In If Only, Corinna already feels separate enough from her friends without everybody getting boobs while she stays flat chested. The other eighth-grade girls are moving on up from sports bras to real bras, while Corinna barely needs the former. And to make matters even worse, almost all of her friends have their periods, but does she? Nope. She's anxiously awaiting its arrival, but not during school hours, please.
There's never a good time to lose your mom to cancer, but losing her when you're going through puberty is especially terrible. The least Corinna's body could do is cooperate and—are you sensing a thread here?—be normal.
Questions About Coming of Age
- Why don't Deborah, Joci's mom, or Aunt Jennifer step in and talk to Corinna about this stuff without her having to ask?
- Do Corinna's friends know she hasn't gotten her period, or is she keeping that a secret, too? Would you tell your friends?
- Does Corinna's dad offer her enough support when it comes to going through puberty? Is he more or less embarrassed than she is about these changes?
Chew on This
More than needing Joci's friendship, Corinna needs Joci's mom in her life so she has an adult woman she can talk to.
A big part of why Corinna's so concerned with her body is because she's worried about not having anyone to talk to as it changes.