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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Well, I am not sure about yhe rating. It would be 5 stars but some parts were too much. ( too much for a 15 year old I guess )
The story is about Virginia Shreves who used to be an obedient child trying to be a perfect fit for her perfectly slim, pretty and super smart family. The thing is Virginia is FAT and her abilities are different from her family. Her sister super smart but grown out be republic and has moved out from the country, mostly from her mother's perfection. Her brother who Virginia used to worship, super handsome and super smart but has never treated her the way that she deserved to be. Her mom, super professional therapist trying to understand all other teenagers expect her own. Her dad inactive but perfect in his career. So Virginia's family is perfect! How can she survive thinking that she does not fit in?
All these perfectness change with a scene, that will not only affect her family but Virginia herself. With that will she able to find herself, real her, no more pretending or expecting to fit in?
Why I loved this book so much
• I have seen girls who hurt themselves because of their look, like Virginia does. But it is important to love yourself, that would only make others love you. It doesn't matter how you define pretty; it differs. But the way you act, speak and all, reflects inner beauty; I beleive that is what people actually fall for. That's what Virginia teaches us.
• Also Virginia teaches us something about breaking limits, flying free. Never let anyone frame you in order to their expectations, even if you approach them you will surely lose yourself. Just live your life the way you want to. That way you'll never have regrets.
ATTENTION!!!
Part of me really hated this book. Relationship between Virginia and Froggy Welsh the Fourth really makes me vomit. Well, I may be too much Asian (
The story is about Virginia Shreves who used to be an obedient child trying to be a perfect fit for her perfectly slim, pretty and super smart family. The thing is Virginia is FAT and her abilities are different from her family. Her sister super smart but grown out be republic and has moved out from the country, mostly from her mother's perfection. Her brother who Virginia used to worship, super handsome and super smart but has never treated her the way that she deserved to be. Her mom, super professional therapist trying to understand all other teenagers expect her own. Her dad inactive but perfect in his career. So Virginia's family is perfect! How can she survive thinking that she does not fit in?
All these perfectness change with a scene, that will not only affect her family but Virginia herself. With that will she able to find herself, real her, no more pretending or expecting to fit in?
Why I loved this book so much
• I have seen girls who hurt themselves because of their look, like Virginia does. But it is important to love yourself, that would only make others love you. It doesn't matter how you define pretty; it differs. But the way you act, speak and all, reflects inner beauty; I beleive that is what people actually fall for. That's what Virginia teaches us.
• Also Virginia teaches us something about breaking limits, flying free. Never let anyone frame you in order to their expectations, even if you approach them you will surely lose yourself. Just live your life the way you want to. That way you'll never have regrets.
ATTENTION!!!
Part of me really hated this book. Relationship between Virginia and Froggy Welsh the Fourth really makes me vomit. Well, I may be too much Asian (
Virginia Shreves is an overweight teen struggling to make it in her seemingly-perfect family. She is the daughter of a wealthy businessman and a prominent child psychologist and the sister of two older siblings who seem to have everything going for them. Virginia follows her “Fat Girl Code of Conduct” and tries her best to play it cool in a school where she feels sorely out of place. For her entire life Virginia has put her older brother Byron on a pedestal and has always looked up to him as the ideal family member. When Byron returns home from college after being accused of date rape Virginia is forced to examine everything she thought she knew and understood not only about her beloved brother, but about relationships themselves. In the aftermath of family trauma Virginia finds her voice and begins to exercise her individuality. Along the way she is learning life lessons about love, friendship, and fitting in where she though she might never belong.
In this novel Carolyn Mackler uses a multi-format approach to presenting the story. Not only is the book written in traditional prose format, but interspersed throughout the story are snippets of lists, notes, and emails that help move the storyline forward. Instead of relying solely on the narrative prose the author fills in important details using these secondary formats. Perhaps the most important example are the emails sent between the protagonist Virginia and her best friend Shannon. Although the two characters are in different cities throughout most of the novel, they communicate via email. Within these emails the character’s emotions and motivations become evident and they become a very important part of the dialogue between two characters.
In using these different formats the novel appeals to a very modern teen audience who is used to relying on technology like texting and email for communication. It is very realistic that Virginia and Shannon would email each other regularly to stay in touch instead of talking on the telephone and I found it a very modern way of telling the story. Revealing the storyline via these snippets of media allows the author to reveal important plot points and advance the storyline without adding pages of background information or unnecessary telephone-related dialogue. It is a cleaner and more readable approach.
