Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

1 review

monicalaurette's review

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emotional inspiring lighthearted sad 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

4.0

“Life may be shitty. But in moments like these, everything feels like it might just be all right.”

This book was like a hug to my younger high school self. Now I wish I was more like Charlie growing up - as I’m a little like an adult version of her (just white, so maybe not an adult version). I picked up this book without knowing anything about it one day at the bookstore. I knew that I at least had to give it a try for my past and present self as a plus-size girl & woman.

I enjoyed following Charlie in this book. Her and I are very similar in the way we see the world and some of the people around us in our lives: so that was great to unpack with myself while reading 😅. At the beginning of the story when she was getting ready for the dance and her date - I was so nervous about how that scene would play out that I just didn’t pick up the book for a while. I didn’t want to read any fat-related humiliation: but to be a slight spoiler: don’t worry it’s not that way, it’s not like a big scene in front of everyone like I thought it would be. After I was able to get past that point in the book I read the rest of the book in two days through work.

“And now I’m not sure I ever want to think about loving someone ever again.”

There were really only two things I didn’t like about the book, one of which was the third act break-up from a relationship & friendship. I knew that she’d find out Brian asked Amelia out first as it was in the summary, but I didn’t realize how close to the end of the story it would be - and then the following reconciliations afterwards I felt were very fast and didn’t give as much as I wanted from the self-esteem journey that Charlie went through at the end. I wished there had been more of that part to experience.

The other part I didn’t like was how many parentheses were used to convey an additional thought or clarifying bit of information from in Charlie’s head. I’m not against that type of grammatical piece, but I felt that it was used too much when those additional thoughts could have just been part of Charlie’s inner monologue and almost (to me, mind you) aged her down below sixteen/seventeen.

Besides those two things though, I found that by the end I really liked the book and found a few tears in my eyes. I hope that this book stays a great book for young, plus-size girls to let them remember that they deserve that happy ending and just a happy life in general. If I had gotten this book while in high school I know I would have loved it. Charlie may have even been an inspiration to change my life sooner, but it’s never late than never to make Charlie proud.

“It’s the first year where I don’t waste my wish on being skinny; I wish for more happy moments like this.”

I’m glad that after the dance, Cal was basically not seen again. If he kept coming back into Charlie’s life and playing with their emotions I would not have liked this book as much.
I also remember when I first realized that I was bigger, and it changed my life forever since. And like Charlie it was another classmate that said it. So I hope that kids growing up now and in the future will maybe….not do that.
THE BOOKSTORE CAT BEING NAMED CHAPTER WAS THE CUTEST PART OF THIS WHOLE BOOK I’M UPSET I’VE NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!
Called Amelia an ally (for plus-size people) and then she was pan. TALK VALENTINA!
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