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Virginia Shreves #1
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex, especially when she compares herself to her slim, brilliant, picture-perfect family. But that’s before a shocking phone call — and a horrifying allegation — about her rugby-star brother changes everything. With irreverent humor and surprising gravity, Carolyn Mackler creates an endearingly blunt heroine who speaks to every teen who struggles with family expectations, and proves that the most impressive achievement is to be true to yourself.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2003
247 people are currently reading
18866 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Mackler
23 books977 followersCarolyn Mackler is the author of the popular teen novels, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (A Michael L. Printz Honor Book), Infinite in Between, Tangled, Guyaholic, Vegan Virgin Valentine, and Love and Other Four-Letter Words. Carolyn's novel, The Future of Us, co-written with bestselling author Jay Asher, received starred reviews and appeared on several bestseller lists. Carolyn has also written Best Friend Next Door, a novel for younger readers. Carolyn's novels have been published in more than twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Denmark, Israel, and Indonesia.
Carolyn lives in New York City with her husband and two sons. Her new novel for teens, The Universe is Expanding and So Am I, will be published in May 2018. This is the long-awaited sequel to the Printz-honor winning novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.
Carolyn lives in New York City with her husband and two sons. Her new novel for teens, The Universe is Expanding and So Am I, will be published in May 2018. This is the long-awaited sequel to the Printz-honor winning novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,936 reviews
April 23, 2008
I am not sure how I feel about this one. I even slept on it before reviewing it. On one hand, it is a good teen book (Why, it's a Printz Honor!). On the other, why does every fat girl protagonist have to be so darn pathetic? There must be some sort of checklist authors use for an overweight novel:
* Fat Girl's best friend has moved away over the summer leaving Fat Girl all alone (subsequently Fat Girl spends lunch eating Twinkies in some remote part of the school)
* Fat Girl has a super skinny mom with issues (in fact, her whole family sucks)
* Fat Girl's family is, however, rich (which explains why Fat Girl has a disposable income for junk food)
* The popular girls in school are bulimic (that's probably why they are so mean--they are awful hungry!)
* Fat Girl undergoes a physical transformation at the end and gets the guy!!!
Check. Check. Check. Check. Aaaaand Check. All the stereotypes are aligned... Oh look! The Big Dipper.
Although it is adult chick lit (and not the YA genre "The Earth..." falls into), I admired that author Jennifer Weiner keeping Cannie Shapiro (Good In Bed) heavy. However, Cannie Shapiro was still pathetic chasing that no-good-exboyfriend around like a fool. So for once, I'd like to read a novel where the heavy weight heroine is just that--a heroine. Make her confident, make her well-dressed, make her family normal, make her popular, make her someone who doesn't sleep on top of Frosted Flakes and cashews. Just stop making her a sassy loser.
Disclaimer: I was not heavy teen nor am I heavy adult, so maybe I am totally full of crap and have no idea what I am talking about. But I know Lorie will concur with my review.
* Fat Girl's best friend has moved away over the summer leaving Fat Girl all alone (subsequently Fat Girl spends lunch eating Twinkies in some remote part of the school)
* Fat Girl has a super skinny mom with issues (in fact, her whole family sucks)
* Fat Girl's family is, however, rich (which explains why Fat Girl has a disposable income for junk food)
* The popular girls in school are bulimic (that's probably why they are so mean--they are awful hungry!)
* Fat Girl undergoes a physical transformation at the end and gets the guy!!!
Check. Check. Check. Check. Aaaaand Check. All the stereotypes are aligned... Oh look! The Big Dipper.
Although it is adult chick lit (and not the YA genre "The Earth..." falls into), I admired that author Jennifer Weiner keeping Cannie Shapiro (Good In Bed) heavy. However, Cannie Shapiro was still pathetic chasing that no-good-exboyfriend around like a fool. So for once, I'd like to read a novel where the heavy weight heroine is just that--a heroine. Make her confident, make her well-dressed, make her family normal, make her popular, make her someone who doesn't sleep on top of Frosted Flakes and cashews. Just stop making her a sassy loser.
Disclaimer: I was not heavy teen nor am I heavy adult, so maybe I am totally full of crap and have no idea what I am talking about. But I know Lorie will concur with my review.
March 12, 2018
This book is a TIME CAPSULE.