On a personal level I had a difficult time identifying with Virginia as the lead protagonist in the story. I feel like the author painted a caricature of an overweight teen more than a realistic and complete character. In the end Virginia came off as entitled and whiny and not altogether very likable, which I think is extremely important in fiction aimed at young adults. I would have liked to have seen a more well-rounded and emotionally deeper character instead of the quite shallow and self-centered Virginia. I wish that not every “fat” girl in literature was depicted as so pathetic and needy and felt like this novel kept up that stereotype.
Something I did really like about the novel was the treatment of date rape as an issue. I enjoyed the way that the author left Virginia questioning not only the repercussions of her brother’s behavior on the family, but also the way the act might have made the victim feel. I enjoyed the scene where Virginia goes to the victim Annie Mills and the conversation they have. After having her own views on boys and relationships rocked with her brother’s actions, Annie’s speech leaves Virginia feeling more empowered and in control of her own reactions to the world around her. I like that the act of date rape wasn’t brushed under the table, but the story still ended in a positive manner.
Overall I was expecting more from a Printz Award-wining novel, but it was a pleasant story with some nice aspects to it. I’m not sure if teens would find Virginia as whiny as I did, but there are some excellent life lessons to be learned from the characters in the novel.
I didn’t really like the main character or the “love interest”.
5/5
This book turned out to be beyond my expectations, it was such a great pleasure to read such a wonderfully written masterpiece by Carolyn mackler.....i just loved it !
< Fat.....cellulite.......insecure.......
anxious........high school........mean comments......virgin......feelings.........
family........food......diet......friends.......boy.....love......& much more >
~The whole book mainly revolves around this young blonde fifteen year old teenage girl Virginia who has always felt insecure mostly bout her own body, she hates mirrors, she mostly eats to comfort herself
~Virginia has a perfect family atleast she thinks that way until she realises which wasn’t actually perfect & then slowly everything changes for virginia making her life even more difficult & complicated
~This book is all bout overcoming your insecurities & loving yourself more in every possible way you can
~The book mainly points on body image, issues when you’re a fat bottomed kid.....it also speaks bout sexual violence, complicated eating disorder, & teenage problems of course
~Book itself is brutally honest & i loved the humour & mainly the romance in the book it was soo cute & adorable to read
~speaking of characters friendship between Virginia & shannon are goals
~froggy is insanely cute, moments with him & virginia together made me blush all the time though i feel froggy’s charecter was very less in the whole book.....maybe his character would get more justice in the sequel of this book- THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING AND SO AM I
~ Virginia’s older brother sucks though he was truly a hero ideal inspiration for virginia at some point of her life but truth is he is not what he appears to be......*no spoilers*
~ i’d recommend this book to everyone & mostly who feel insecure bout their bodies it’s a must read for them.........⭐️💕
This book turned out to be beyond my expectations, it was such a great pleasure to read such a wonderfully written masterpiece by Carolyn mackler.....i just loved it !
< Fat.....cellulite.......insecure.......
anxious........high school........mean comments......virgin......feelings.........
family........food......diet......friends.......boy.....love......& much more >
~The whole book mainly revolves around this young blonde fifteen year old teenage girl Virginia who has always felt insecure mostly bout her own body, she hates mirrors, she mostly eats to comfort herself
~Virginia has a perfect family atleast she thinks that way until she realises which wasn’t actually perfect & then slowly everything changes for virginia making her life even more difficult & complicated
~This book is all bout overcoming your insecurities & loving yourself more in every possible way you can
~The book mainly points on body image, issues when you’re a fat bottomed kid.....it also speaks bout sexual violence, complicated eating disorder, & teenage problems of course
~Book itself is brutally honest & i loved the humour & mainly the romance in the book it was soo cute & adorable to read
~speaking of characters friendship between Virginia & shannon are goals
~froggy is insanely cute, moments with him & virginia together made me blush all the time though i feel froggy’s charecter was very less in the whole book.....maybe his character would get more justice in the sequel of this book- THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING AND SO AM I
~ Virginia’s older brother sucks though he was truly a hero ideal inspiration for virginia at some point of her life but truth is he is not what he appears to be......*no spoilers*
~ i’d recommend this book to everyone & mostly who feel insecure bout their bodies it’s a must read for them.........⭐️💕
Virginia has successful, athletic parents. She has successful, athletic siblings (an older sister and an older brother). They’re all successful. They are all educated. It’s not uncommon for the family to speak only in French around the dinner table. By contrast, Virginia is 15, overweight and while she is a great student, Virginia can’t speak French to save her life. Add to that a best friend who has moved away for the year, a mother who is embarrassed about her weigh and a girl in the school who would rather be dead than weigh as much as Virginia, and you have a young woman who binge eats and self-mutilate.
