45 pages • 1 hour read
Grady HendrixA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Magazines and related quizzes symbolize The Challenges of Adolescence, as well as the inadequate solutions of adult society. For example, Abby has acne but can’t afford dermatology. She tries all the skincare products advertised in teen fashion magazines, none of which help. As a “solution,” Abby settles for spending 30 minutes a day applying makeup, which does not treat her skin, but hides the “problem” from others. Ignoring and concealing problems are framed as adult “solutions,” lessons that adults instill in adolescents—lessons that only maintain reputation. However, this is not an effective strategy to address problems at their core. Likewise, Abby and Gretchen’s magazines fail to provide realistic solutions, but they live in a world run by adults and try to survive within its rules. They constantly read magazines and take their quizzes, demonstrating their commitment to adulthood—even with its growing pains.
In Chapter 15, a friendship quiz is interspersed throughout the narrative, illustrating the bizarre structure of the adult world and breakdown of Abby’s friendships. The quiz offers four multiple-choice answers per question, as if life’s questions have fixed, limited answers. The choices are meant to represent four types of people, but this is reductive because people are complex.
By Grady Hendrix
Books on Justice & Injustice
View Collection
Class
View Collection
Class
View Collection
Community
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Good & Evil
View Collection
Laugh-out-Loud Books
View Collection
Religion & Spirituality
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
The Best of "Best Book" Lists
View Collection
YA Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense
View Collection