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A review by maddiebees
On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
This was my first Jenny L. Howe book but it definitely won’t be my last! I loved everything about it.
Everly gets submitted to be a participant on “On The Plus Side;” a Quueer-Eye-inspired makeover show focused on plus sized people. On her journey of rediscovering herself and what she wants, she and camera-man Logan strike up an unexpected relationship but it’s not without its tribulations of its own. Everly felt incredibly relatable; growing up fat, I always felt that I had a similar relationship with a lot of people that Everly has with her mother. It was painful but also felt so validating to know that I haven’t been alone in feeling that way or having that experience. Also, I may or may-not have a wardrobe that has historically, mostly, been made up of neutrals and dark colors because it felt safer to be invisible than to let myself be seen.
I love a grumpy MMC so Logan the Grouch was my kind of man with a tough exterior but the sweetest cinnamon roll beneath it all. Reading pretty much every single scene with him with Everly gave me heart-eyes.
I really appreciated that different types of fat bodies were represented and that Jenny didn’t try to shoehorn an entire subpopulation into a neat little box. I also loved that she tackled heavier topics like grief and the expectations we have for ourselves and how that doesn’t always align with. the expectations others have. Seeing Everly’s growth felt really inspiring without coming across as cheesy and I loved how gradual it was; it was truly a journey, she didn’t simply wake up ‘different’ one day. I loved how we saw her hesitance to make a change in her life slowly develop into being confident enough to stand up for herself and her feelings.
Also, the relationship with James felt a little too real; I can definitely relate to the idea of ‘Schrodinger’s date.’ If you don’t ask, the possibility is always there and that feels much safer than taking a risk. That hit really close to home.
Overall, I adored this and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world for others to read! Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny L. Howe, and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC!
Everly gets submitted to be a participant on “On The Plus Side;” a Quueer-Eye-inspired makeover show focused on plus sized people. On her journey of rediscovering herself and what she wants, she and camera-man Logan strike up an unexpected relationship but it’s not without its tribulations of its own. Everly felt incredibly relatable; growing up fat, I always felt that I had a similar relationship with a lot of people that Everly has with her mother. It was painful but also felt so validating to know that I haven’t been alone in feeling that way or having that experience. Also, I may or may-not have a wardrobe that has historically, mostly, been made up of neutrals and dark colors because it felt safer to be invisible than to let myself be seen.
I love a grumpy MMC so Logan the Grouch was my kind of man with a tough exterior but the sweetest cinnamon roll beneath it all. Reading pretty much every single scene with him with Everly gave me heart-eyes.
I really appreciated that different types of fat bodies were represented and that Jenny didn’t try to shoehorn an entire subpopulation into a neat little box. I also loved that she tackled heavier topics like grief and the expectations we have for ourselves and how that doesn’t always align with. the expectations others have. Seeing Everly’s growth felt really inspiring without coming across as cheesy and I loved how gradual it was; it was truly a journey, she didn’t simply wake up ‘different’ one day. I loved how we saw her hesitance to make a change in her life slowly develop into being confident enough to stand up for herself and her feelings.
Also, the relationship with James felt a little too real; I can definitely relate to the idea of ‘Schrodinger’s date.’ If you don’t ask, the possibility is always there and that feels much safer than taking a risk. That hit really close to home.
Overall, I adored this and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world for others to read! Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny L. Howe, and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Sexual content