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A review by thebakersbooks
Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
4.0
4/5 stars — summery vibes and a story featuring a messy bi teenager
Let's clear one thing up early in this review, because I can see where it would detract from the story for some people. Yes, the protag is bisexual, and yes, she sweet-talks her lesbian best friend into a pretend relationship in the hopes of somehow catching the attention of her actual crush, a guy who already has a girlfriend. No, this is not healthy; yes, it is "problematic." I liked the book anyway because although I'm never fond of cheating plotlines, the main character's convoluted schemes were never framed as anything other than A Very Bad Idea. So yes, there was problematic content...because it was the plot conflict. And I think it's fair for a bi girl to get to be as messy and embroiled in relationship garbage as straight characters have been in YA contemporary for years, but some readers may understandably want to give this a pass.
Long and somewhat heated disclaimer out of the way—on to the rest of the book! As I mentioned, the amusement park setting gives the book a summery atmosphere in a very relatable high-school-memories way, right down to awkward bits like looking your absolute worst just when your crush happens to walk in. The main character's sometimes desperate determination to make this the best summer ever, complete with certain movie-perfect snapshot moments she has in mind, was also a memorable feeling. In short, that's a check for me on both character realism and teenage characters who actually felt like teens, complete with teenage voice (no obviously dated attempts at slang here!), reasoning, and screw-ups.
The characters were all wonderfully vivid. Eloise/Lou's complicated family past left her slow to trust and determined to hold on to those close to her at all costs; her dad, dealing with his own traumatic history, is nevertheless one of the most well-written supportive parents I've had the pleasure of reading. None of the characters felt like window dressing. Even less sympathetic characters like the girl Lou views as her romantic rival have real human complexities that play into the plot.
The weightiness of the story and some of the more serious subplots caught me by surprise. Based on the synopsis, this is a lighthearted book about a girl dressed as a hot dog who tries to save a condemned amusement park. Instead, we get a story up to its eyeballs in drama and heartbreak. It wasn't a bad thing, just not what I was expecting. In fact, the emotional depth of the book was one of its strongest areas, particularly since the sad parts are balanced by a happy, if bittersweet, ending.
I don't read YA contemporary enough to suggest comp titles, but I think this book will appeal to fans of the genre in general based on those I've read. If you're looking for a relatable summer read with a realistically flawed protagonist and a friends-to-fake-dating-to-lovers relationship , I recommend Hot Dog Girl! As a former messy bi teenager (and current messy bi adult), this book spoke to my heart.
content warnings: death of a grandparent, parental abandonment, alcohol use
Let's clear one thing up early in this review, because I can see where it would detract from the story for some people. Yes, the protag is bisexual, and yes, she sweet-talks her lesbian best friend into a pretend relationship in the hopes of somehow catching the attention of her actual crush, a guy who already has a girlfriend. No, this is not healthy; yes, it is "problematic." I liked the book anyway because although I'm never fond of cheating plotlines, the main character's convoluted schemes were never framed as anything other than A Very Bad Idea. So yes, there was problematic content...because it was the plot conflict. And I think it's fair for a bi girl to get to be as messy and embroiled in relationship garbage as straight characters have been in YA contemporary for years, but some readers may understandably want to give this a pass.
Long and somewhat heated disclaimer out of the way—on to the rest of the book! As I mentioned, the amusement park setting gives the book a summery atmosphere in a very relatable high-school-memories way, right down to awkward bits like looking your absolute worst just when your crush happens to walk in. The main character's sometimes desperate determination to make this the best summer ever, complete with certain movie-perfect snapshot moments she has in mind, was also a memorable feeling. In short, that's a check for me on both character realism and teenage characters who actually felt like teens, complete with teenage voice (no obviously dated attempts at slang here!), reasoning, and screw-ups.
The characters were all wonderfully vivid. Eloise/Lou's complicated family past left her slow to trust and determined to hold on to those close to her at all costs; her dad, dealing with his own traumatic history, is nevertheless one of the most well-written supportive parents I've had the pleasure of reading. None of the characters felt like window dressing. Even less sympathetic characters like the girl Lou views as her romantic rival have real human complexities that play into the plot.
The weightiness of the story and some of the more serious subplots caught me by surprise. Based on the synopsis, this is a lighthearted book about a girl dressed as a hot dog who tries to save a condemned amusement park. Instead, we get a story up to its eyeballs in drama and heartbreak. It wasn't a bad thing, just not what I was expecting. In fact, the emotional depth of the book was one of its strongest areas, particularly since the sad parts are balanced by a happy, if bittersweet, ending.
I don't read YA contemporary enough to suggest comp titles, but I think this book will appeal to fans of the genre in general based on those I've read. If you're looking for a relatable summer read with a realistically flawed protagonist
content warnings: death of a grandparent, parental abandonment, alcohol use