Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have

 
4.5 (2)
 
5.0 (1)
315 0
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
12+
Release Date
September 08, 2009
ISBN
1606840045
Buy This Book
      

Editor reviews

4 reviews
Overall rating
 
4.5
Plot
 
4.5(2)
Characters
 
N/A(0)
Writing Style
 
N/A(0)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
There Are Two Types of Heavy
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
I always root for the loners and the kids who dare to be different and the kids who dont necessarily care what other people think. Maybe I identify with them, who knows. So, you know Im going to root for 306.4 pound Andrew Zansky. Hes the guy who can barely fit on those chair-desk combos that some schools have. Hes the guy who falls in love with a girl who barely knows he exists. Hes also the guy who wont give a plain girl, a girl who dares to be different, the time of day. Hes the guy who joins the Model UN club instead of the football team.

Andy meets April at a wedding that his mother is catering and falls for her. He lies and tells her hes a jock and she believes him. Hes shocked to find out that April goes to his school and is in some of his classes. When she learns he lied, shes extremely disappointed. There are two kinds of heavy, according to Andy. The first is the physical weight. The second is when you lie to someone and disappoint them.

When O., the football star quarterback, saves him from bully Ugo, they begin to talk. Its football tryouts and Andy decides to try out. Surprisingly, he makes the varsity team as its center. Hes got to lie to his best friend and fellow geek Eytan, who would not understand his decision. Hes got to lie to his mother who wouldnt let him play because (a) shes overprotective and (b) hes got asthma.

As you can imagine, Andys naïve. He thinks that all is his problems are solved now that hes a jock. But he soon learns otherwise. He learns people are not always honest. He learns a lot over the few months that he plays.

Food, Girls and Other Things I Cant Have by Allen Zadoff is a fun read. Yeah, parts are sad, but parts are also funny. The chapter titles are great. You cant help but love Andy. You cant help but feel sorry for him as he ponders the high school hierarchy. You cant help feel sorry for the superficial kids he encounters. But one thing you do know&Andys smart and hes going to figure it out. (By the way, Allen Zadoff/Andrew Zansky. Hmmmm!!!)

Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0
A new fun hero
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Cant Have is a fun and hilarious romp through high school told though the eyes of a sensitive and overweight fifteen-year-old teen named Andrew Zansky.  Not only can't Andy fit in his size 48 pants but he feels out of place in his family too. It doesn't help either that his mother is a caterer. Then a new girl catches his attention.  He tries hard to catch her eye which leads him to trying out for the football team.  What happens next is sure to make readers laugh and cheer Andy on.



I loved this story!  Andys trials and struggles to find himself in high school are totally believable.  I laughed throughout this tale.  Andy is funny, down to earth, and likeable.  I couldnt put this book down!  Andy is sure to be a favorite hero. 




 

Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 2 1

User reviews

1 review
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0(1)
Characters
 
N/A(0)
Writing Style
 
N/A(0)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
Already have an account? or Create an account
Laugh Out Loud Funny
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Reader reviewed by Yan

Can we just say how funny this book is? This is laugh out loud, rolling on the carpet floor getting a 3rd degree burn. Allen Zadoff gave the perfect balance of an emotional wrenching book and a hilarious outspoken book.

While this book is more towards the male audience with talks of football, blenching, how to lay a girl, theres a bit for us ladies as well&that is if you enjoy cooking&or eating actually.

Andrew, Andy, is not the fattest kid in school but the second which makes it way worst. He tries but falls at trying to find his place in school. Hes kind good at being a diplomat in the Model UN but when April catches Andys eyes hes determined to reach it to the top of the high school pyramidfootball player. Which it turns out, Andys actually good at. But Andy can only pick one side, the Model UN and his skinny best friend Ethan or the football players and April the cheerleader. Andy embarks on a journey of self finding, and weight issues that seems to be a selective generic trait in his family.

This book gives the reader an addiction that you cannot be contained until the entire novel is devoured. It touches the bases of weight issues, family problems, little sister phobia, high school crushes, high school lessons all with an incredulous feeling that Andy cannot believe hes actually popular&sort of. While Andy doesnt lose like 100 pounds in the book, he becomes healthier with the help of football and learns to use his largeness to the fullest potential.

The family issues are the result of a nasty divorce from an equally nasty affair. Andy tries to reconnect with the dad and through football he does. His father admits that whichever he chooses, to quit or to continue, hes proud of Andy.

Andy learns that to not put so much faith on just one man especially when it comes to love as he finds out with April&and O. Douglass. He grows, develops, understands, and lives on.

Overall: An amazing novel that tackles the issue of weight like never before.


G
#1 Reviewer
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 1 0