This was the first book I read on my summer reading list. This was one of the top “challenged” books in libraries for 2009 because it’s sexually explicit and for language (among other reasons). Of all the things that happen in this book, language and sexually explicit story lines are not the first I would have ever answered to the question, “Why shouldn’t kids read this book?”.
The story is told in first person. Readers are taken along as Virginia deals with with a mother who is so ashamed of her own overweight childhood that she acts and speaks to her overweight daughter in ways that are devistating to a 15-year-old psyche. She has a father who says those words every overweight girl has heard (and which has killed every one of them a little each time it’s said), “You would be so pretty if you lost a little weight.” Her sister has moved out (and across the world) and her brother is the Big Man On Campus in a nearby college. While they had been close, Virginia’s brother doesn’t have time for her any more. Eventually everything comes crashing down as Virginia’s brother makes a choice that shakes the whole family and leaves his own future uncertain. Her parents treat this as a little bump in the road, though, and not the tragic event it really is. This doesn’t leave any room for Virginia to process everything and heal. She doesn’t have any friends at school. She doesn’t have any friends at home. She kind of has a boyfriend, but she keeps him at arm’s length because Virginia is sure he wants nothing to do with an overweight girl. Slowly, we see Virginia take control of her life the only way she can: Through not eating (if she was thin, Virginia believes, she would be loved by her family and liked by her friends) and self-injury (like burning her hand on a candle and pinching the fat on her body until she is black and blue from head-to-toe).
So, if you asked me why shouldn’t kids read this book, my answer would be a resounding, “They should read this book if they’re over 13.” Shielding teens from books like this doesn’t stop kids from feeling the way Virginia feels in this book. Keeping this book off the shelves in the library isn’t going to stop kids from wondering about kissing a boy. It isn’t going to stop girls from eating disorders. It isn’t going to stop kids from feeling alone in their own families. Parents of teenage girls probably should also read this book. If school has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that the teen years are not like they were when I was a kid. This book may be fiction, but really, it’s not.
Obviously I would recommend this book, not just to teens, but their parents as well. Aside from the topic, this is also a well-written narrative. Mackler writes to a teen audience, but she doesn’t talk down to them. The topic is serious, but this could be a great jumping-off point for conversations with your teen. I hope you find a reason to read this “challenged” book!
This was the first book I read on my summer reading list. This was one of the top “challenged” books in libraries for 2009 because it’s sexually explicit and for language (among other reasons). Of all the things that happen in this book, language and sexually explicit story lines are not the first I would have ever answered to the question, “Why shouldn’t kids read this book?”.
The story is told in first person. Readers are taken along as Virginia deals with with a mother who is so ashamed of her own overweight childhood that she acts and speaks to her overweight daughter in ways that are devistating to a 15-year-old psyche. She has a father who says those words every overweight girl has heard (and which has killed every one of them a little each time it’s said), “You would be so pretty if you lost a little weight.” Her sister has moved out (and across the world) and her brother is the Big Man On Campus in a nearby college. While they had been close, Virginia’s brother doesn’t have time for her any more. Eventually everything comes crashing down as Virginia’s brother makes a choice that shakes the whole family and leaves his own future uncertain. Her parents treat this as a little bump in the road, though, and not the tragic event it really is. This doesn’t leave any room for Virginia to process everything and heal. She doesn’t have any friends at school. She doesn’t have any friends at home. She kind of has a boyfriend, but she keeps him at arm’s length because Virginia is sure he wants nothing to do with an overweight girl. Slowly, we see Virginia take control of her life the only way she can: Through not eating (if she was thin, Virginia believes, she would be loved by her family and liked by her friends) and self-injury (like burning her hand on a candle and pinching the fat on her body until she is black and blue from head-to-toe).
So, if you asked me why shouldn’t kids read this book, my answer would be a resounding, “They should read this book if they’re over 13.” Shielding teens from books like this doesn’t stop kids from feeling the way Virginia feels in this book. Keeping this book off the shelves in the library isn’t going to stop kids from wondering about kissing a boy. It isn’t going to stop girls from eating disorders. It isn’t going to stop kids from feeling alone in their own families. Parents of teenage girls probably should also read this book. If school has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that the teen years are not like they were when I was a kid. This book may be fiction, but really, it’s not.
