Sari and Jess have been best friends since gym class in 7th grade. Opposite in many ways, that's only brought them closer together. At least until they start tenth grade - of all the things Jess worried about, and there were many, her best friend falling "madly, psychotically in love" with half of Eldridge Alternative's perfect couple didn't figure. And if Sari's entering the world of cool, she won't want to stay friends with an SF art geek like Jess.
Though The True Meaning of Cleavage has all the ingredients for a fairly typical YA angst novel, Fredericks adds character development and plot twists that set apart. She not only captures the high drama of adolescence but also the unique nature of female relationships at that age, overwhelming power of emotion and experience, the inarticulate need for parental distance and comfort, and throws in a realistic ethical dilemma that lies at the heart of the novel.
The only flaw, and this is picky, is that the absence of mobile phones, text and internet use date this novel which, given it was published in 2003, is a shame. However this doesn't significantly intrude upon the plot. I look forward to tracking down other novels by this author. - Alex
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