Book Review

This autobiographical look at the life of a cosmetic surgery-obsessed self-described "plain" girl (who it seems never quite becomes a woman) draws you into a world of insecurity and pain, and never quite lifts you out. By the age of 35, the author, Jamieson Dale, endures a couple dozen procedures in the hopes of escaping her "common flaws". To hear her tell it, all of these surgeries take her from ordinary-looking, to freakishly hideous, and then back to ordinary looking (okay, maybe a little bit pretty) by way of corrective surgery. Along the way, she begs, borrows, and strips to support her snow-balling addiction.

Bad News First

This was a hard review, as I really feel for the author. Her self-esteem issues are obvious in reading the book, and I was struck throughout by her apparent need to reassure herself of her own worth through her writing. As a woman, I understand attaching self-esteem to appearance. I also understand seeking a higher purpose in order to escape this self-destructive way of thinking.

However, I have to be honest. This book, though moving, is not very well-written. It reads at times a bit like a free-associating journal entry, at times like an attempt at prose. Poor vocabulary usage and circular syntax abound and distract.

I Feel So Incomplete

In addition, the end of the story feels unsatisying because the author still refuses to rule out future plastic surgery. While I applaud her honesty, it makes the journey feel incomplete. If she hasn't really learned from her experience, then what is the reader supposed to take away from it?

Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against plastic surgery. However, if an alcoholic "can't have just one", then what does that mean for a plastic surgery addict? Perhaps Ms. Dale only means to imply that she's taking it "one day at a time".

Could Have Saved a Thousand Words

My last major problem with this book is the lack of photos. Plastic surgery is a very visual topic. Without photos, it is difficult for the reader to make up her mind about whether the author's "flaws" or bad surgery results were real or imagined. We are left wondering if our heroine suffers from just plastic surgery addiction, or perhaps it goes deeper into body dysmorphic disorder.

The Upside

I am giving this book three stars because Ms. Dale does succeed in drawing the reader in, and in raising some interesting questions about the ethics of plastic surgery when it comes to patient selection and pre-operative counseling.