Deenie (1973)

One of those teen classics I'd never read. Deenie is believably shallow--a product of her mother's obsession with Deenie's modeling--and her changes over the course of the book are swift (it's only 144 pages) but satisfying. She's largely unlikeable at first, but by the end she's a very sympathetic character. I'm confused as to what Blume is "saying" with the Buddy storyline, though--basically Deenie's scoliosis brace keeps him from feeling her up, and that's all right with both parties?

Like most other Judy Blume books, it's marketed towards tweens, but some individual sexual content may raise some objections from parents of younger tweens. ( )

It was a great book.One of the best books I have read.It shows.determination and that disability can't stop you from your dream. ( )

I loved this book! It was one of the best books i have read. It shows lots about being different with a disability. ( )

Deenie is about a 13-year old girl who has a pretty good life, apart from her overbearing mother. But when she tries out for cheerleading, her gym teacher notices something: Deenie’s hips are uneven. After seeing several doctors and specialists, she is diagnosed with scoliosis. Deenie now has to wear a Milwaukee Brace until she completes her growth spurt around age 17. She is devastated. When she gets her brace, we see Deenie go through the 5 stages of grief as they pertain to her condition. She angrily cuts off her hair at one point, but eventually accepts that her brace is part of her life now. Deenie actually deals with this fairly well compared to the adults in her life. Her mother is a stage mom who drags her to modeling agencies in hopes of getting her signed, and she has the most trouble accepting her daughter’s fate. Her father and older sister are much more realistic and supportive, although Deenie’s medical care affects both of them in ways they hadn’t anticipated. Deenie’s school principal decides that Deenie is crippled now, and tries to get her to ride the short bus to school. But Deenie’s friends are made of sterner stuff than the adults. They don’t reject her because of the change in her life. ( )

Deenie is a complex, and often unlikable character--Blume is very, very honest in her portrayal of this thirteen year old girl, who spends much of the novel bemoaning her life and talking about how ugly people gross her out. But it's this honesty that carries the novel--the sheer, sad accuracy of this working class family and of Deenie's middle school peer group are what make these novels much, much better than (say) the Babysitter's Club. Oh, and you'll learn plenty about scoliosis, too. ( )