Posing As Ashley

This spin-off of the YALSA Quick Pick, Painting Caitlyn, tells the story of Caitlyn's best friend Ashley, as she tries to break into the modeling industry. Sixteen-year-old Ashley has always been an overachiever, eager to please everyone (especially her mother, who is battling cancer). Her grades are high, her boyfriend is gorgeous, and she is beautiful. Ashley also has a big heart, particularly when it comes to animals, and she serves that passion by volunteering at the local animal shelter. When her father's new girlfriend offers her the opportunity to give professional modeling a try, she jumps at the chance. One more responsibility to balance in an already demanding life, but it's something she's always dreamed of doing. Just as she enters the competitive and hypercritical world of fashion, parental pressures mount (her mother supports her modeling, her father does not) and her long term relationship with Brandon crumbles. Ashley makes the difficult decision to persevere with this new career, telling herself, ''... if I couldn't make Brandon love me, I was going to make the world love the idea of me.'' As she tries to navigate the catty world of modeling wannabes, she is selected for an ad campaign that glamorizes fur - something she is utterly opposed to. Forced to choose between two passions, Ashley discovers that getting what you want isn't nearly as important as finding out who you really are. Suitable for reluctant teen readers and ESL students.