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3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
This was a read-in-one-sitting book that sucked me in from the get-go.
Although this novel tried to deal with big issues, it fell flat. And don't get me started on how frustrating it is to read about someone who's "terribly overweight" but actually only 5'6"/170 pounds.
Check out my full review on FYA.
Check out my full review on FYA.
Check out my FULL REVIEW here!
Thanks to NG for the early copy of this book; I'm only sorry I didn't read it sooner. I was honestly afraid to read this book when I first got wind of it. Most of the stories I’ve read with fat main characters have been single issue stories, and are typically doused in either wish fulfillment fantasies or horrible (and extremely triggering) descriptions of eating disorders and abuse. I understand that those are stories that need to be told, but seeing a positive representation of a fat protagonist shouldn’t be like looking for a diamond in the rough. I’m glad that this book exists at the very least to provide some kind of happy ending, albeit an open-ended one, and a narrative that is gentle and understanding as well as raw and truthful. Chelsea is a bright star of individuality that breathes music and soul into what could have easily been another shudder down my spine, and for that I am grateful. This may not be The Book to End All Fatphobia in YA Literature, but hey, it’s been a long time coming anyway.
With highlights like positive representation of a fat MC, a supporting female character with well-represented ADHD, and SO MANY MUSICALS, it's hard not to love this shining star of a sophomore novel. 4.5/5 overall - check it out at your local library or nearest bookstore today!
Thanks to NG for the early copy of this book; I'm only sorry I didn't read it sooner. I was honestly afraid to read this book when I first got wind of it. Most of the stories I’ve read with fat main characters have been single issue stories, and are typically doused in either wish fulfillment fantasies or horrible (and extremely triggering) descriptions of eating disorders and abuse. I understand that those are stories that need to be told, but seeing a positive representation of a fat protagonist shouldn’t be like looking for a diamond in the rough. I’m glad that this book exists at the very least to provide some kind of happy ending, albeit an open-ended one, and a narrative that is gentle and understanding as well as raw and truthful. Chelsea is a bright star of individuality that breathes music and soul into what could have easily been another shudder down my spine, and for that I am grateful. This may not be The Book to End All Fatphobia in YA Literature, but hey, it’s been a long time coming anyway.
With highlights like positive representation of a fat MC, a supporting female character with well-represented ADHD, and SO MANY MUSICALS, it's hard not to love this shining star of a sophomore novel. 4.5/5 overall - check it out at your local library or nearest bookstore today!
Chelsea Duvay is a high school student who prides herself on her perfectly manicured feet and musical repertoire, but is also quiet and isolated, opting to spend her free time watching musicals with her father. Not having friends isn't her choice-- it's just what happened because it seems that the only thing people notice about her is her weight. She is mercilessly taunted by her classmates and made to feel abnormal and shamed by her own mother. So she's learned to live with her head down, not speaking unless absolutely necessary, finding solace in loneliness. At the start of a new school year, Chelsea is forced to face herself and her lack of self confidence when a new friendship, new bullies, and new weight concerns enter into her life.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. My friend Sara recommended it to me, so I decided to give it a go. I ended up enjoying it for the most part-- there were some definite holes in the plot line and aspects that bothered me, but overall it was a quick, touching read that I finished in one sitting.
Pros:
-The character development: The protagonist, Chelsea, is loveable and endearing and grows immensely throughout the course of the book. I felt my heart soar when she was happy and come to a halt when she was put in some awful situations. But she grew into a character that I know will stay with me for a long time. Not only did the protagonist find growth, but so did the other side characters-- for example, her mother and her new friend Melody both found profound growth within the novel.
-Touching on sensitive topics: Nice Girls Endure touched on some incredibly serious issues-- body image, bullying, and assault (more on the topic of assault in the Cons section). The writing didn't sugar-coat anything and put words to what so many teenagers (and hell, even adults) have to endure daily.
-Fast-paced, riveting writing: As I previously noted, I finished this book in one sitting, which is quite out of the normal for me. The writing engaged me in a way that made me feel as though I needed to find out what was going to happen!