Obviously I would recommend this book, not just to teens, but their parents as well. Aside from the topic, this is also a well-written narrative. Mackler writes to a teen audience, but she doesn’t talk down to them. The topic is serious, but this could be a great jumping-off point for conversations with your teen. I hope you find a reason to read this “challenged” book!
I really didn't want this book to end. I love Virginia and Froggy so much. Ugh, if you haven't read this book, YOU NEED TOO.
Ok, this book is a little pat in some places. Turning your life around is probably not as easy as Carolyn Mackler would make it out to be. That being said, this is a really good book. Virginia (or Ginny) is a believable, sympathetic, likable character. Her problems are real, and her solutions to them are fun, if not entirely realistic. But they work for her, and I, at least, was willing to go along for the ride.
A good read aside, Mackler also deals with some serious issues in the book, including date rape and eating disorders (no, neither apply directly to Ginny). These I thought she dealt with very well, and very realistically, showing that not everything wraps up in a neat package at the end, and not every problem can always be solved.
Overall, this is just a good story about a girl who manages to find ways to empower herself despite not always (or usually) getting a lot of support from her family. But she has help from other people around her and figures out how to be herself, and, more importantly, how to be comfortable being herself.
A good read aside, Mackler also deals with some serious issues in the book, including date rape and eating disorders (no, neither apply directly to Ginny). These I thought she dealt with very well, and very realistically, showing that not everything wraps up in a neat package at the end, and not every problem can always be solved.
Overall, this is just a good story about a girl who manages to find ways to empower herself despite not always (or usually) getting a lot of support from her family. But she has help from other people around her and figures out how to be herself, and, more importantly, how to be comfortable being herself.
I loved this book. It ended with a girl learning to be herself and love it. She didn't lose a bunch of weight. She didn't join the popular crowd. She didn't end up with the super hot guy. Externally, she stayed the same. But inside she became the beautiful, self-loving diva she always could be. Great book.
I read this in middle school, but I remember really loving it. It deals with more realistic issues than most young adult books, which is what initially drew me into it. I'm not entirely sure why it was banned, because it seems pretty harmless to me (there are definitely worse YA books out there that aren't banned).
5/5
This can be very triggering towards people who have body issues or an eating disorder, and this book also delves into sexual assault also.
This was a very emotional road for me. I was really drawn to Virginia's character because being a plus size girl myself, I have the same thoughts as she does, even if my situation is completely different. The idea that you have to give yourself to a guy without any hope of commitment if you're overweight has always been there in my mind. So, that was great to see that rep there, you know? Like I feel like when someone writes about a plus size girl, she's too shy and blah blah blah. But while Virginia has the same fears as any overweight girl, she still makes up that rule with guys (which I had believed before myself), and that really hit me. I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense, so let's move on.
At first, I didn't think I was going to like Froggy, like he just seemed like a boy who would only be Virginia's obstacle to finding her romance, but then he really impressed me by getting better for his personality and just everything. Froggy's great!
And my god, Byron (Byron Walker over here--13rw reference) is just a fucking shit. Fat-shaming his sister. Raping a girl. I fucking hated him, but thank you for giving me the feels when Virginia was remembering her old brother and how no one stays exactly the same as you remember them to be.
This can be very triggering towards people who have body issues or an eating disorder, and this book also delves into sexual assault also.
This was a very emotional road for me. I was really drawn to Virginia's character because being a plus size girl myself, I have the same thoughts as she does, even if my situation is completely different. The idea that you have to give yourself to a guy without any hope of commitment if you're overweight has always been there in my mind. So, that was great to see that rep there, you know? Like I feel like when someone writes about a plus size girl, she's too shy and blah blah blah. But while Virginia has the same fears as any overweight girl, she still makes up that rule with guys (which I had believed before myself), and that really hit me. I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense, so let's move on.
At first, I didn't think I was going to like Froggy, like he just seemed like a boy who would only be Virginia's obstacle to finding her romance, but then he really impressed me by getting better for his personality and just everything. Froggy's great!
And my god, Byron (Byron Walker over here--13rw reference) is just a fucking shit. Fat-shaming his sister. Raping a girl. I fucking hated him, but thank you for giving me the feels when Virginia was remembering her old brother and how no one stays exactly the same as you remember them to be.