Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

The reason I like to go into books blindfolded is because I like to go in with absolutely zero expectations. This book was a great example of why that worked so well; I of course knew the basics, that this had a fat main character (I read it as part of a reading challenge me & my friend @themargherita.s on IG are hosting, #TheDiverseBaseline), and that the main character was a teenager. That's about it! I was delighted to find a vulnerable exploration of a sixteen-year-old Puerto Rican teen's experience being fat, Brown, and artistic in the Massachussetts suburbs.

This is very much a character-driven novel presented to us as a slice-of-life for Charlie with slower pacing. We meet Charlie's best friend Amelia, who is Black and pansexual (and thin!), Brian, who is Korean and has two moms, and Charlie's mom, who is obsessed with losing weight and makes it crystal clear that she wants Charlie to lose weight too. There is a bit of a plotline around a crush and an award ceremony, but most of the book meanders through as Charlie struggles to find her footing with each of her relationships.

About those relationships:

Charlie and Amelia: I deeply related to and appreciated the representation of this kind of friendship. It is so clear that Amelia rides hard for Charlie, but she doesn't recognize how her privilege of being smaller/thinner operates in every day settings. She doesn't realize Charlie can't just borrow clothes from her, and that going shopping is not that accessible for people in Charlie's clothing size either. Amelia is also posited as the girl everyone wants, the attractive one, etc. Charlie can't help but feel forgotten and hidden in the shadows behind Amelia's spotlight. Charlie knows Amelia does not have malicious intent, but it's hard to not be jealous of or upset with Amelia when Charlie constantly feels like the "fat friend" or like a direct line to Amelia for people who want to pursue Amelia. I felt their dynamic, and especially their argument towards the end, was so realistic and I loved the complexity of teenage friendships represented here.
Charlie and Brian: I know a lot of people probably hated their third-act conflict, and I get it. I really do! However, this also felt so realistic for me! It made me cringe, thinking about how much I have let my fear of looking stupid keep me from making choices that actually probably would have felt so fulfilling and nice. Charlie has been made a fool of so many times because of her proximity to Amelia, and she can't help but try to protect herself and her heart when it comes to Brian. I could see exactly where Charlie was coming from, even if it sounds goofy or immature. She is 17, let her be 17??? This totally tracks for how I handled conflict, rejection, and disappointment when I was a teenager (not everything is about me, but I really do get why she made certain choices!). I was also sympathetic to the way that Brian got frustrated with Charlie, and was glad he called her in to really reflect on the choices she was making.
Charlie and her mom (whose name I am forgetting, I'm sorry, I listened to the audiobook and I'm blanking): Woof. Big old woof. To be frank with you, the reason I connected so much to this book was because of the rampant fatphobia that Charlie experienced, and a majority of it was from her own mom. I had been dieting from adolescence up until a few years ago, and along with this, was an eating disorder. The religion of thinness in our culture fucks up people beyond belief; I ache for the 18-year-old Brittany who compared herself to her friends, celebrities, and classmates, who aimed for some unattainable goal to feel worthy and beautiful, as if that was the only thing I had to offer the world. Charlie's mom actively emotionally abuses her throughout the entire novel, and while it was challenging to read, I was so proud of Charlie towards the end for how she moved forward with how she felt about herself and her body, regardless of her mom's expectations and fatphobia. Charlie's mom is not unique; there are plenty of people in this world spouting off some fatphobic bullshit, but I hope with more stories like these, and with more of us speaking out against that harmful rhetoric, that we can foster more body neutrality and body respect, little by little.

My favorite part of the book was the night of Charlie's big birthday party, because it was a turning point for her, as Charlie recognized and named what she needed in that moment to be content.

Ultimately, I don't want to spend my entire life hating my body, and hating myself. This book was a reminder that diet culture fucking sucks the life out of any joy in the room, fatphobia does NO ONE any good, and that love, especially parental love, should not come with conditions. I think I *needed* this book at this specific moment in time, and I'm really grateful I read it.

Content Warnings

lesleygetslit's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

skye_era_books's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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

4.75

I love Charlie. I love Brian. I love Amelia (sort of). I hate hate hate HATE Charlie’s mom. Anywho, fat rep? Brown girl rep? Queer side character rep? Written by Crystal Maldonado? Count me the fuck in.

Content Warnings

thehomiemona's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

lit_with_lauren's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

pages_with_panda's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

4.0

Liked it! Cute, coming-of-age story (female main character is 17 (high-school age), romantic, humorous, heart-warming.

I would've loved to see a book like this when I was in high school.

(Just an FYI, the majority of this book is about Charlie being fat and it being a major plot point. It's not just a book with a fat character, which I know makes a difference to some people).

I liked how fleshed out all the characters were. They all had their own insecurities, personalities, stories and it was a very diverse cast of characters.

Charlie's growth was really cute and I'm glad she got to stand up for herself. Her relationship with Brian was really cute and I like the realistic portrayal between her and her mother - like not everything end nicely wrapped in a bow, but some small steps are progress.

The beginning was a bit hard to get through because of all the negativity, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Charlie really comes around and learned to love herself, stick up for herself, and prioritize her happiness.

Some quotes:

I believe that people can be healthy at any size. I think other fat girls are absolutely beautiful. But my mind struggles to bridge the gap between the two ideologies. (p. 25). Holiday House. Kindle Edition.

“I’m just over all these men! They want so much from you. Be beautiful but not too beautiful; thin but not too thin; feminine but not too feminine. On dates, it’s the same thing—talk, but not too much. Ask them questions about themselves, but not too many questions. I’m exhausted.” (p. 98). Holiday House. Kindle Edition.

Content Warnings

eicart_reads's review

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challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Wonderful book. Don't read the back cover copy first (it spoils something that happens at the 85% mark!)

Charlie Vega is a fat, Brown girl trying to shine in a world that does its best to make her feel less than. Sixteen, soon to be seventeen -- life is hard in so many ways. (I'm so glad I'm not a teenager!)

This book was difficult at times, watching Charlie deal with fatphobia and fat shaming, especially from her mom. Diet culture is so pervasive that even a mom who used to be fat still pushes that slim "ideal" on her daughter.

But this story is also filled with joy, growth, an amazing best friendship, and hope. I loved reading about Charlie's journey!

I wish I could have read this book when I was a fat teenager who had a complex, often difficult, relationship with my mother. I'm glad I read it now as an adult, and I'm happy it's out there for teens who will read it and feel seen and validated.

CW for

fat shaming, fatphobia, diet culture, toxic/gaslighting dynamic with mother, past death of father.

I read half on audio, half in print. The audiobook narrator was good but didn't really use different voices for the different characters. I switched to print so I could finish more quickly for my book club deadline!

Content Warnings

cover2covertx's review

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challenging emotional 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

5.0

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that brought me back into the mind of my teenage self until this book. It’s funny, charming, heart breaking & real. I loved this so much ♥️

Content Warnings

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