Cons:
-Lack of trigger warnings: A fairly graphic assault occurred within this book, but was not alluded to in the description of the book. When I got to this part, I was completely thrown off-guard and thrown into a bit of a PTSD episode from my own assault. Had I known that an assault of some sort would have occurred within the book, I would have been prepared and would not have had such a harmful reaction. I posted about this on Twitter and got a lot of great responses about how books should include trigger warnings. So, if you're planning on reading this book, know that it deals with assault and sexual violence.
-Psychiatric medication inaccurately used as a quick fix. Won't get into detail about this because of spoilers, but you'll understand when you get to that point in the book.
-Too fast to truly get to the core of the serious issues it touches on: While I listed touching on important issues and its quick nature as Pros in the previous section, both aspects together turned me off quite a bit from this book. Because it was so short, there seemed to be a rush towards the end to tie up the loose ends without actually giving the issues and plot the time they deserved.
Overall, a fast-paced, enjoyable read. That being said, the cons definitely affected my rating on this one. 3 stars.
Note: I was given a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. My friend Sara recommended it to me, so I decided to give it a go. I ended up enjoying it for the most part-- there were some definite holes in the plot line and aspects that bothered me, but overall it was a quick, touching read that I finished in one sitting.
Pros:
-The character development: The protagonist, Chelsea, is loveable and endearing and grows immensely throughout the course of the book. I felt my heart soar when she was happy and come to a halt when she was put in some awful situations. But she grew into a character that I know will stay with me for a long time. Not only did the protagonist find growth, but so did the other side characters-- for example, her mother and her new friend Melody both found profound growth within the novel.
-Touching on sensitive topics: Nice Girls Endure touched on some incredibly serious issues-- body image, bullying, and assault (more on the topic of assault in the Cons section). The writing didn't sugar-coat anything and put words to what so many teenagers (and hell, even adults) have to endure daily.
-Fast-paced, riveting writing: As I previously noted, I finished this book in one sitting, which is quite out of the normal for me. The writing engaged me in a way that made me feel as though I needed to find out what was going to happen!
Cons:
-Lack of trigger warnings: A fairly graphic assault occurred within this book, but was not alluded to in the description of the book. When I got to this part, I was completely thrown off-guard and thrown into a bit of a PTSD episode from my own assault. Had I known that an assault of some sort would have occurred within the book, I would have been prepared and would not have had such a harmful reaction. I posted about this on Twitter and got a lot of great responses about how books should include trigger warnings. So, if you're planning on reading this book, know that it deals with assault and sexual violence.
-Psychiatric medication inaccurately used as a quick fix. Won't get into detail about this because of spoilers, but you'll understand when you get to that point in the book.
-Too fast to truly get to the core of the serious issues it touches on: While I listed touching on important issues and its quick nature as Pros in the previous section, both aspects together turned me off quite a bit from this book. Because it was so short, there seemed to be a rush towards the end to tie up the loose ends without actually giving the issues and plot the time they deserved.
Overall, a fast-paced, enjoyable read. That being said, the cons definitely affected my rating on this one. 3 stars.
Note: I was given a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2 1/2 stars.
Maybe I have been out of school too long or maybe it was just that high school was a completely different experience for me then what Chelsea went through but, something about Nice Girls Endure just didn't click to me. It was written well, the story was interesting, and yet, it was just missing something that kept it from turning from okay to great.
Main character Chelsea is overweight, has no friends, and even less confidence, but hey, she has great feet. I'll admit that when I saw the cover of the book and read about her feet in the description I was a little put off. Feet, really? But, the author makes it work and Chelsea's feet are an important part of herself and her story. I definitely found myself rooting for Chelsea throughout the novel. But, I can't say I really loved any of the other characters in the book, as her classmates just seemed mundane. Even Melody, whose persistence for friendship is encouraging, doesn't really stand out to me.
With short chapters Nice Girls Endure makes for a quick, fun read though perhaps would be more enjoyable for readers who are still in high school or can relate better to Chelsea.
~ARC provided by NetGalley and Capstone for an honest review
Maybe I have been out of school too long or maybe it was just that high school was a completely different experience for me then what Chelsea went through but, something about Nice Girls Endure just didn't click to me. It was written well, the story was interesting, and yet, it was just missing something that kept it from turning from okay to great.
