Review: The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart

I recently read The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart as part of a blog tour that was at the end of May. I'm a little late, so my apologies about that (I fail).

Summary: Georgia, an introverted and studious high school junior, and her best friend, the whimsical and somewhat wild Riley, go on a service trip to Juarez, Mexico during school break with a handful of other students. While there, they learn about the life and hardships in this drastically different culture, but also face a dilemma in their lifelong friendship. Georgia, dealing with panic attacks, is concerned when she notices Riley's newly developed Anorexia (which she is doing to make a point to her rich and snobby mother), and when she calls her on it, Riley turns her back and stops talking to her. So we see two stories running parallel: the students trying to help build up a community in Juarez by building the foundation for a community bathroom, and Georgia trying to reconcile and come to terms with her friendship with Riley.

My Thoughts: I thought the message of this novel was excellent. I liked that the author made a point of recognizing another culture, and the significance of helping in places such as Juarez. Literature is a great place to share such things and to learn about other cultures, and ways that we can help, so I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I also thought the writing had a certain lyrical aspect which made the story beautiful to read. What I didn't enjoy so much was the fact that there were so many characters in such a short book and I was left feeling as though I never made a connection with any of them and that most of them were far too underdeveloped. I did like Georgia, and did feel somewhat of a connection with her, and can sympathize with some of her problems, but that's about it. I think this novel had a lot of potential, but that it was far too short to reach said potential. Not to say this book was not worthwhile - it certainly was, but it just wasn't the right book for me. I like to see really strongly developed characters.

This reads a lot like my last review, in which I also complain about lack of characterization. I'm seeing a theme here. I'm drawn to character-driven novels, (which is probably why I'm a huge fan of memoirs and essayists), and I really need to see deep development in order to connect with a character. If not, I find it hard to get engrossed in a book.

My Rating: 3/5