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A review by kiiwiisii
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
4.0
This is a short, sweet novel with a charming sentiment. It's nothing you wouldn't expect, but it made me happy to read. The Earth, My Butt, and other Big, Round Things is the story of Virginia Shreves, an overweight girl trying to fit in at high school and with her own perfect, over-achieving family.
I appreciated this book for its honesty-- for the ways and the motivations behind Virgina hurting herself to the way she rebelled against her parents. Her motives are always easy to follow because you know her inner thoughts, something the other characters in the book don't get to know until the end.
This is more a novel for younger teens, but anyone struggling to fit in and assert their independence could take something out of this book. Virginia is a likable character and everything the author includes seems to have great significance, other than the presence-- or lack thereof of her sister Anais. Everything the author does seems calculated and important from the actions of her brother Byron to her best friend moving away, but the addition of a sister in her life was a little unnecessary. Throughout the novel, mostly in flashbacks, Virginia talks about how her sister has helped her through certain life events and Anais seems to act as the only one who can reveal the truth about her feelings, which Virgina learns from, but the novel would've been just as compelling without her.
In the end, I really did enjoy this book. It's short and funny and sad and sweet all at the same time. Definitely worth reading if you have a few hours free.
I appreciated this book for its honesty-- for the ways and the motivations behind Virgina hurting herself to the way she rebelled against her parents. Her motives are always easy to follow because you know her inner thoughts, something the other characters in the book don't get to know until the end.
This is more a novel for younger teens, but anyone struggling to fit in and assert their independence could take something out of this book. Virginia is a likable character and everything the author includes seems to have great significance, other than the presence-- or lack thereof of her sister Anais. Everything the author does seems calculated and important from the actions of her brother Byron to her best friend moving away, but the addition of a sister in her life was a little unnecessary. Throughout the novel, mostly in flashbacks, Virginia talks about how her sister has helped her through certain life events and Anais seems to act as the only one who can reveal the truth about her feelings, which Virgina learns from, but the novel would've been just as compelling without her.
In the end, I really did enjoy this book. It's short and funny and sad and sweet all at the same time. Definitely worth reading if you have a few hours free.