I read this exclusively because I got an ARC of the sequel, which is inexplicably coming out this year. Yes. A sequel. To this 2003 contemporary. Which couldn’t do a better job of capturing a bygone, offensive, outdated way of looking at weight if that were its goddamn purpose.
For the most part, this is just a strange reading experience. When I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with reading contemporaries well above the age I was supposed to be reading. (“Mom, what’s a blowjob?” -Me at age nine because of a contemporary I can’t remember but which I do know had a girl swimming on the cover and “10th grade and up” written in pencil in the margin of the title page.)
It was really easy to access these books because I lived in a neighborhood with a library in it, and the library then had a very small, very limited young adult section. It was pretty much all early-to-mid 2000s contemporaries like this one. And since the whole thing was limited to a handful of shelves, I read almost all of them. I didn’t even like them, necessarily. I read them disinterestedly, with detachment, as if I were a researcher studying slugs who (correctly) views slugs as being mildly disgusting.
Also like slugs, these books were largely interchangeable. (Slugs all look the same, I think, and I will not confirm this because I refuse to look it up and therefore voluntarily regard a slug.)
Reading this book was like being forced to reread a book nine- or ten-year-old me read with the clear, clear eyes that a decade of character development has brought me.
It was not a fun experience.
Outside of that, even, there was a wildly outdated depiction of being overweight. It is not impossible to be fat and healthy. Any generalized stigmatization of fatness is an unfair one. But in this book, fat is equated to bad.
Virginia’s being fat (and the only fat person in her family) is such a demonstrably negative thing in this book that she hates herself, and believes that everyone in her family hates her, and thinks she’s ugly and that everyone thinks she’s ugly. She thinks her best friend is embarrassed of her and tired of her. She thinks her parents are ashamed of her.
She turns to crash diets and over-exercise and even self-harm. By the end of the book, she appears to suddenly love herself on the basis of an eyebrow piercing and a bathroom dye job, but none of the really damaging things in this book are confronted. Including vitriolic, self-hating lists of what fat girls are allowed to do in relationships and otherwise.
It was 2003. A lot has changed since then. But that doesn’t mean I enjoyed reading it.
Bottom line: The sequel has a hell of a lot of damage repair to do in order to justify its existence.
I read this exclusively because I got an ARC of the sequel, which is inexplicably coming out this year. Yes. A sequel. To this 2003 contemporary. Which couldn’t do a better job of capturing a bygone, offensive, outdated way of looking at weight if that were its goddamn purpose.
For the most part, this is just a strange reading experience. When I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with reading contemporaries well above the age I was supposed to be reading. (“Mom, what’s a blowjob?” -Me at age nine because of a contemporary I can’t remember but which I do know had a girl swimming on the cover and “10th grade and up” written in pencil in the margin of the title page.)
It was really easy to access these books because I lived in a neighborhood with a library in it, and the library then had a very small, very limited young adult section. It was pretty much all early-to-mid 2000s contemporaries like this one. And since the whole thing was limited to a handful of shelves, I read almost all of them. I didn’t even like them, necessarily. I read them disinterestedly, with detachment, as if I were a researcher studying slugs who (correctly) views slugs as being mildly disgusting.
Also like slugs, these books were largely interchangeable. (Slugs all look the same, I think, and I will not confirm this because I refuse to look it up and therefore voluntarily regard a slug.)
Reading this book was like being forced to reread a book nine- or ten-year-old me read with the clear, clear eyes that a decade of character development has brought me.
It was not a fun experience.
Outside of that, even, there was a wildly outdated depiction of being overweight. It is not impossible to be fat and healthy. Any generalized stigmatization of fatness is an unfair one. But in this book, fat is equated to bad.
Virginia’s being fat (and the only fat person in her family) is such a demonstrably negative thing in this book that she hates herself, and believes that everyone in her family hates her, and thinks she’s ugly and that everyone thinks she’s ugly. She thinks her best friend is embarrassed of her and tired of her. She thinks her parents are ashamed of her.
She turns to crash diets and over-exercise and even self-harm. By the end of the book, she appears to suddenly love herself on the basis of an eyebrow piercing and a bathroom dye job, but none of the really damaging things in this book are confronted. Including vitriolic, self-hating lists of what fat girls are allowed to do in relationships and otherwise.
It was 2003. A lot has changed since then. But that doesn’t mean I enjoyed reading it.
Bottom line: The sequel has a hell of a lot of damage repair to do in order to justify its existence.
