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lifeofmavsgirl's review
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting
sugarcainn's review
- 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
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.
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
librarybookscene's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
tlaynejones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
decie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Fatphobia
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
bibliosteph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Fatphobia
Moderate: Death of parent
bookishmillennial's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The reason I like to go into books blindfolded is because I like to go in with absolutely zero expectations. This book was a great example of why that worked so well; I of course knew the basics, that this had a fat main character (I read it as part of a reading challenge me & my friend @themargherita.s on IG are hosting, #TheDiverseBaseline), and that the main character was a teenager. That's about it! I was delighted to find a vulnerable exploration of a sixteen-year-old Puerto Rican teen's experience being fat, Brown, and artistic in the Massachussetts suburbs.
This is very much a character-driven novel presented to us as a slice-of-life for Charlie with slower pacing. We meet Charlie's best friend Amelia, who is Black and pansexual (and thin!), Brian, who is Korean and has two moms, and Charlie's mom, who is obsessed with losing weight and makes it crystal clear that she wants Charlie to lose weight too. There is a bit of a plotline around a crush and an award ceremony, but most of the book meanders through as Charlie struggles to find her footing with each of her relationships.
About those relationships:
- Charlie and Amelia: I deeply related to and appreciated the representation of this kind of friendship. It is so clear that Amelia rides hard for Charlie, but she doesn't recognize how her privilege of being smaller/thinner operates in every day settings. She doesn't realize Charlie can't just borrow clothes from her, and that going shopping is not that accessible for people in Charlie's clothing size either. Amelia is also posited as the girl everyone wants, the attractive one, etc. Charlie can't help but feel forgotten and hidden in the shadows behind Amelia's spotlight. Charlie knows Amelia does not have malicious intent, but it's hard to not be jealous of or upset with Amelia when Charlie constantly feels like the "fat friend" or like a direct line to Amelia for people who want to pursue Amelia. I felt their dynamic, and especially their argument towards the end, was so realistic and I loved the complexity of teenage friendships represented here.
- Charlie and Brian: I know a lot of people probably hated their third-act conflict, and I get it. I really do! However, this also felt so realistic for me! It made me cringe, thinking about how much I have let my fear of looking stupid keep me from making choices that actually probably would have felt so fulfilling and nice. Charlie has been made a fool of so many times because of her proximity to Amelia, and she can't help but try to protect herself and her heart when it comes to Brian. I could see exactly where Charlie was coming from, even if it sounds goofy or immature. She is 17, let her be 17??? This totally tracks for how I handled conflict, rejection, and disappointment when I was a teenager (not everything is about me, but I really do get why she made certain choices!). I was also sympathetic to the way that Brian got frustrated with Charlie, and was glad he called her in to really reflect on the choices she was making.
- Charlie and her mom (whose name I am forgetting, I'm sorry, I listened to the audiobook and I'm blanking): Woof. Big old woof. To be frank with you, the reason I connected so much to this book was because of the rampant fatphobia that Charlie experienced, and a majority of it was from her own mom. I had been dieting from adolescence up until a few years ago, and along with this, was an eating disorder. The religion of thinness in our culture fucks up people beyond belief; I ache for the 18-year-old Brittany who compared herself to her friends, celebrities, and classmates, who aimed for some unattainable goal to feel worthy and beautiful, as if that was the only thing I had to offer the world. Charlie's mom actively emotionally abuses her throughout the entire novel, and while it was challenging to read, I was so proud of Charlie towards the end for how she moved forward with how she felt about herself and her body, regardless of her mom's expectations and fatphobia. Charlie's mom is not unique; there are plenty of people in this world spouting off some fatphobic bullshit, but I hope with more stories like these, and with more of us speaking out against that harmful rhetoric, that we can foster more body neutrality and body respect, little by little.
My favorite part of the book was the night of Charlie's big birthday party, because it was a turning point for her, as Charlie recognized and named what she needed in that moment to be content.
Ultimately, I don't want to spend my entire life hating my body, and hating myself. This book was a reminder that diet culture fucking sucks the life out of any joy in the room, fatphobia does NO ONE any good, and that love, especially parental love, should not come with conditions. I think I *needed* this book at this specific moment in time, and I'm really grateful I read it.
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
lesleygetslit's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Grief
pages_with_panda's review against another edition
- 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
I would've loved to see a book like this when I was in high school.
(Just an FYI, the majority of this book is about Charlie being fat and it being a major plot point. It's not just a book with a fat character, which I know makes a difference to some people).
I liked how fleshed out all the characters were. They all had their own insecurities, personalities, stories and it was a very diverse cast of characters.
Charlie's growth was really cute and I'm glad she got to stand up for herself. Her relationship with Brian was really cute and I like the realistic portrayal between her and her mother - like not everything end nicely wrapped in a bow, but some small steps are progress.
The beginning was a bit hard to get through because of all the negativity, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Charlie really comes around and learned to love herself, stick up for herself, and prioritize her happiness.
Some quotes:
I believe that people can be healthy at any size. I think other fat girls are absolutely beautiful. But my mind struggles to bridge the gap between the two ideologies. (p. 25). Holiday House. Kindle Edition.
“I’m just over all these men! They want so much from you. Be beautiful but not too beautiful; thin but not too thin; feminine but not too feminine. On dates, it’s the same thing—talk, but not too much. Ask them questions about themselves, but not too many questions. I’m exhausted.” (p. 98). Holiday House. Kindle Edition.
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Minor: Death of parent
reading_christine's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Fatphobia