A review by thaliareads
On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for this ARC! 

Ever since the death of her grandmother, who had been her biggest cheerleader, Everly has been perfectly happy to fly under the radar and avoid extra attention. Everything changes when someone nominates her for her favorite makeover show, ON THE PLUS SIDE. Not only is the show giving her an unprecedented opportunity to rediscover herself and her style, but it is also giving her the ability to further explore her interest in making her art her career. While being behind the camera may turn out to be more than she bargained for, she begins to enjoy her newfound camaraderie with the grumpy cameraman Logan. However, will this develop into something more than friendship or will Everly finally have the courage to go after the office hottie she’s been crushing on instead? 

I adored this book so much! I really appreciated the emphasis on the fact that Everly was never trying to hide her body, she was trying to hide who she was to avoid the attention that would lead to rejection based on her skills or her personality. I also appreciated that the novel structure itself mirrored Everly’s wishes for her story arc on the show, focusing on her goals as an artist over “improving” her love life. I also thought that it was nice that the author showed that even people who may not appear it externally can still have their own battles with their views on their bodies.  This book also surprised me with some twists and turns I hadn’t anticipated that really made it even more interesting. Overall, Everly shone brightly as she reached for her goals and showed the true depths of her talent. As for Logan, all I’ll say is that like Everly I’m a sucker for a man in flannel and I love the way he was always truly seeing who she is and understanding what she was trying to reach for. 
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