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A review by hannaws
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
You can’t. You have to really be kind to yourself and look out for yourself because the world can be cold and cruel. Don’t feel bad, ever, about putting yourself first. Promise!
This book. This book.. Wow! I finished reading yesterday and I have been trying to gather my thoughts around before sitting down to write this. I'm not a good reviewer normally anyway, but with scattered brain, even worse. But I tried to sort through my thoughts and organize them, so we'll see what this becomes in the end. (spoiler: I'm pretty sure it'll be a mess, like always)
I see so much myself in Charlie. I, too, have a shitty relationship with my mom, if any even. She has always only seen my little siblings, I've been, and still am apparently, the biggest mistake and disappointment. So I kind of liked seeing a character go through that. I mean, obviously no one ever deserves being treated that way! But you know, see that maybe not everyone has their life all perfect.
Anyway, Charlie has it hard on all fronts. She definitely deserves a crown, okay! Because she is going through some shite in her home that no one ever should be going through, but on top of that, it is not easy for her in her social life either. But SHE. WALKS. THROUGH. IT. Like the freaking Queen she is. I agree that she could have handled some things a little differently, but at the same time I understand. She has been putting up with a lot, and when the bubble bursts, there's no stopping it.
I very much liked all the other characters as well. Brian especially. Though, being an adult this feels kind of wrong saying this. Anyway, I think we all should learn something from Brian, okay. He sees Charlie as an amazing person. Exactly, he sees her as a person! He doesn't see just a fat brown girl. He sees an amazing person.
All the character are well written. They all have different personalities, different hardships in their life. I'm saying that I went through all kinds of feelings with them.
Cal can burn in hell. That's all I'm saying. And the mom too.
And from mom we get to move on to the plot. I really liked that. It moved on in a rather nice speed. There are so many lessons in there for each of us to think. None of us is perfect, literally no one is.
But I still hate the mom quite bad. That is something I haven't gotten past. Every single time she made an appearance, she never once had anything nice to say! And every single time I felt like ripping the book apart. You can not treat your daughter like that! What the heck is wrong with you?! Yes, you both lost someone. Charlie a dad, you a husband. But that still doesn't give you the right to deal with that by bullying your own freaking daughter! Like what?!
During yet another argument where she has again been bullying her daughter about everything, mostly about her being fat, again. She ends it by saying: I'm sorry I care about you, Charlie. Sooo sorry! And let me tell you, I haven't been that much in rage in a long time. That is not a genuine apology. And you too shouldn't even be in that situation! If you are not fine with your own body, you have no right to take it on your daughter! Gosh.
They did have some kind of a conversation, to make it all better. Talk it over and all that. But I still don't really think that the mom really realizes what she did wrong. I don't the she grew to be any better.
But Brian's moms were amazing!
All in all, now that I have gotten all that rant out of me. This is an amazing book about a young lady growing up. It was a little hard to read at some points because it took me back to my childhood, which was pretty much as shitty with my mom and being fully bullied at school. But I think that on some levels that made the book just that much better. Being so true, you know.
This book. This book.. Wow! I finished reading yesterday and I have been trying to gather my thoughts around before sitting down to write this. I'm not a good reviewer normally anyway, but with scattered brain, even worse. But I tried to sort through my thoughts and organize them, so we'll see what this becomes in the end. (spoiler: I'm pretty sure it'll be a mess, like always)
I see so much myself in Charlie. I, too, have a shitty relationship with my mom, if any even. She has always only seen my little siblings, I've been, and still am apparently, the biggest mistake and disappointment. So I kind of liked seeing a character go through that. I mean, obviously no one ever deserves being treated that way! But you know, see that maybe not everyone has their life all perfect.
Anyway, Charlie has it hard on all fronts. She definitely deserves a crown, okay! Because she is going through some shite in her home that no one ever should be going through, but on top of that, it is not easy for her in her social life either. But SHE. WALKS. THROUGH. IT. Like the freaking Queen she is. I agree that she could have handled some things a little differently, but at the same time I understand. She has been putting up with a lot, and when the bubble bursts, there's no stopping it.
I very much liked all the other characters as well. Brian especially. Though, being an adult this feels kind of wrong saying this. Anyway, I think we all should learn something from Brian, okay. He sees Charlie as an amazing person. Exactly, he sees her as a person! He doesn't see just a fat brown girl. He sees an amazing person.
All the character are well written. They all have different personalities, different hardships in their life. I'm saying that I went through all kinds of feelings with them.
Cal can burn in hell. That's all I'm saying. And the mom too.
And from mom we get to move on to the plot. I really liked that. It moved on in a rather nice speed. There are so many lessons in there for each of us to think. None of us is perfect, literally no one is.
But I still hate the mom quite bad. That is something I haven't gotten past. Every single time she made an appearance, she never once had anything nice to say! And every single time I felt like ripping the book apart. You can not treat your daughter like that! What the heck is wrong with you?! Yes, you both lost someone. Charlie a dad, you a husband. But that still doesn't give you the right to deal with that by bullying your own freaking daughter! Like what?!
During yet another argument where she has again been bullying her daughter about everything, mostly about her being fat, again. She ends it by saying: I'm sorry I care about you, Charlie. Sooo sorry! And let me tell you, I haven't been that much in rage in a long time. That is not a genuine apology. And you too shouldn't even be in that situation! If you are not fine with your own body, you have no right to take it on your daughter! Gosh.
They did have some kind of a conversation, to make it all better. Talk it over and all that. But I still don't really think that the mom really realizes what she did wrong. I don't the she grew to be any better.
But Brian's moms were amazing!
All in all, now that I have gotten all that rant out of me. This is an amazing book about a young lady growing up. It was a little hard to read at some points because it took me back to my childhood, which was pretty much as shitty with my mom and being fully bullied at school. But I think that on some levels that made the book just that much better. Being so true, you know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death of parent