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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Pretty good, easy read. Probably more of a 3.5 than a 3, but since that's not an option 3 it is.
Virginia has a hard time finding her place in life. She is constantly comparing herself to others, and always finds herself lacking. Her best friend has moved across the country and she has to navigate high school by herself. Froggy is her ehn person with benefits, but Virginia knows that because she is fat he doesn't want anyone to know that he interacts with her. Soon an extreme family drama takes place and Virginia begins questioning expected roles and actions.
This novel was a pretty good standard coming-of-age novel. Not what I would call literature, because it is pretty fluffy. However, it does address many issues tough issues teens are facing.
This novel was a pretty good standard coming-of-age novel. Not what I would call literature, because it is pretty fluffy. However, it does address many issues tough issues teens are facing.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The read was a little uncomfortable at times and I thought the "happy ending" was unrealistic
This is a cute and fun YA book that invites a Big Thing but doesn't really get into it. I wish they delved into The Thing more, but nevertheless enjoyed Virginia's character dev a lot.
I liked this book a lot. I thought it was a very real depiction of what a lot of teen girls go through as they struggle with body image. Virginia, the youngest child in a family of perfectionists, high-achievers and physically fit people, is chubby and feels ostracized by her own family for her physically differences. Virginia; however, isn't just physically different, she is different than them in other ways as well. For example, she has no desire to travel to the family's country home on the weekends, preferring to read magazines and watch television alone. She also sees little point in exercising at the gym, eating "rabbit food" and pleasing others. I identified with Virginia in a lot of ways. Her parents were concerned about her weight and actually promised her a shopping trip when she reached her "goal weight", a ploy my own parents tried with me as their formerly skinny daughter began to get "curvy." Fortunately, Virginia had other adults in her life who were not so obsessed with her physical appearance and accepted her where she was.
An incident with Virginia's older brother thrusts the family into chaos and Virginia no longer sees them as perfect, faultless human beings. She begins to assert herself and carve out her own identity in the midst of the crisis and eventually decides that she must learn to love herself if she expects others to like and respect her. She changes her appearance, but weight loss doesn't factor into this change at all. She gets a facial piercing, dyes her hair, and finally decides to stop shopping in the "old fat ladies" department and chooses fun, funky clothing instead. I was happy to see Virginia emerge from the self-loathing and learn to take chances.
A great book for anyone who has ever struggled with their body image.
An incident with Virginia's older brother thrusts the family into chaos and Virginia no longer sees them as perfect, faultless human beings. She begins to assert herself and carve out her own identity in the midst of the crisis and eventually decides that she must learn to love herself if she expects others to like and respect her. She changes her appearance, but weight loss doesn't factor into this change at all. She gets a facial piercing, dyes her hair, and finally decides to stop shopping in the "old fat ladies" department and chooses fun, funky clothing instead. I was happy to see Virginia emerge from the self-loathing and learn to take chances.
A great book for anyone who has ever struggled with their body image.
This is an honest, no filter tale about body positivity and how to rise above the social norms and even thrive. Virginia's story I feel is very relatable, both how she feels as well as other's feelings towards her. It is well written and I loved that this had a happy ending, knowing that there can be hope where there only seems to be hopelessness. It was lovely too that the author included some links/useful places to go for anyone affected by Virginia's story at the back of the book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
Complicated
This was one of my absolute favorites in high school. I borrowed it multiple times from my library until I just but the bullet and bought it. I just found out about a sequel so I am rereading and it still holds up.
I remember thinking that Virginia and I were so much alike in regards to how we viewed our bodies and navigating high school as sort of invisible.
The author did a fantastic job with writing about familial relationships, body issues, and SA. This book will forever have a special place in my heart.
I remember thinking that Virginia and I were so much alike in regards to how we viewed our bodies and navigating high school as sort of invisible.
The author did a fantastic job with writing about familial relationships, body issues, and SA. This book will forever have a special place in my heart.
This is a hard one to rate. On one hand I wanted to give it four stars but on the other I was aiming more toward three. I guess that means it's a 3.5. I liked this book... I enjoyed the characters and situations. The idea of a shrink for teens who is completely unaware of her own children was kind of brilliant and quite realistic. What I didn't like about the book though was that it seemed like Ginny's problems all got solved over night. One day she's miserable and self mutilating and the next she's all outgoing and making huge changes. It just felt too rushed. I still think it was a great book though despite the poor pacing.
Lazy, offensive, hurtful: The protagonist is fat because she constantly crams Twinkies down her face.
Lazy, offensive, unrealistic, and hurtful: The protagonist loses weight and her whole life changes!
Sickening: Her brother rapes someone and gets away with it.
This book is horrible. It's not edgy, it's not groundbreaking. It's just terrible. Between this and the less-but-still-awful "Vegan Virgin Valentine", I give up on Carolyn Mackler. Ugh.
Lazy, offensive, unrealistic, and hurtful: The protagonist loses weight and her whole life changes!
Sickening: Her brother rapes someone and gets away with it.
This book is horrible. It's not edgy, it's not groundbreaking. It's just terrible. Between this and the less-but-still-awful "Vegan Virgin Valentine", I give up on Carolyn Mackler. Ugh.