Main character Chelsea is overweight, has no friends, and even less confidence, but hey, she has great feet. I'll admit that when I saw the cover of the book and read about her feet in the description I was a little put off. Feet, really? But, the author makes it work and Chelsea's feet are an important part of herself and her story. I definitely found myself rooting for Chelsea throughout the novel. But, I can't say I really loved any of the other characters in the book, as her classmates just seemed mundane. Even Melody, whose persistence for friendship is encouraging, doesn't really stand out to me.
With short chapters Nice Girls Endure makes for a quick, fun read though perhaps would be more enjoyable for readers who are still in high school or can relate better to Chelsea.
~ARC provided by NetGalley and Capstone for an honest review
So Chelsea is fat and bullied at school. Because of this she is very withdrawn and anxious. She doesn't have friends or talk in school and she breaks out in hives during stressful social situations. Her mom and doctor would like for her to lose weight, but Chelsea just wants to actually be more comfortable with who she is. She makes a friend and that helps her start accepting herself.
My first problem with this book is the fact that Chelsea is not fat. She might not be the tiny size two society wants her to be, but at 5'6 and 170 pounds she is not obese. I think it is a horrible message for young girls who are that size or bigger to hear that 170 pounds is so fat you are fat shamed daily and bullied excessively. Chelsea is probably an average size and most girls her size would probably consider themselves normal and not obese. Just because someone is not stick thin does not mean you can't be happy and healthy.
My second issue is how excessive the bullying is and how no one in authority seems to notice. Chelsea is physically assaulted and nothing happens. She is publicly shamed over social media and nothing happens. She is teased and made fun of every day at school to the extent that she needs anti-anxiety medication and nothing happens. I am sure this is pretty realistic, but I wish there would have been a bit more resolve to the issue.
Chelsea was a bit hard to get to like and appreciate at first. She takes issue with everyone judging her, yet judges others to the same extent. I liked her a lot more after she started coming out of her shell, but I still wish that would not have necessitated medication. I know anxiety is a real thing, but I think Chelsea would have benefited from more counseling and less reliance on medication. Then there is a her obsession with feet (or the author's obsession with feet). There is a crazy amount of references to feet, both pretty and ugly throughout the book. I am not sure it is exactly healthy.
I think fat shaming and positive body image is a real issue and should be addressed for this age group. Teens can behave horribly to each other and self-esteem is a real issue for most kids at that age. I just wish this book would have done a better job with the issue.
I received this book from netgalley.
My first problem with this book is the fact that Chelsea is not fat. She might not be the tiny size two society wants her to be, but at 5'6 and 170 pounds she is not obese. I think it is a horrible message for young girls who are that size or bigger to hear that 170 pounds is so fat you are fat shamed daily and bullied excessively. Chelsea is probably an average size and most girls her size would probably consider themselves normal and not obese. Just because someone is not stick thin does not mean you can't be happy and healthy.
My second issue is how excessive the bullying is and how no one in authority seems to notice. Chelsea is physically assaulted and nothing happens. She is publicly shamed over social media and nothing happens. She is teased and made fun of every day at school to the extent that she needs anti-anxiety medication and nothing happens. I am sure this is pretty realistic, but I wish there would have been a bit more resolve to the issue.
Chelsea was a bit hard to get to like and appreciate at first. She takes issue with everyone judging her, yet judges others to the same extent. I liked her a lot more after she started coming out of her shell, but I still wish that would not have necessitated medication. I know anxiety is a real thing, but I think Chelsea would have benefited from more counseling and less reliance on medication. Then there is a her obsession with feet (or the author's obsession with feet). There is a crazy amount of references to feet, both pretty and ugly throughout the book. I am not sure it is exactly healthy.
I think fat shaming and positive body image is a real issue and should be addressed for this age group. Teens can behave horribly to each other and self-esteem is a real issue for most kids at that age. I just wish this book would have done a better job with the issue.
I received this book from netgalley.
