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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
I lot more serious than the title implies. Fast read, does a good job of relating Virgina's issues.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked this book up from BookOutlet at the end of 2018 after seeing it talked about in the last live show of the year for the Booksplosion book club. I joined reading along with some of my favorite booktubers toward the end of the year, so I missed quite a few books they read this year. After I saw them talk about their books, I found a few of them on BookOutlet and figured I’d give them a try.
I ended up really enjoying this book. I went into the story without any expectations. I didn’t even read the synopsis before picking this up. But it was short and it fits for Contemporary January. I found myself flying through this story so quickly. I was entertained and quickly invested in Virginia.
There were times I didn’t like the story because Virginia was doing some unhealthy shit to attempt to lose weight and I didn’t appreciate that, but I think it was realistic and written well. The negatives were acknowledged and Virginia even talks about how she knows she shouldn’t be doing what she’s doing but she wants to lose weight fast instead of making sure to eat right and exercise. I think this story was an excellent conversation about weight and familial expectations and putting both of those aside to be happy with yourself and your own choices.
I really enjoyed the second half of this book the most. Virginia starts to stand up for herself and for what she wants. She starts doing things to better her life and makes better choices. I enjoyed seeing her grow and develop into a person that does what’s best for herself. I liked seeing her be able to stand up to her family and tell them how they make her feel and how their expectations weigh on her.
Overall, I liked this story. It was fun and entertaining. I liked our main character and I really enjoyed seeing her character growth. This was a great story about learning to love yourself, but also how to make better choices and do the things that you really enjoy.
I ended up really enjoying this book. I went into the story without any expectations. I didn’t even read the synopsis before picking this up. But it was short and it fits for Contemporary January. I found myself flying through this story so quickly. I was entertained and quickly invested in Virginia.
There were times I didn’t like the story because Virginia was doing some unhealthy shit to attempt to lose weight and I didn’t appreciate that, but I think it was realistic and written well. The negatives were acknowledged and Virginia even talks about how she knows she shouldn’t be doing what she’s doing but she wants to lose weight fast instead of making sure to eat right and exercise. I think this story was an excellent conversation about weight and familial expectations and putting both of those aside to be happy with yourself and your own choices.
I really enjoyed the second half of this book the most. Virginia starts to stand up for herself and for what she wants. She starts doing things to better her life and makes better choices. I enjoyed seeing her grow and develop into a person that does what’s best for herself. I liked seeing her be able to stand up to her family and tell them how they make her feel and how their expectations weigh on her.
Overall, I liked this story. It was fun and entertaining. I liked our main character and I really enjoyed seeing her character growth. This was a great story about learning to love yourself, but also how to make better choices and do the things that you really enjoy.
I have an admission to make; this book was sitting on my shelf for two months. Its poor, pink spine was crying out for me to read it, despite my ever growing review pile. I relented...and proceeded to devour it.
This book is deceptively simple. It doesn’t blow you away with forced humour, adjectives or revelations that make you pause. Instead it paints a clear, piercingly clear portrait of what it is like to be the fat girl. The invisibility, the crippling self doubt, the familial pressure, incessant stares, bullying and the eating of one’s feelings.
Now onto heavier issues, Byron’s date rape. I have always wondered when watching Law and Order: SVU what is must be like when your brother or father is the perpetrator of this kind of appalling crime. Shame, denial, anger? He’s still family but he’s betrayed Virginia’s gender - betrayed her rights and her trust by exploiting a fellow female. I think the addition of this plot point made it rise above what could have been considered a frothy girl fest. But readers know that this book wouldn’t have been that, with or without the Byron subplot. Virginia assertive stance to her brother in the closing chapters was near brilliant.
I was with Virginia with her whole misconception of Froggy. Was she being unfair and presumptuous in assuming he wanted a secret pashfest? Yes, but I would have thought that too. But really, what was she to think? Big girls are conditioned to think they aren’t worthy and that poor esteem in turn creates self fulfilling prophecies.
Freedom to be one’s self is a great right. And one that Virginia snatched back. Once she had finally broken free of her self-important, denial ridden mother’s restraints, Virginia was able to breath for the first time. I felt like cheering aloud...but didn’t as that would be weird.
Carolyn Mackler has a written a truly honest, candid and insightful look into the life of big girl (both in personality and in size). Her pacing along with the burgeoning confidence of Virginia and her ascertaining of independence felt real. I want to commend her, on her creation of this character and her world, wholeheartedly. I can’t help but think that this novel may have made many girls feel less alone and more empowered. Colour me impressed and hand me another Mackler!
