Unretouchable

Gr 8 Up–Szamosi’s debut follows Olive, who spends her first summer after high school as a digital tech intern at a fashion magazine. She is supported along the way by her mom, BFF Toni, maybe-not-real internet crush, “Guy,” and internship supervisor, Giorgio. Readers observe Olive as she realizes how far removed from reality digitally edited photos are. Over the summer, she re-examines her own relationships with her body and with social media, crescendoing with the discovery of the (very real) all-virtual model phenomenon. With touches of surrealism, the book’s chunky, blocky, black-and-white art portrays the world as Olive sees it, instead of literally. The lack of color makes it difficult to portray a variety of skin tones, but Szamosi does include a variety of body shapes. BFF Toni, who is trans, brings more diversity to the story. Olive’s story will resonate not just with readers struggling with their body image, but also with any teen dealing with a new job or internship. It also functions as a digital and social media 101 for teens—the book makes readers think critically about the messages media sends and the control young people have over their responses. Yet it never feels like a lecture watching Olive navigate these issues.