Reviews

Virginia had such a strong voice; it was impossible to put her story down. I really enjoyed her growth, and her family's slow transformation. As a parent, though, it was SO HARD to read about the adolescent psychologist mother making such terrible parenting decisions. I don't see how she couldn't see what she was doing to her daughter; I was taking adolescent psychology not too long before this book came out, and it was so blatant.

bug_lightyear's review against another edition

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Read 30% in 7h at 65% speed

I stopped after Virginia went to a doctor that sounded nice, listened to her, and said as long as she's healthy her weight isn't an issue, then when she half heartedly agreed to let her mother speak to him about her weight, the doctor goes on to unleash all the fatphobic stuff possible and tell her her weight is bad etc. And then she starts starving herself because her being thin is the only thing she wants after that.
The I read from summaries that the book deals with sexual assault later on and I don't want to read about that.

Also the book description says it's a new edition with foreword but that isn't present in the audiobook, it goes on straight to the story.

Content Warnings

vegprincess's review against another edition

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4.0

This was book dealt with a couple of serious issues but ultimately it was cute and even funny at times. The ending was nice.

stephxsu's review against another edition

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5.0

Virginia Shreves is certain that she was accidentally switched at birth. That’s the only way she can account for the differences between her and her parents and two older siblings. She’s sure that somewhere in the Tri-State area there’s an obese, blond-haired, pop-culture-loving family wondering why they have a slim, brown-haired, and culturally enlightened daughter. Because that’s what Virginia knows she is. Fat.

Being fat is a huge handicap for Virginia. She can’t make her weekly make-out trysts with Froggy Welsh the Fourth into a serious relationship. She is fearful of imposing herself upon unfriendly classmates, and so she’s all alone this year, her best friend Shannon having gone to Walla Walla for the year.

Then Virginia gets some news that shatters all of her beliefs. Her brother, Byron, whom she used to worship, was accused of date rape, and her family struggles to pretend everything is normal. But Virginia has had enough. She is tired of her parents making light of Byron’s criminal offense when they rag on her to lose weight all the time. It’s time for Virginia to begin to love herself.

It’s hard to summarize up this extremely good story in a few short sentences. Virginia’s tale is a hearty cry for self-acceptance. Thoroughly believable and utterly uplifting, don’t miss this great book.

sariberri11's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

4saradouglas's review against another edition

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5.0

Virginia is an overweight girl whose family members are all gorgeous, thin, and perfect. Her mother is constantly pressuring her to diet and her father is always commenting on how he likes his women thin. Virginia can’t help but hate her body and always follows her “Fat Girl Code of Conduct” when it comes to boys. When her brother is accused of date raping a girl, Virginia’s world becomes even harder to deal with.

This is a truly fantastic book that everyone should read if they’ve ever had issues with their bodies. And who hasn’t? Virginia is a fun character to get to know and she is very easy to relate to. The book deals with larger issues than just body image and handles them all very well. Overall this book is very insightful and inspiring and could help teens deal with a lot of issues that are common in their world.

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