Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas, Marie Marquardt
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on April 5, 2022
ISBN: 0593425855
Pages: 432
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Melena’s sunburn leaves her unable to wear a bra one morning to school. She has just moved to Jacksonville after her home in Puerto Rico was destroyed by hurricane Maria, and the last thing she is looking for is to start a movement for change at her new school.

Ruby and her parents recently came to Florida from Seattle to help while her grandmother had surgery. She was eager for something new, but she’s also feeling pressure to live up to her sister’s change-the-world accomplishments.

The two girls meet in the nurse’s office the day school officials force Melena to tape panty liners over her nipples. It doesn’t take long for the two to team up and become a force for change. A more grown-up, YA version of the middle grade book Dress-Coded by Carrie Firestone, this book belongs on library shelves for teens. Chapters alternate between the two main characters, creating an interesting literary format that shares the different perspectives. Themes include feminism, women’s issues, intersectionality, and assault. There is a minor romantic subplot.

Reviewed by Kristi Favaloro, Skidompha Public Library