Monday, December 29, 2025

Jawbreaker by Christina Wyman

 

Jawbreaker  by Christina Wyman  305 pages


Max Plink's life is complicated. Her parents aren't getting along. The school bullies are relentless, and her own sister is the cruelest of them. Worst of all, her mouth is a mess. With a mismatched puzzle of a jaw, Max has a Class II malocclusion, otherwise known as a severe overbite. She already has braces, which means she lives on Advil and soft foods after each orthodontist appointment. But now Max has to wear painful (and totally awkward) orthodontic headgear nicknamed "the jawbreaker." Could things get any worse? Yes. The journalism competition Max wants to enter has a video component. But being on camera means showing her face not just to her junior high classmates, but possibly the whole city. Going viral is the last thing Max needs, but winning this competition is what she wants most. Turns out, following her dreams is complicated, too.


This is a Mark Twain nominee.  It really hit home because I had to wear headgear when I was a teenager, but not out in public.  I also related to parents fighting all the time.  It was so sad that one of her bullies was her sister though.  I really think kids will like this book if they just give it time.  It is a long book for some kids to get through.

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