Review Detail

There once was a girl. Her name was Angie. She was fat.

I totally fell in love with this story! The voice is unique and pulls the reader right into Fat Angie's life. Beautifully written contemporary tale with a heart. We meet Angie who is navigating through some tough things. Her older sister is missing in action in Iraq, her mother won't buy her new clothes unless she loses 29 pounds, school bullying, and her own memories when she 'lost' it during a rally at school.

Then a new girl shows up and Angie's life is turned topsy turvy. She's attracted to KC Romance who has her own secret. The romance between these two is honest as KC is the only one who doesn't call her 'Fat Angie'. Their relationship is ridiculed by peers in a small Ohio town and put to the test. Not only because KC is openly gay but because it adds to the ridicule the town shells out to Angie. This anti-romance is filled with sharp and dark at times humor. I totally loved it.

The turmoils that Angie faces such as bullying, eating disorders, and pain are so real. It seems no one 'get's her. Not her distant lawyer mother; her adopted brother Wang; or even her therapist. The bullying scenes with mean girl Stacy Ann Sloan made me wince more than a few times. And the memories Angie has of trying to 'off' herself are very painful. Angie tries to deal with her pain even when it seems the whole town ridicules and humiliates her.

KC is the gorgeous new girl in town. Her rapier wit takes no hostages. I loved how she refuses to shun and humiliate Angie like everyone else. Her love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a huge plus too! KC stands up to the bullies like Stacy Ann. Plus she makes no excuses about who she is.

I know readers will relate with Angie's struggles. The whole older sister missing in action premise is bittersweet but how Angie faces it later on will have readers cheering.

There's so much to love about this story!

There was a girl. Her name was Angie. You'll love her too.