Review: Never Enough by Denise Jaden - Farah

Title: Never Enough

Author: Denise Jaden

Publication date: July 10, 2012

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre(s): Young Adult (Realistic Fiction)

Challenges: A-Z, Contemporary

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 400

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From the author of Losing Faith, a novel about two sisters and the eating disorder that threatens to destroy their family.

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special… even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship —and her sister—before it’s too late?

I have been staring at my screen for about five minutes now, not knowing how to start this review. I guess I'll just start with the boring stuff, and introduce the characters. Not that the characters are boring, but you know what I mean. The main protagonist, Loann, is quite your average teenage girl. Though being compared to her sister Claire, she's not so average anymore. Loann's sister, Claire, is pretty and popular. So instead of Loann just being a normal teenager, she's always "Claire's little sister". Loann's got her little group of friends, but she can't help comparing herself to her sister. Never Enough starts off very good. I was immediately immersed in the story, and I just couldn't put the book down. I though that it was going to be one of those "heavy" realistic fictions, but it was really fun and cute at first. Loann meets another friend, and his name is Marcus. He's the quiet type, and definitely not part of those jocks. I loved the relationship between the two of them, because I loved how funny and sarcastic they were. I always love a good humor in a person, so I really enjoyed reading about them. 

While Claire isn't an important role in the story yet, the story spotlights on Marcus and Loann. I don't know why Marcus wasn't even mentioned in the synopsis, because I truly felt like he played a big role in the book. What I really liked, was that Denise Jaden didn't hasten the romance. Yes, it was annoying and really made me grind my teeth some points, but I felt that it was more realistic. They were friends, then really good friends, and then things developed. You're probably wondering where the "anorexia" and "bulimia" part is, and yes it'll come. I, myself, was shocked to find that half the book, there was still no mention that Claire is having an eating disorder. Honestly, I kind of forgot about it, and just thought that I was reading a cute and fun contemporary novel. I wasn't complaining either so it was good. 

Gradually, Claire started acting weird. I liked how Denise Jaden didn't just attack the tragedy, but made us take it slowly. Claire kept lessening her food, playing with it, and refusing any snacks. While Never Enough was still fun, I saw that the seriousness has taken over. I missed Marcus, but I was too busy concentrating on the problem to actually notice it. Loann is a very smart character, because she was the only one to notice! I hated how her parents were so naive, and never thought of the possibility that their daughter might be in actual danger! Though I hated Claire at first, I started taking pity on her. She was one of those girls that being pretty wasn't enough, being thin wasn't enough, and I guess that's why the book is called Never Enough. 

Overall, I can say that I devoured this book in a day. It was so great in so many ways, and so heart warming. The ending was a great way to wrap things up. Never Enough was one of those books that stirred up all my emotions, and for me, that's what makes a book special to a reader. As I finished Never Enough, I literally hugged it. It was sad to let it go, but I felt like my journey with Loann has ended, and was time to move on. I really loved Never Enough, and it is going to be a book that I'll never forget. I definitely recommend it to all young adult readers, because this is not only mind opening, but a very interesting book that will not disappoint!

5 musical notes - A favorite!