Eagar, Lindsay. Made Glorious. Candlewick, 4/2024. 389pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-5362-0467-4. GRADES 9–12. ADDITIONAL.
Rory, a senior at Bosworth Academy, “deserves” to be the lead in the school’s musical. Although she is not the first choice, or even the second choice, all obstacles steadily fall away and she is given the role, just a week before opening night. Readers begin to piece together seemingly disparate events, who is behind them, and what this means to others as the chapters unfold. Eagar mixes in clues that show all is not quite right with Rory, while disguising the whole truth about her actions until the very end. Readers will first encounter a trigger warning about suicidal tendencies and fatphobia; these topics are mostly behind the scenes, with some muttering about her size by some classmates she then targets, plus some comments Rory makes as the narrator about herself and the “real” reason she was not a top choice. Rory and her classmates read as white. Rory shows how overcommitted one can be to their chosen field, and the consequences of being driven to succeed at the expense of others.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library