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sianmichaela's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh wow, this book is a nostalgia teenage treat. So gorgeously written. It took me back to first dates and love. I swooned and cringed, laughed and cried. Just brilliant.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia
kitwhelan's review against another edition
3.5
A lighthearted teenage romance with a good heart of body image issues and fat positivity. Good for escaping the world for a little while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
idesofjaim's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP
It’s funny how Charlie Vega fantasizes about romance and what it would be like to have her first kiss and all that, because her first boyfriend is everything I would’ve wished I had at 17 (and am still waiting for at almost 34, but I digress…). Her love story makes me so absurdly giddy, and I think it will resonate with anyone who grew up in a larger body or has otherwise struggled to feel seen.
I know there are going to be some people frustrated with how she views Amelia and how that influences her choices, and unfortunately, my teenage self would have related 100%. That’s why this is YA.
Where this loses me is her mom. Her mom is a different kind of terrible, and I don’t feel that there is an actual resolution between them. I also don’t understand the justification? I really thought her fixation on health and losing weight would’ve been died into the plot but not really. And then it leads her to be judgmental of her daughter’s first boyfriend?! YIKES. The mom is where I provide the biggest caution if you grew up with a parent who made it very clear your weight was a problem.
It’s funny how Charlie Vega fantasizes about romance and what it would be like to have her first kiss and all that, because her first boyfriend is everything I would’ve wished I had at 17 (and am still waiting for at almost 34, but I digress…). Her love story makes me so absurdly giddy, and I think it will resonate with anyone who grew up in a larger body or has otherwise struggled to feel seen.
I know there are going to be some people frustrated with how she views Amelia and how that influences her choices, and unfortunately, my teenage self would have related 100%. That’s why this is YA.
Where this loses me is her mom. Her mom is a different kind of terrible, and I don’t feel that there is an actual resolution between them. I also don’t understand the justification? I really thought her fixation on health and losing weight would’ve been died into the plot but not really. And then it leads her to be judgmental of her daughter’s first boyfriend?! YIKES. The mom is where I provide the biggest caution if you grew up with a parent who made it very clear your weight was a problem.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
lifeofmavsgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting
lilys_librqry's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was wonderful. PLEASE don't read it if you don't have a good relationship with food, there are lines that are basically word for word things I've seen on twitter threads intended to trigger people with EDs. But if that's not an issue for you!!! It's cutest and dramatic and touches on some super important topics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Minor: Racism
sugarcainn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I really loved some aspects of this story like the coming of age and body positivity scenes - however sparse they were. With the first 115 pages full of self-deprecation and negative self-talk from the main character as well as external negative sentiment surrounding the MC's body (mostly from her mother - booo) I expected there to be more of her body positivity journey. Without that, the story was lacking for me and felt superficial and unfinished. The romance aspect of the story was cute and the insecurities around that felt so real & incredibly infuriating for the reader if you can relate (which I think it's supposed to)!
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is a good look into the harm fatphobia can have on a child and the ways that manifests. But as a reader, we weren't able to go with Charlie on her body positively journey the same way we were in the same way and that's where this falls flat for me.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is a good look into the harm fatphobia can have on a child and the ways that manifests. But as a reader, we weren't able to go with Charlie on her body positively journey the same way we were in the same way and that's where this falls flat for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
librarybookscene's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Healed the inner child
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
tlaynejones's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Cute. Better than I thought it would be. I’m wary of books with fat protagonists that seem as though the story is all about being fat. This story definitely includes a lot about how Charlie’s body fat affects her relationship with her Mum, her experiences in the world, and her sense of self. However it didn’t feel gratuitous, shaming, or anti fat in the messaging. Some of the people in Charlie’s life are grossly fat phobic, but Charlie understands- intellectually- the damage of such beliefs, and is trying to negotiate her fatness is a healthy way. The main m/f romance is quite lovely, and there is queer representation in secondary/peripheral characters. This definitely YA, with insecurities, misunderstandings and angst, but these felt fairly realistic and not just the same old tropes. Recommended
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
lawbooks600's review
emotional
slow-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
3.0
Score: Six and a half out of ten.
This one was alright. I wanted to read Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado for a while but put it off for a few months before finally getting it at a library. I glanced at the blurb, which didn't seem too unappealing, but the ratings were below four stars, so I lowered my expectations. When I closed the final page, I thought it was okay.
It starts with Charlie Vega recounting her life as a self-identified Fat (uppercase) brown (lowercase) girl with her (white) mother, and her dynamics with other people at school. It sure sounds like a slow beginning in the opening pages when I think about it, and the pacing continues to be this way from there. I liked the message of accepting yourself as who you are, but Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tried to do too much and I didn't know what the central storyline was supposed to be.
There are two narratives: one is a romance and another is a discussion on issues like body shaming and racism, and the narrative tried to do both at once but didn't concentrate on any, but perhaps only focusing on one would be better. I found the juxtaposition between the lighthearted first theme and the serious second theme to be jarring, too. The giddy tone was hard to read at times, and so was the toxic dynamic of Charlie and her mother, but at least I liked the characters, though they were not easy to connect or relate with, even though Charlie developed her character. The exploration of intersectionality is also an appreciated touch. Did I mention Charlie's (Latino) father passed before the plot started? The climax is enjoyable as Charlie starts a relationship with Brian, then they broke up, and then got back together again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racism, Grief, and Cultural appropriation
Full trigger warnings: Body shaming, internalised body shaming, racism, internalised racism, cultural appropriation, eating disorder, restrictive dieting, grief and loss depiction, death of a father in the pastjennafur's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent