Wrinkles

Richard Hicks
Infinity Publishing (2006)
ISBN 0741432528
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (3/07)

A wrinkle is defined as "a line or crease in the skin, as from age.” It also means "a clever trick, method or device.” "Wrinkles," by Richard Hicks, prominently focuses on both meanings of the word. Hicks makes a strong social statement regarding women and growing old gracefully. Sally Arnstein is a middle-aged woman who is the managing editor of a woman's magazine called ZING that is aimed at females and provides tips for living a zestful life and for looking younger. She initially sees nothing wrong with this and has even undergone procedures on her face to control her wrinkles. However, when her eighteen-year-old daughter starts to become interested in having cosmetic surgery, Sally begins to rethink her position on the topic. To make things even more complicated, the magazine she works for is sold and is going to be run by Milos, a playboy who has been living in his father's shadow, and is determined to make a name for himself. To accomplish this goal, he decides to change the format of the magazine to reach a younger audience through the use of articles by a plastic surgeon that is going to give a young woman a complete body makeover using replicas of celebrities' body parts. This infuriates Sally so she sets out to add a wrinkle to his plans.

An odd mix of characters lends to the charm of this book. Sally is depicted as smart, clever and on-the ball, but will get downright dirty when necessary. Bette, Sally's accomplice, is an ex-con stuck with guilt from an incident in her past. She is trying to make up for it by educating women about the dangers of cosmetic surgery. Dr. Zarcata, the plastic surgeon, has aspirations of becoming world famous. Milos is also intent on becoming successful for once.

I enjoyed seeing the women become empowered while the men deservedly go down in flames. Hicks connects with the readers by often mentioning modern celebrities. His choice of celebrities was excellent, because they are ones who will be famous for many years, thus allowing future readers to know who he is talking about. One thing I did not like was the picture on the cover. While it captures the essence of the book, I thought it was creepy. If I was browsing in a bookstore, I might be deterred by that image.

"Wrinkles" is a book about setting a goal and doing whatever it takes to achieve it, regardless of how impossible it may seem. It also teaches a lesson about accepting yourself for who you are and how you look. Strength and beauty come from inside and are more important than how one looks on the outside.

Make comment on weblog