Nice Girls Endure is definitely a departure from what I normally read, more teen lit than anything else. But once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. Chelsea Duvay is a chubby girl and she knows it, her mother doesn’t let her forget. But she’s happy as she is. She keeps her head down and goes about her days trying to be invisible. The book is well written, reading almost like a diary or journal. And while there is a lot of content, there wasn’t a lot of excess which I appreciated.
There is a lot going on in this book, Chelsea’s story is extremely complex. She gets bullied about her weight by everyone; her mother pushes her to lose weight, her neighbors chant nasty things, and kids at school harass her. And the book mainly focuses on this. She’s also mainly a loner but as the story progresses circumstances force her to open up a little more. There’s a crush involved and a villain. The whole book, as a whole, is a journey of self-discovery. As we read, we get to know more about Chelsea and she gets to know more about herself as well. There are side characters, but you really don’t get to know much about them. They are more visitors to her story then real participants.
While I couldn’t put the book down, I wouldn’t say this was an easy read. I found myself uncomfortable, bullying is reality that many kids and teens face every day and this book puts it right in your face just how harsh it can be. I think this is a great book for all teens to read and even some adults (especially parents).
There is a lot going on in this book, Chelsea’s story is extremely complex. She gets bullied about her weight by everyone; her mother pushes her to lose weight, her neighbors chant nasty things, and kids at school harass her. And the book mainly focuses on this. She’s also mainly a loner but as the story progresses circumstances force her to open up a little more. There’s a crush involved and a villain. The whole book, as a whole, is a journey of self-discovery. As we read, we get to know more about Chelsea and she gets to know more about herself as well. There are side characters, but you really don’t get to know much about them. They are more visitors to her story then real participants.
While I couldn’t put the book down, I wouldn’t say this was an easy read. I found myself uncomfortable, bullying is reality that many kids and teens face every day and this book puts it right in your face just how harsh it can be. I think this is a great book for all teens to read and even some adults (especially parents).
This book was heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. Full review to come closer to the release!
Actual rating 3.5 stars
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Capstone and Switch Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
This is a contemporary, coming of age story that follows a young teenage girl in her day to day life. I had a hard time getting into the story at first but once I was through the first quarter, I became invested in the main character and her life. This story is all about family, friendships, coping with and having anxiety, body acceptance, self-esteem and being honest with the world and with yourself. I think it can be a very powerful book for someone.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
The writing style turned me off at first. It’s simple and the sentences as well as the chapters are really short. I found it jarring sometimes but once I got used to the main character’s thought process it was easier to see the benefits of the writing style. While it reads very young and sometimes immature and childish, it’s also really easy to read. There are parts that are really endearing and as a whole has a very powerful message.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
There’s quite a few characters in this book but the main character Chelsea is definitely the focus of everything. I didn’t like her at first as was the case with most of the book. She was quiet, shy and anxious. Supposedly she was accepting of herself but not enough to stand up against the people who weren’t. However, as the story goes on, she grows and matures in different ways. She’s passionate about the things she loves and honest and open. While her journey was a little rough, I really like her character development and the culmination of her story. All the side characters are special in their own way, whether that’s in a good or bad way. But I felt that most of them were there to help Chelsea through her journey and their presence wasn’t as organic as I would’ve liked. However, they were likable and endearing and sometimes even funny and entertaining which I appreciated and made my enjoy the story a lot more than I probably would have otherwise.
Emotionally
The plot is honest. We follow Chelsea, a sixteen year old whose been told throughout her life that she’s fat and that that is something she has to change even though she doesn’t want to. First thing I want to say is that this book is not for me. I know that and I accept that, and it’s probably why I didn’t enjoy it as much. I have the kind of body the body positivity movement skips over. The kind of body that the majority of YA protagonists have and that is a subject of disdain from a lot of people because of that fact. So I didn’t expect to connect which Chelsea whose story is all about accepting her size. And yet I still managed to do it. Because believe it or not, skinny girls sometimes hate their bodies too. And I might not have connected with how Chelsea’s life is (because mine has never been as hard) or with her personality (because I may be shy in the beginning but I have a hidden extrovert who comes out to play a lot) but her journey resonated with me. The journey she embarked on to learn not only to accept herself but to be proud of herself too. To stand up for yourself because you deserve to be respected and accepted just as you are. I’m still learning that lesson, I’m still learning that lesson, and while it’s a lot harder than this book meant it to be, Chelsea’s story inspired me to work a little harder at being happy with just how I look, with just how I am, and with just how I live.
