The Fold is a young adult novel by An Na

An Na

An Na is an American author of children's literature. Like most authors, she was a fervent reader as a child. She eventually became a middle school English and History teacher. She turned to writing novels after taking a young adult literature class while enrolled in a M.F.A. program at Vermont...

. It is her third novel following Wait for Me and A Step from Heaven

A Step From Heaven

A Step From Heaven is the first novel by An Na, published in 2001 by Front Street Press. It won the 2002 Michael L. Printz Award from the American Library Association.-Summary:...

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Plot

Joyce Park is a Korean teenager who just finished her junior year of high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

. On the last day of school she asked the boy she had a crush on to sign her yearbook

Yearbook

A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...

, when he does so, he absent-mindedly addresses her by the name of a more academically inclined classmate. Determined to break out of her shell Joyce sets about a program of self-improvement along with the help of her best friend Gina. Hampered by her family, working in her family’s restaurant, and trying to stand out of her older sister’s shadow, she is given a chance to have plastic surgery, a gift from her rich aunt. If Joyce undergoes blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty

Blepharoplasty is surgical modification of the eyelid. Excess tissue such as skin and fat are removed or repositioned, and surrounding muscles and tendons may be reinforced. It can be both a functional and cosmetic surgery.-Indications:...

she will have more European-looking eyes with a prominent eyelid fold, making her stand out from other Korean immigrants, but she is unsure if the procedure will accomplish emotionally what her aunt desires for her.

Reception

Common Sense Media called the novel “a beautiful, poignant coming-of-age story that is as real as the teen girl next door.” Kirkus Reviews gave a positive review with the comment “A lighthearted and thought-provoking look at a serious teen issue.”