Beautyland

It’s 1991 and exoplanets are discovered orbiting a pulsar in the constellation Virgo. Dominic drives Toni and Adina to their high school for the first day of classes. Adina “at thirteen is an underweight, near-sighted extraterrestrial with an aversion to mouth noises” (92). A blonde girl named Dakota explains that on a girl’s birthday, friends give her balloons, and Adina is immediately worried that she won’t receive any. In the night classroom, Adina’s new mentor is a shape that she calls Solomon. In her high school, Adina’s Italian class is translating The Little Prince. Toni, who rides the bus with her from their neighborhood, remains Adina’s closest friend. Meanwhile, Adina’s mother is promoted to administrative assistant at work.

On her birthday, Adina intentionally misses the bus, and her mother drives her to school. On the way, her mother reflects on how so many people don’t talk in cars, using this as a metaphor to suggest that too many people are literalists and don’t have a sense of humor. Despite her dread at reaching school, Adina receives several balloons. This is because, as Toni says, she is funny. However, rather than feeling proud, Adina feels embarrassed.