Never Enough

Gr 9 Up–High school junior Loann is used to being overshadowed by her beautiful and popular older sister, Claire, to the point that she ruefully accepts that even teachers will find her forgettable. Once she befriends Marcus, a fellow loner, she begins to come into her own. But even as she cultivates an interest in photography and set design, finds a job at a café, and tries to figure out where she and Marcus stand with one another, her envy and awe of Claire persist. This is where readers will lose patience with Loann, as her drawn-out insecurity leads to some horrible decisions like allowing herself to be seduced by Claire’s ex-boyfriend and shrugging off the obvious signs that her sibling leads a very troubled life. Bullying, mean girls, eating disorders, barely there parents, and domestic/child abuse are also added to the mix–plot elements that find shaky support from the awkward pacing and shallow character development.-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library