Reviews

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

brittneyfike's review

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4.0

WHAT A GREAT BOOK.
ENJOYED WATCHING
CHARLIE LEARN TO
LOVE HER BODY AND
I STAND UP FOR
HERSELF TO HER OWN
MOM. IT TOOK ME A BIT
TO GET IN TO THIS ONE
BUT IT WAS OVERALL A
GREAT YA READ.

princessklee's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

sarahhj's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

mayonessa's review

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4.0

Rating: 3.75 stars (rounded up)

DO NOT READ THE INSIDE FLAP. IT WILL SKEW YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BOOK. GO IN BLIND IF YOU MUST.

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is a cute YA novel that I think I would have enjoyed a lot more if I read it 8 or 9 years ago when I was 15/16. Maldonado writes a cute and heartfelt romcom that I was very invested in despite it's immature nature (not in a bad way, this is just very obviously a high school book meant for a younger demographic that I have grown out of).

Despite it's flaws and sticking to the tropes that the main character herself fawns over, I was really surprised by this book and how enjoyable it was. Even though it was a cute read, I can't help but be a little critical. While the story had strong thorough lines started in the beginning of the book, it felt like it lost its way halfway through and then completely did a 180 in the last 100 pages or so.

The dissection of Charlie's relationship with her mother comes to an explosive head, and then this vital plot line is dropped without any solid resolution. And while you can make the argument that this reflects reality, it does not provide for a satisfying read. I enjoyed the tumultuous back and forth between Charlie and her mom, but it suddenly gets a quick resolution without diving deep into the complex relationship of being a fat girl with a mother who wants you to be thinner. As someone who has gone through that myself and whose mother has gone through disordered eating behaviors that have shaped my fundamental experiences growing up, it was really sad to see Charlie not get the catharsis that the reader was expecting for the entire book. I'm glad Maldonado treaded into this territory, but I was hoping we could have gotten more from this theme and plot line in particular.

Also, as noted by my complaint (warning?) at the beginning of my review, DO NOT READ THE INSIDE OF THE BOOK. *Minor spoiler territory??/not really* But, the issue of Brian asking out Amelia is not even revealed until the LAST 10 or so chapters of the book. I got through 75% of the book without this plot point ever being brought up and then it gets suddenly dropped for a complete turn around of the story we had already been building. While I appreciate Maldonado's story building, this additional plot point was NOT introduced early enough to warrant it being the MAIN CONFLICT OF THE BOOK NOTED ON THE INSIDE FLAP. The main conflict is really Charlie's discovery of self worth and self esteem, but this particular instance should not have had as much emphasis and for it to be warranted in the first place, this should have occurred earlier in the plot instead of the last 15% of the book.

Other than some minor superficial issues, this book was a feelgood read for the hopeless romantics and it is a great read for high schoolers.

dreabea's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sagittariusreads_'s review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

offlinemary's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.5

sarabell93's review

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

tasvivee's review

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hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

alexa98's review

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5