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a_brash's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
sublimejake's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
julieartz's review against another edition
5.0
I was lucky enough to pick up a review copy of this beautiful novel in verse about a middle school boy learning to accept himself. Perfect for ages 10+ kids struggling with body image, the anxiety of a first crush, divorce, or the upheaval of puberty.
sreddous's review against another edition
4.0
It's really tricky to write about a character losing weight over the course of a story while they also learn valuable lessons about life and confidence and such. People are allowed to do whatever they want with their bodies, and it's not inherently fatphobic to have a story where a fat character decides to change their lifestyles and get fit. That CAN be a triumphant story.
However, In this book's case, I think the thing that could have been better defined is: Ari lost weight... really, just in response to other peoples' comments.
And while that's really really realistic (more on how VERY REALISTIC this book is in a sec), boy oh boy do people feel compelled to comment on fat bodies, I feel... frustrated that Ari changed himself (that his parents made him change himself) because people told him to. It lessens the idea that he is "figuring out who he really is" over the course of the story -- would he be pretty fine with who he "is" if mean people weren't always telling him, "it's bad to be fat"? I think he would, because on page 2 right off the bat, Ari tells us: "Even though I'm overweight, I can still do everything everyone else can...but people just see me as different."
I think if the framing was different, if the focus was that Ari wanted to change his body because he didn't actually like eating a lot of food but just felt trapped by bad coping skills, or that he wanted to do a sport that was difficult for him, or something like that, this would be a much more powerful story. I think we could have had both the realistic bullying AND also Ari realizing that being more fit made HIM feel better since he could do [specific activity that he couldn't before]. Because I do want to cheer for Ari to do awesome activities that maybe he couldn't before! I don't really want to cheer for Ari to change his body because mean people told him he should.
Basically, my takeaway from the book was this: Ari's parents and doctors are bad people for putting him on this crash diet. I think what I personally wanted from this book is: I wanted Ari to have more space to be mad at those people for putting him on this crash diet because he loves himself!
This book still deserves a high rating IMO because it is SO realistic, so raw, and I think would still be a good (careful) read for young people who are trying to figure out how they feel about themselves. The self-harm scene is heartbreaking. The way Ari describes his cravings and his relationship with food makes sense as-is even if I wish there was more of him, himself, realizing he doesn't want to eat like that anymore. I love the way Ari and his friends bond over their activities that have nothing to do with a person's size or appearance. I think the way crushes are handled makes sense. I love how Ari starts applying lessons he learns from the Rabbi in his adventures.
Really, overall, this is powerful. It's just that I think changing the framing would have made this truly a haunting AND triumphant experience.
(Content warnings: self-harm, some alcohol/tobacco use, some antisemitic speech)
However, In this book's case, I think the thing that could have been better defined is: Ari lost weight... really, just in response to other peoples' comments.
And while that's really really realistic (more on how VERY REALISTIC this book is in a sec), boy oh boy do people feel compelled to comment on fat bodies, I feel... frustrated that Ari changed himself (that his parents made him change himself) because people told him to. It lessens the idea that he is "figuring out who he really is" over the course of the story -- would he be pretty fine with who he "is" if mean people weren't always telling him, "it's bad to be fat"? I think he would, because on page 2 right off the bat, Ari tells us: "Even though I'm overweight, I can still do everything everyone else can...but people just see me as different."
I think if the framing was different, if the focus was that Ari wanted to change his body because he didn't actually like eating a lot of food but just felt trapped by bad coping skills, or that he wanted to do a sport that was difficult for him, or something like that, this would be a much more powerful story. I think we could have had both the realistic bullying AND also Ari realizing that being more fit made HIM feel better since he could do [specific activity that he couldn't before]. Because I do want to cheer for Ari to do awesome activities that maybe he couldn't before! I don't really want to cheer for Ari to change his body because mean people told him he should.
Basically, my takeaway from the book was this: Ari's parents and doctors are bad people for putting him on this crash diet. I think what I personally wanted from this book is: I wanted Ari to have more space to be mad at those people for putting him on this crash diet because he loves himself!
This book still deserves a high rating IMO because it is SO realistic, so raw, and I think would still be a good (careful) read for young people who are trying to figure out how they feel about themselves. The self-harm scene is heartbreaking. The way Ari describes his cravings and his relationship with food makes sense as-is even if I wish there was more of him, himself, realizing he doesn't want to eat like that anymore. I love the way Ari and his friends bond over their activities that have nothing to do with a person's size or appearance. I think the way crushes are handled makes sense. I love how Ari starts applying lessons he learns from the Rabbi in his adventures.
Really, overall, this is powerful. It's just that I think changing the framing would have made this truly a haunting AND triumphant experience.
