$3.99

EPUB format • Instant download

Also available on:

About This Book

Mara, thirteen and sharp-eyed, has spent two years trying to copy her older sibling Alex: the same honors classes, the same soccer drills, the same easy jokes at family dinners. It starts as admiration and turns into a quiet race to match an image everyone else praises. When Mara flunks a presentation she thought the 'Alex method' would save, she feels foolish and exhausted — but keeps pushing, hoping that if she follows Alex's steps exactly, she'll finally fit.

A small, accidental discovery changes everything: a thin, dog-eared notebook slipped under Alex's bed, full of poems and sketches that crack the 'perfect' armor. The notebook reveals late-night worry, secret auditions, and a hidden application to an art program Alex hasn't told anyone about. Mara realizes Alex has been carrying pressure just like she has — but in a different shape. That revelation leads to a quiet, honest conversation where Alex admits to being tired of performing perfection. Mara stops imitating and begins trying things that fit her own curious, careful nature — joining the school photography club and pitching a project for the class presentation that uses her own voice.

Through shared vulnerability and small risks, both siblings grow: Alex learns to ask for support instead of always smiling through stress, and Mara finds courage to make choices that reflect her interests, not someone else's checklist. The story ends with a community gallery evening — not a flashy victory but a warm, messy celebration of different paths. The lesson is shown through scenes and choices, not lectures: the siblings learn that perfection is a portrait, not a passport, and that following your own route takes bravery too.

Themes

📖 Want to read the original story first?