Which would you rather be--the smart one or the pretty one? For Ava Nickerson and her sister, Lauren, that choice has already been made. Ava is the smart one, a successful lawyer who lives near her parents and always does the responsible thing. Lauren is the pretty one; she's younger, more outgoing, and lives on the other side of the country. When a family emergency and her own lack of financial responsibility bring her back home, Lauren is subjected to Ava's lectures even as she tries out the role of the "good" daughter. In retaliation, she looks up the boy to whom her parents betrothed Ava--in jest, of course--when they were children.
The Smart One and the Pretty One, by Claire LaZebnik, doesn't wallow, but it does look at the ways in which our families determine how we see ourselves. Lauren was encouraged to rely on her good looks by a father who, with no malice intended, clearly implied that she would never get anywhere by using her brain. Ava was rewarded for being bright by people who communicated their contempt for any attempt at outward beauty. In opposition, each one helped to define the other. Sisters don't always recognize personal boundaries, though, and that is where the fun comes in. For Ava and Lauren, who have each other's happiness at heart even when they are nagging, the entry of childhood fiancé Russell provides a way for each of the sisters to leave behind a bit of their old selves.
If you have ever envied, picked on, been embarrassed by, loved, stood up for, or been furious at your sister, you might find something familiar in The Smart One and the Pretty One.
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