Catherine Ryan Hyde's Becoming Chloe is many things, but most importantly it is a search for beauty in a life without it. It is deciding that beauty can be found in both the small and the grandiose. It's about changing your perception of your life and the things around you. It's about Jordy who was kicked out of home because he's gay and now gets by on the gritty underside of NYC. It's about Chloe, who's been so abused, she's just a little bit...off. It's about these two lost kids finding each other and a life worth living.
These are definitely themes that Hyde has explored before (ok, that statement is entirely based upon my viewing [years ago] of the movie Pay It Forward, which was based upon the book she wrote of the same title. So, yeah, do with that info what you must.). She emphasizes that communities and people are both good and bad; that there are as many wonderful people who will help you out as there are that will hurt you or push you down. Jordy & Chloe have to choose which face of the world to focus on. There's is a harsh reality which through struggle and perseverance becomes something better.
Good message, tough life.
Older teens, b/c if there is something you are trying to hide the kids from, it's probably in this book. That was sarcasm.
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