanation, but there is no evidentiary support at all.  There's just nothing. 

The entire story came across as shallow and mean.  I think it was supposed to be a cutting social commentary, but Becky never seemed to learn anything from her time as the most beautiful woman in the world other than how to provide better service to the rich.  She had dreams of providing for those who were physically impaired, and for those who didn't have the means to make better lives for themselves.  When her looks returned to normal, though, she seemed to have forgotten her ambitions entirely.  To me, this just says that the only way we can use our assets to help those in need is if we're beautiful enough to make a public spectacle of it all. 

I think with a little bit of effort this could be the scathing commentary it was supposed to be.  As it is, though, Gorgeous doesn't add up to a good read.