I wanted to talk about something that made me a little uncomfortable and that was the use of anxiety medication that Chelsea had. There’s nothing wrong with seeking medication from those kinds of issue though I’ve made a personal choice against it in my case for different reasons, but the way she used it made me uncomfortable. It was almost like a crutch for her and though it got straightened out, I wish it would’ve been handled a different way.
I really loved Chelsea’s character development. At first I found her annoying. She had a tendency to judge the people around her. Whether or not they were good or bad people doesn’t really matter, judging someone by their looks is what she wants people to stop doing to her so I didn’t think it was okay for her to do it to someone else. And she had always asked why people criticized her weight, she explained how she was comfortable with it, but never stood up to people and told them exactly that. It was so incredibly frustrating. But she improved, she developed, she grew. She learned to open up and trust people. She learned to express herself and to do the things she loved to do without caring about anyone else. And she learned to be honest and to stand up for herself the only way she knew how, creatively. And I loved that.
I wanted to talk about the side characters briefly because although they don’t have a big spotlight in this book, they are important in Chelsea’s life. Melody is Chelsea’s first friend ever it seems and I absolutely loved her. She’s hyper and honest and genuine and just accepting of Chelsea and of herself. It’s kind of like their set backs balance each other out and I love how their friendship was developed and portrayed. Chelsea’s Dad was also amazing. The guy whom she gets her thicker genes from, he loves her just as she is and is kind of like her best friend and biggest supporter. I love their relationship though it had its ups and downs. When it comes to her Mom however, I just felt a lot of pity. That woman has so much more going on inside herself and she tries to fix the outside to make the inside feel better and it’s so sad. I’m glad Chelsea wasn’t sucked in completely by that mentality but there were moments when I just wanted to wrap her mom in a hug. Trevor makes a very small appearance in the general sense of things and I’m glad because the story wasn’t about him and Chelsea, it was just about her. Nice tidbit to add but not completely necessary. I felt like the bullies in her life were bullies for the sake of being bullies, all except for one. And while there are cases like that, most of the times I think of bullies as people with their own struggles who are not how to deal with them and they project those onto other people. Their motivation was very simple yet effective.
Overall, I liked the book a lot more than I thought I was going to. I still feel like this kind of story is not for me, but for someone who can relate to Chelsea’s life a lot more, it may leave them with a powerful and intense message. I loved her character development and the journey which she went through even there harsher moments. The writing style is very short and simple but once you become accustomed, it makes it easy to connect with the main character. The side characters could’ve been more fleshed out but they served their purpose. I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy coming of age stories.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Capstone and Switch Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
This is a contemporary, coming of age story that follows a young teenage girl in her day to day life. I had a hard time getting into the story at first but once I was through the first quarter, I became invested in the main character and her life. This story is all about family, friendships, coping with and having anxiety, body acceptance, self-esteem and being honest with the world and with yourself. I think it can be a very powerful book for someone.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
The writing style turned me off at first. It’s simple and the sentences as well as the chapters are really short. I found it jarring sometimes but once I got used to the main character’s thought process it was easier to see the benefits of the writing style. While it reads very young and sometimes immature and childish, it’s also really easy to read. There are parts that are really endearing and as a whole has a very powerful message.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
There’s quite a few characters in this book but the main character Chelsea is definitely the focus of everything. I didn’t like her at first as was the case with most of the book. She was quiet, shy and anxious. Supposedly she was accepting of herself but not enough to stand up against the people who weren’t. However, as the story goes on, she grows and matures in different ways. She’s passionate about the things she loves and honest and open. While her journey was a little rough, I really like her character development and the culmination of her story. All the side characters are special in their own way, whether that’s in a good or bad way. But I felt that most of them were there to help Chelsea through her journey and their presence wasn’t as organic as I would’ve liked. However, they were likable and endearing and sometimes even funny and entertaining which I appreciated and made my enjoy the story a lot more than I probably would have otherwise.