This book is deceptively simple. It doesn’t blow you away with forced humour, adjectives or revelations that make you pause. Instead it paints a clear, piercingly clear portrait of what it is like to be the fat girl. The invisibility, the crippling self doubt, the familial pressure, incessant stares, bullying and the eating of one’s feelings.
Now onto heavier issues, Byron’s date rape. I have always wondered when watching Law and Order: SVU what is must be like when your brother or father is the perpetrator of this kind of appalling crime. Shame, denial, anger? He’s still family but he’s betrayed Virginia’s gender - betrayed her rights and her trust by exploiting a fellow female. I think the addition of this plot point made it rise above what could have been considered a frothy girl fest. But readers know that this book wouldn’t have been that, with or without the Byron subplot. Virginia assertive stance to her brother in the closing chapters was near brilliant.
I was with Virginia with her whole misconception of Froggy. Was she being unfair and presumptuous in assuming he wanted a secret pashfest? Yes, but I would have thought that too. But really, what was she to think? Big girls are conditioned to think they aren’t worthy and that poor esteem in turn creates self fulfilling prophecies.
Freedom to be one’s self is a great right. And one that Virginia snatched back. Once she had finally broken free of her self-important, denial ridden mother’s restraints, Virginia was able to breath for the first time. I felt like cheering aloud...but didn’t as that would be weird.
Carolyn Mackler has a written a truly honest, candid and insightful look into the life of big girl (both in personality and in size). Her pacing along with the burgeoning confidence of Virginia and her ascertaining of independence felt real. I want to commend her, on her creation of this character and her world, wholeheartedly. I can’t help but think that this novel may have made many girls feel less alone and more empowered. Colour me impressed and hand me another Mackler!
"Let's say I made a mistake. Will I have to pay for it forever?"
Esta novela es la típica novela adolescente que intenta transmitir un mensaje positivo sobre la autoestima, la imagen corporal y las expectativas sociales. Estoy segura que para algunas adolescentes ha cumplido su propósito pero como novela se queda a medio camino entre el panfleto de autoayuda y la estructuras típicas de estas novelas juveniles.
Lo bueno:
- Es un libro entretenido, que se lee en un suspiro y que no es totalmente predecible. Es cierto que no me generó ninguna sorpresa, pero la voz narrativa de la protagonista funcionaba lo suficientemente bien para que no me importara y me sumergiera en la novela. Estoy segura de que si yo fuera más joven, lo hubiera disfrutado mucho más.
-El acoso psicológico que Virginia sufre por parte de sus padres, incluso aunque estos no son conscientes, me pareció no sólo realista, sino un toque interesante. He leído este tipo de historias en la que la culpa recae en el bullying, o lo que dice la televisión etc. pero pocas veces el dedo ha apuntado al comportamiento de los padres y su propia relación insana con su cuerpo. Me pareció muy realista y bien representado en la novela.
- La incorporación de la parte sexual me pareció sutil, pero bien hecha. No es que haya ninguna escena de sexo, pero sí hay menciones a como se siente la protagonista cuando imagina ciertas escenas con su compañero de clase o una escena rápida pero significativa en la ducha. Esa incorporación de la sexualidad de forma casual y totalmente normal, me encantó y me pareció que hace mucho más por normalizar que 3 horas de conversaciones sobre ello.
Lo malo:
-La novela intenta tocar tantos temas que acaba ofreciendo una visión muy superficial de todos ellos. Por ejemplo, en el caso de los desordenes alimentarios, hay un par de escenas donde podemos ver a un personaje que tiene uno y a otro que parece estar desarrollándolo, sin embargo, apenas se toca el tema o lo peligroso de los comportamientos de esos dos personajes. Lo cual sorprende bastante teniendo en cuenta la temática del libro.
- La acusación al hermano me pareció bastante mal llevada porque se presenta más como una excusa para mover la trama y provocar ciertos cambios en la protagonista que como la gran lacra social que es. Todos los personajes lo tratan con bastante ligereza, excepto tal vez la protagonista, y no se ven consecuencias para el acto más allá de la revelación que provoca para Virginia. Si no se tenía pensado profundizar en ello, hubiera sido mejor escoger otro acontecimiento revelador.
- La trama amorosa está bastante abandonada. El libro no es necesariamente una novela de amor pero si incluyes ese elemento al principio, como lectora espero que lo desarrolles más allá de añadirlo como un elemento más del final esperanzador.
