The importance of appearance

Carley has a major deformity because of a bout with cancer at the age of twelve. Carley remembers her parents' fears that she would die and her mother says that she sees Carley as a beautiful young woman who survived. Carley is tormented by her peers, most of whom are callously rude in their comments to her and about her. As an effort to insulate herself from those comments, Carley has no friends and seeks to use humor, which is often very dark. Carley also avoids strangers as much as possible. She works in the back at the book store so she doesn't have to see strangers react to her appearance. At one point Carley says to Janelle that Janelle can't possibly understand the hurt that comes with all the rude comments. Janelle says there's a flip side of that coin. She is very pretty...