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I was immediately turned off when I started reading this book, everything about it was off putting but it slowly won me over.The plot is honest. We follow Chelsea, a sixteen year old whose been told throughout her life that she’s fat and that that is something she has to change even though she doesn’t want to. First thing I want to say is that this book is not for me. I know that and I accept that, and it’s probably why I didn’t enjoy it as much. I have the kind of body the body positivity movement skips over. The kind of body that the majority of YA protagonists have and that is a subject of disdain from a lot of people because of that fact. So I didn’t expect to connect which Chelsea whose story is all about accepting her size. And yet I still managed to do it. Because believe it or not, skinny girls sometimes hate their bodies too. And I might not have connected with how Chelsea’s life is (because mine has never been as hard) or with her personality (because I may be shy in the beginning but I have a hidden extrovert who comes out to play a lot) but her journey resonated with me. The journey she embarked on to learn not only to accept herself but to be proud of herself too. To stand up for yourself because you deserve to be respected and accepted just as you are. I’m still learning that lesson, I’m still learning that lesson, and while it’s a lot harder than this book meant it to be, Chelsea’s story inspired me to work a little harder at being happy with just how I look, with just how I am, and with just how I live.
I wanted to talk about something that made me a little uncomfortable and that was the use of anxiety medication that Chelsea had. There’s nothing wrong with seeking medication from those kinds of issue though I’ve made a personal choice against it in my case for different reasons, but the way she used it made me uncomfortable. It was almost like a crutch for her and though it got straightened out, I wish it would’ve been handled a different way.
I really loved Chelsea’s character development. At first I found her annoying. She had a tendency to judge the people around her. Whether or not they were good or bad people doesn’t really matter, judging someone by their looks is what she wants people to stop doing to her so I didn’t think it was okay for her to do it to someone else. And she had always asked why people criticized her weight, she explained how she was comfortable with it, but never stood up to people and told them exactly that. It was so incredibly frustrating. But she improved, she developed, she grew. She learned to open up and trust people. She learned to express herself and to do the things she loved to do without caring about anyone else. And she learned to be honest and to stand up for herself the only way she knew how, creatively. And I loved that.
I wanted to talk about the side characters briefly because although they don’t have a big spotlight in this book, they are important in Chelsea’s life. Melody is Chelsea’s first friend ever it seems and I absolutely loved her. She’s hyper and honest and genuine and just accepting of Chelsea and of herself. It’s kind of like their set backs balance each other out and I love how their friendship was developed and portrayed. Chelsea’s Dad was also amazing. The guy whom she gets her thicker genes from, he loves her just as she is and is kind of like her best friend and biggest supporter. I love their relationship though it had its ups and downs. When it comes to her Mom however, I just felt a lot of pity. That woman has so much more going on inside herself and she tries to fix the outside to make the inside feel better and it’s so sad. I’m glad Chelsea wasn’t sucked in completely by that mentality but there were moments when I just wanted to wrap her mom in a hug. Trevor makes a very small appearance in the general sense of things and I’m glad because the story wasn’t about him and Chelsea, it was just about her. Nice tidbit to add but not completely necessary. I felt like the bullies in her life were bullies for the sake of being bullies, all except for one. And while there are cases like that, most of the times I think of bullies as people with their own struggles who are not how to deal with them and they project those onto other people. Their motivation was very simple yet effective.
Overall, I liked the book a lot more than I thought I was going to. I still feel like this kind of story is not for me, but for someone who can relate to Chelsea’s life a lot more, it may leave them with a powerful and intense message. I loved her character development and the journey which she went through even there harsher moments. The writing style is very short and simple but once you become accustomed, it makes it easy to connect with the main character. The side characters could’ve been more fleshed out but they served their purpose. I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy coming of age stories.
I loved this book! I loved it even more because of the fact that you can see through Chelsea's eyes on what she goes through on a daily basis. All in all, it's an insightful, eye-opening book. It's sad, it's beautiful... All around great book!