-Como siempre en este tipo de libros, tras la revelación todo parece arreglarse y salir a pedir de boca para el protagonista. Supongo que quiere darse un mensaje positivo, pero ocultar lo duro que pueden ser ciertos procesos, como el de empezar a construir tu autoestima, me parece que hace más mal que bien.
Esta novela es la típica novela adolescente que intenta transmitir un mensaje positivo sobre la autoestima, la imagen corporal y las expectativas sociales. Estoy segura que para algunas adolescentes ha cumplido su propósito pero como novela se queda a medio camino entre el panfleto de autoayuda y la estructuras típicas de estas novelas juveniles.
Lo bueno:
Spoiler
- Es un libro entretenido, que se lee en un suspiro y que no es totalmente predecible. Es cierto que no me generó ninguna sorpresa, pero la voz narrativa de la protagonista funcionaba lo suficientemente bien para que no me importara y me sumergiera en la novela. Estoy segura de que si yo fuera más joven, lo hubiera disfrutado mucho más.
-El acoso psicológico que Virginia sufre por parte de sus padres, incluso aunque estos no son conscientes, me pareció no sólo realista, sino un toque interesante. He leído este tipo de historias en la que la culpa recae en el bullying, o lo que dice la televisión etc. pero pocas veces el dedo ha apuntado al comportamiento de los padres y su propia relación insana con su cuerpo. Me pareció muy realista y bien representado en la novela.
- La incorporación de la parte sexual me pareció sutil, pero bien hecha. No es que haya ninguna escena de sexo, pero sí hay menciones a como se siente la protagonista cuando imagina ciertas escenas con su compañero de clase o una escena rápida pero significativa en la ducha. Esa incorporación de la sexualidad de forma casual y totalmente normal, me encantó y me pareció que hace mucho más por normalizar que 3 horas de conversaciones sobre ello.
Lo malo:
Spoiler
-La novela intenta tocar tantos temas que acaba ofreciendo una visión muy superficial de todos ellos. Por ejemplo, en el caso de los desordenes alimentarios, hay un par de escenas donde podemos ver a un personaje que tiene uno y a otro que parece estar desarrollándolo, sin embargo, apenas se toca el tema o lo peligroso de los comportamientos de esos dos personajes. Lo cual sorprende bastante teniendo en cuenta la temática del libro.
- La acusación al hermano me pareció bastante mal llevada porque se presenta más como una excusa para mover la trama y provocar ciertos cambios en la protagonista que como la gran lacra social que es. Todos los personajes lo tratan con bastante ligereza, excepto tal vez la protagonista, y no se ven consecuencias para el acto más allá de la revelación que provoca para Virginia. Si no se tenía pensado profundizar en ello, hubiera sido mejor escoger otro acontecimiento revelador.
- La trama amorosa está bastante abandonada. El libro no es necesariamente una novela de amor pero si incluyes ese elemento al principio, como lectora espero que lo desarrolles más allá de añadirlo como un elemento más del final esperanzador.
-Como siempre en este tipo de libros, tras la revelación todo parece arreglarse y salir a pedir de boca para el protagonista. Supongo que quiere darse un mensaje positivo, pero ocultar lo duro que pueden ser ciertos procesos, como el de empezar a construir tu autoestima, me parece que hace más mal que bien.
Easy to read, easy to relate. A story about how even if you think you’re alone you never are. Definitely for YA but also for adults.
Books I've read and provided detailed reviews over the years but all data is lost after accidental deletion and GD refuse to restore it back.
Adding books back to my library for my own reference and tracking purposes
Adding books back to my library for my own reference and tracking purposes
This was a great “come into your own” story! Virginia really grew as a person as the story progressed. She started as submissive and mousy but by the story’s end, she had a backbone, confidence, and a willingness to be different from the rest of her family.
The ending was a little unsatisfactory in an "aw isn't that special" sense. Maybe I only like depressing books now or something. XD
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an enjoyable, older-style YA coming of age story. Our main character is coping with her brother being accused of sexual assault; she has to deal with learning that he is not quite the person she thought he was. Her parents make her feel uncomfortable about her eating habits, which leads to disordered eating. There are so many hot issues for young adults tackled in here, and though it may feel a little outdated, I think many of them would find it super relatable and helpful. I appreciated this for what it did, not because it was super gripping and fast paced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder
Moderate: Sexual assault