Pretty Ugly

Jamee is the protagonist of the novel, a 9th-grade girl who has recently started attending the same school as her 11th-grade sister Darcy. Jamee’s family has gone through some changes recently: Her absent father returned to the family, and the grandmother who helped raise Jamee died. Jamee’s transition to high school also comes with significant concerns about Jamee’s ability to succeed academically. Jamee is far more athletic than she is scholarly, unlike her sister, who everyone agrees is studious and bound for college. Jamee’s family is of lower socioeconomic status, as is evidenced by her father’s need to work two jobs to support the costs of a new baby. Because of this, Jamee’s parents place a lot of emphasis on education and academic achievement, believing it to be the key to a better future.

Unfortunately, Jamee is often seen as lacking in this regard, especially in comparison to Darcy. This creates a lot of tension within the family and leaves Jamee feeling frustrated and resentful of the comparisons. Jamee is perceived by her parents as reactive and immature, incapable of settling down to work hard and behave herself. She feels lost and isolated within the family.