(Content warnings: self-harm, some alcohol/tobacco use, some antisemitic speech)
jengennari's review against another edition
5.0
A poignant novel-in-verse about Ari, a large boy who learns to accept himself, to find his real self. Baron captures the bullying, the self-loathing, and confusion Ari feels. I liked the subtle references to the issues Ari faces without overdoing it: the end of his parents' marriage, a crush on a best friend whose mother is in rehab, and the pressure of his bar mitzvah.
Side note: The story is set in Marin, with very familiar references to those who live here!
Side note: The story is set in Marin, with very familiar references to those who live here!
amandarawsonhill's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautiful book that really does a good job of being a bridge between MG and YA. There is a character trying to lose weight in this story, so if you don't want that in a body image narrative, be aware. But the whole point of the book is that this boy is so much more than his weight, even though that is what everyone sees. A very moving look at growing up.
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
Seventh-grader Ari Rosensweig is the new kid in school and not very happy about it. His family has just moved from New York to San Francisco, where his parents are in the business of promoting his mother's artwork. Now, he has to face new kids who will just see him as a fat boy and not who he really is - a kid who likes to ride his bike, play video games, make up role-playing games and has an interest in cryptozoology.
Over the course of seventh grade, Ari is brought to a rabbi for bar mitzvah preparation a year late, bullied by some of the boys in school because of his weight, makes a first friend named John, nicknamed Pick, a gamer who is also into robots, and a second friend named Lisa, the troubled rebel girl who sometimes misses school, and takes art lesson with Ari's mom. By the end of seventh grade, he is also dealing with an increasingly absent father he discovers is cheating on his mother.
At Stinson Beach for the summer, Ari becomes more and more aware of his weight and the anger Pick feels because of an earlier violent encounter on a bike path between Ari and his bullies that he witnessed. One sleepless night, after a fight with Pick about the encounter, Ari's pain comes to a head resulting in a self-inflicted wound that propels him into finally dealing with his weight.
Meantime, Lisa comes to stay with them at Stinson Beach while her mother is away dealing with her own problems. Over the course of the summer, Ari begins to sense an awakening in himself as his feelings for Lisa start to surface, discovers why Pick is so angry about the incident on the bike path, and begins to deal with the demise of his parent's marriage. Before the diet, Ari had always been defined only by his weight, but as he loses it, as his body physically changes, he realizes more and more that losing weight isn't a cure-all, that there is so much more to who he is than just body image, but that his weight will always be a work in progress.
If All of Me rings true to readers, perhaps it is because it is based on the author's own experiences as a overweight child. Perhaps that is why Ari's pain is so palpable, but so are his good moments. And he is strong character even if he does begin his story asking "Who am I?" Who he is is already there, it remains for him to discover it and redefine himself to himself. Most admirable, is that he knows he does not want to physically fight his bullies, as his father and Pick would have him do. He has enough self-awareness to think "There has to be a different way/to stand up for myself,/to take responsibility,/to be a man."
All of Me chronicles Ari's journey in a series of free verse poems. They are poignant, honest, raw, and realistic. Importantly, Baron allows Ari moments when he caves to desire while on his diet, but he never gives up and he doesn't beat himself up for slip-ups. I think that sticking to his weight-loss plan instead of just chucking it and comforting himself with food shows a real strength in Ari. I think that is an important message to kids who are struggling with issues around self-acceptance.
Ari's is an important multi-layered story, one that is needed, and one that you won't want to miss.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
Over the course of seventh grade, Ari is brought to a rabbi for bar mitzvah preparation a year late, bullied by some of the boys in school because of his weight, makes a first friend named John, nicknamed Pick, a gamer who is also into robots, and a second friend named Lisa, the troubled rebel girl who sometimes misses school, and takes art lesson with Ari's mom. By the end of seventh grade, he is also dealing with an increasingly absent father he discovers is cheating on his mother.
At Stinson Beach for the summer, Ari becomes more and more aware of his weight and the anger Pick feels because of an earlier violent encounter on a bike path between Ari and his bullies that he witnessed. One sleepless night, after a fight with Pick about the encounter, Ari's pain comes to a head resulting in a self-inflicted wound that propels him into finally dealing with his weight.
Meantime, Lisa comes to stay with them at Stinson Beach while her mother is away dealing with her own problems. Over the course of the summer, Ari begins to sense an awakening in himself as his feelings for Lisa start to surface, discovers why Pick is so angry about the incident on the bike path, and begins to deal with the demise of his parent's marriage. Before the diet, Ari had always been defined only by his weight, but as he loses it, as his body physically changes, he realizes more and more that losing weight isn't a cure-all, that there is so much more to who he is than just body image, but that his weight will always be a work in progress.
If All of Me rings true to readers, perhaps it is because it is based on the author's own experiences as a overweight child. Perhaps that is why Ari's pain is so palpable, but so are his good moments. And he is strong character even if he does begin his story asking "Who am I?" Who he is is already there, it remains for him to discover it and redefine himself to himself. Most admirable, is that he knows he does not want to physically fight his bullies, as his father and Pick would have him do. He has enough self-awareness to think "There has to be a different way/to stand up for myself,/to take responsibility,/to be a man."
