Representation: Latino/a, Black and biracial (half Black and half white) characters
Trigger warnings: Racism, sexist slur, dubious consent, emesis, alcohol consumption, sexual harassment, assault and abuse, depression, anxiety and PTSD mentioned, hurricane in the past, near-death experience, fire, explosions
Score: Six and a half points out of ten.
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I wanted to read Does My Body Offend You for a while but I never got around to doing so until now. After reading and not enjoying another novel it was time to read this one, so I finally picked it up and read it. Imagine my surprise when I enjoyed Does My Body Offend You, but it has aspects the authors could improve.

It starts with the first two characters I see, Ruby and Malena who live their separate lives until they meet only a few pages in. Malena had to move to Florida after a hurricane struck Puerto Rico and afterwards, she had a sunburn disallowing her to wear a bra. Unfortunately, when Malena went to school, she unknowingly broke the dress code, infuriating Ruby, who then swoops in to solve Malena's predicament. They soon form a plan to change the dress code by making a petition and then convincing people to sign it all within a few days, with Ruby begging for detention, even though she did nothing wrong. Ruby didn't even wear a bra, yet the institution let her get away with it, while Malena describes her body as a flat surfboard which got irritating after she repeats that.

My gripes with Does My Body Offend You lie in the characters. I initially liked Malena until I hit the 200 page mark, and that was when she rubbed me the wrong way, because after Malena and Ruby got people to sign the petition, the former went to a party at some rich privileged person's dwelling, made a questionable decision and was hungover. Really? How old is she? I don't think she's old enough to drink what she drank. I couldn't connect or relate to Ruby from the get go and I struggled to comprehend why she had to do all the dress code overhauling for Malena. Couldn't Malena solve her problem alone? The conclusion was rushed, as Ruby botched her speech by saying the school must abolish the dress code, not thinking of the consequences. One of the antagonists, Dr Hardaway, magically did a 180, which was unrealistic, and all Malena did was write a poem, petering out Does My Body Offend You.

To summarise, Does My Body Offend You showed promise, but while it was enjoyable, some aspects of it slightly frustrated me and it could be a better read with some alterations. ( )

This story is messy, but in the way a good story can be. Two girls, from completely different backgrounds come together when one is shamed by the school administration. Malena is living in Florida with her mom, separated from her beloved dad who stayed behind in Puerto Rico to help deal with the aftermath of hurricane damage. When her back becomes so sunburned she can't wear a bra to school, she's subjected to the humiliation of having to tape pantyliners over her nipples. Ruby, dealing with her own insecurities thanks to a move from Seattle to care for her grandmother, and an overachieving older sister, finds Malena in the bathroom trying to figure out how to get the liners in place.
What ensues involves civil disobedience, a national uproar over the inequitable way the school handles the dress code, melt downs, Ruby getting groped and going into her shell as a result, sparks between her and Malena's baseball star cousin, and a very satisfying finale. The events and confrontations in the story will really resonate with a lot of teens, not just girls. Well worth having in any library where good reads for teens are valued. ( )