Narrated by Sue Jean Kim. Not your traditional family (four daughters by four men) but the love among the sisters is as tight as any traditional set-up. These girls are a strong support system as they cope with their fathers and their mother's flighty behavior. When their mother is hospitalized, they will do anything to stay together. It's not often in children's literature that you will find families this complicated, but they are definitely out there and it's good to see it represented. ( )

This book holds your attention with all the twists and turns. It shows that not all family's are perfect. 4Q5P The cover art is okay and I'd recommend this to middle school and high school students. I chose to read this book because when I read the back I knew it was something I wanted to read about. RachelP

I found myself constantly cheering for this quirky totally atypical family group. How can life help getting complicated when mom is always looking for the new man and trying to keep her four girls (from four different fathers) together. ( )

Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata is the story of four sisters. Each of them has a different father, but they are all devoted to their beautiful, sophisticated mother. Then, one day, their mother is in a car accident, and the sisters are sent to live with their fathers. It is the first time in their lives that they have ever been apart.

I have read two other books by Kadohata. This had some similarities (characters with a Japanese heritage, for example, and dealing with serious issues), and some differences (this was set in 1983, and while that may seem "historical" to young readers now, I just can't think of it that way). The ending was more hopeful than I expected. From what I had heard about the book before reading it, I also thought that the girls would be more mature, and that there would be more of a focus on sexuality. While that was touched upon (particularly regarding the mother's lifestyle), the girls themselves were still young and naive. This book reminded me most of Homecoming by another Cynthia -- Cynthia Voigt. The sisters had that same close-knit dynamic of siblings who have to look out for each other because the adults in their world can't always be relied upon. ( )