All of Me chronicles Ari's journey in a series of free verse poems. They are poignant, honest, raw, and realistic. Importantly, Baron allows Ari moments when he caves to desire while on his diet, but he never gives up and he doesn't beat himself up for slip-ups. I think that sticking to his weight-loss plan instead of just chucking it and comforting himself with food shows a real strength in Ari. I think that is an important message to kids who are struggling with issues around self-acceptance.
Ari's is an important multi-layered story, one that is needed, and one that you won't want to miss.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was purchased for my personal library
jennyrbaker's review against another edition
4.0
Who Am I?
The life in my head seems
so different from the life outside,
where I am so big
that everyone stares,
but no one sees the real me.
What a poignant story! I’m worried that this book will slip through the cracks and go unnoticed. I truly hope it doesn’t. It’s a wonderful story written in verse about a seventh grade boy, Ari, who struggles with his weight and body image.
What I loved about this story is that you get a deeper understanding of Ari’s emotional issues and his feelings about his weight problem. He’s a likable boy, strong, and sensitive, and you want to pick him up every time somebody knocks him down. His character has a lot of growth and watching his transformation was so amazing and heartwarming.
The author did a fantastic job allowing the reader to walk vicariously in Ari’s shoes, so that you can get an idea of what it feels like when people mistreat you because of your weight, and see the demons people face both internally and externally.
This is an important story, one that shouldn’t be missed, especially in an era where the media tries to fit us all in a mold, and shames those that don’t fit in it. It’s a story about friendship, compassion, and empathy. It’s a lesson in understanding those around you and learning sensitivity, because we’re not made of steel, and your support could mean the world to somebody else.
Highly recommended.
CW: anti-Semitism, body shaming, and self-harm
leahbrarian's review against another edition
1.0
This has one major point in its favor (male character struggling with weight rather than female), a few fairly average issues (the writing felt far more adult than middle grade in places; more than one plotline or character seemed to trail off and disappear with little resolution; although the story seemed to be taking place in the current time based on mentions of cell phones the cultural interests of the young characters seemed to have been arrested in the eighties; the Judaism that they keep talking about in theory of the mitzvot and keeping Shabbat seemed significantly at odds with what any character was doing currently) and the serious issue that I'm genuinely concerned it might contribute to a child's eating disorder.
Yes, it has the eventual "your weight doesn't matter, it's on the inside that counts" message, but only in perhaps the last quarter of the book. Prior to that, readers must follow Ari on adventures in severe bullying, self harm, crash dieting, and extreme body negativity, and the revelation only comes after he has lost weight and been noticed for it. No information is given about the genetic factors of weight gain, the complex entanglement of fatness and health, or the metabolic complications with dieting vs. keeping weight off. All adult figures including medical professionals (except perhaps the rabbi, whose storyline is somewhat separate from the weight aspect) are extremely focused on weight loss by whatever means necessary. Little change has been made or support added regarding the familial/emotional aspects to which Ari connects some of his overeating tendencies - his parents are still a mess, still absent, and he never returns to therapy. At no point is it mentioned that a body can be good for more than being thin. I would have loved for just once Ari to think to himself "I appreciate that my body helps me ride around on my bike."
I especially struggled with weight right around seventh grade, and if I had read a book like this, even if the message was allegedly that you should love yourself however you look, I would have come away angry and ashamed of my body. I would have picked up on the much stronger messages about the importance of significant food regulation, that bullying can be stopped if you just look better and don't provide as much of a target, that the culturally accepted standard of beauty or health is singular and meant to be reached by any means necessary, and that would have been tremendously damaging.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Yes, it has the eventual "your weight doesn't matter, it's on the inside that counts" message, but only in perhaps the last quarter of the book. Prior to that, readers must follow Ari on adventures in severe bullying, self harm, crash dieting, and extreme body negativity, and the revelation only comes after he has lost weight and been noticed for it. No information is given about the genetic factors of weight gain, the complex entanglement of fatness and health, or the metabolic complications with dieting vs. keeping weight off. All adult figures including medical professionals (except perhaps the rabbi, whose storyline is somewhat separate from the weight aspect) are extremely focused on weight loss by whatever means necessary. Little change has been made or support added regarding the familial/emotional aspects to which Ari connects some of his overeating tendencies - his parents are still a mess, still absent, and he never returns to therapy. At no point is it mentioned that a body can be good for more than being thin. I would have loved for just once Ari to think to himself "I appreciate that my body helps me ride around on my bike."
I especially struggled with weight right around seventh grade, and if I had read a book like this, even if the message was allegedly that you should love yourself however you look, I would have come away angry and ashamed of my body. I would have picked up on the much stronger messages about the importance of significant food regulation, that bullying can be stopped if you just look better and don't provide as much of a target, that the culturally accepted standard of beauty or health is singular and meant to be reached by any means necessary, and that would have been tremendously damaging.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.