Review Detail

Sixteen-year-old Bluebelle, or BB/Big Bones, loves herself. Forget that others say she's fat. After a recent asthma attack, she has a doctor's visit and is told she must lose weight. The doctor suggests she write in a food journal. Only the journal becomes much more than just about food. Seems BB has lots of say about not only food, but life around her.

What worked: This is a hilarious contemporary novel of a teen who is happy with who she is and doesn't care what others think. She just happens to love food. When she has to write in a food journal, she starts by describing her favorite foods in vivid detail. Then other things pop in like her feelings of her parents latest breakup; trying to get an apprenticeship at the coffee shop she works at; her attraction to a fellow barista; and her love of her kid sister.

I love BB's zest for life and her self-confidence is felt through out the novel. It's beyond refreshing to have a heroine who doesn't moan her added weight and accepts who she is. Her character is multi-layered and her struggles( like feeling guilty after her younger sister has a tragic accident) are very realistic. She kind of reminds me of another protagonist-Dumplin-who also didn't let other's opinions of her weight keep her down.

Hilarious coming age tale of a London teen whose food journal becomes a map of her life.