September 28, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Here’s an important message to all of the people who made this selection top the Banned Books List . . . .
Do you actually think that by removing stories like these from school libraries that it will also magically eliminate any nastiness from ever occurring to your speshul snowflakes???? I mean, I understand that Virginia might not be everyone’s idea of a great time, but silencing her won’t keep the superbadawful stuff from happening.
The good news is, I loved Virginia enough for at least 20 or 25 naysayers. And I loved the messages contained in this little slice of awesome even more. Sure things got wrapped up in a tidier way than would happen in real life, but it’s a YA book FFS. What’s the message supposed to be? “Everything is horrible and life sucks?” That’s what the grit lit genre is for.
So what kind of things are within the pages of this little gem? Well, I’ll tell you. But first, to all the helicopter parents out there . . . .
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things tells some straight up truths such as . . . .
“Losing your virginity is sloppy and painful and about as fun as getting your toe amputated, so it should definitely happen with someone you care about.”
Virginia learns that maybe her brother didn’t really deserve to be put up on a pedestal like she always thought when he gets kicked out of college . . .
And discovers that while she feels this way . . . .
“I know what it’s like to hate your body so much that you want to hurt it.”
Even a person who she thought was perfect, might be hiding the truth about what they do to get there.
Most importantly, Virginia eventually comes to terms with the fact that this line of thinking is disgusting . . . .
Because everyone deserves friendship and love – no matter their size.
I loved watching Virginia find her voice and realize that . . . .
“I think people can choose to be victims or they can choose to be empowered and to carry on. That’s what I want. To be empowered.”
Highly recommended.
And to any youngster who might be reading this review who can relate to Virginia. Please remember . . . .
Here’s an important message to all of the people who made this selection top the Banned Books List . . . .
Do you actually think that by removing stories like these from school libraries that it will also magically eliminate any nastiness from ever occurring to your speshul snowflakes???? I mean, I understand that Virginia might not be everyone’s idea of a great time, but silencing her won’t keep the superbadawful stuff from happening.
The good news is, I loved Virginia enough for at least 20 or 25 naysayers. And I loved the messages contained in this little slice of awesome even more. Sure things got wrapped up in a tidier way than would happen in real life, but it’s a YA book FFS. What’s the message supposed to be? “Everything is horrible and life sucks?” That’s what the grit lit genre is for.
So what kind of things are within the pages of this little gem? Well, I’ll tell you. But first, to all the helicopter parents out there . . . .
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things tells some straight up truths such as . . . .
“Losing your virginity is sloppy and painful and about as fun as getting your toe amputated, so it should definitely happen with someone you care about.”
Virginia learns that maybe her brother didn’t really deserve to be put up on a pedestal like she always thought when he gets kicked out of college . . .
And discovers that while she feels this way . . . .
“I know what it’s like to hate your body so much that you want to hurt it.”
Even a person who she thought was perfect, might be hiding the truth about what they do to get there.
Most importantly, Virginia eventually comes to terms with the fact that this line of thinking is disgusting . . . .
Because everyone deserves friendship and love – no matter their size.
I loved watching Virginia find her voice and realize that . . . .
“I think people can choose to be victims or they can choose to be empowered and to carry on. That’s what I want. To be empowered.”
Highly recommended.
And to any youngster who might be reading this review who can relate to Virginia. Please remember . . . .
February 24, 2015
Realistic characters. Well written. Virginia could be someone you actually know. Virginia could even be you. Anyone who's ever been given a variation of the criticism, "You could be pretty if..." and anyone who was "chubby" in high school and looked down on for it will be able to greatly empathize with Virginia.
One thing that struck a note of reality with me was Virginia's mother. I used to teach and had a student who transferred to my school a couple of months into the school year. She was in one of my classes. Her transfer grades were excellent, all As and Bs. Remarks and comments in her file from previous teachers indicated she was also well behaved and nice to be around. All that changed when she came to the school where I was teaching. Her mother had gone back to work as a child pyschologist, overseeing an entire hospital based clinic for troubled teens. The mother was so focused on her work and so convinced her two children were "perfect" that when her son and daughter both began acting out at school, the woman refused to believe it was her children. She kept trying to blame everyone else. She actually said in a conference with one of the vice principals and me that her daughter was NEVER a problem until she came to us and clearly we had it out for her child. Later, that vice principal told me that before I arrived for the meeting, he'd mentioned that it wasn't just big behaviors and failing grades that was getting the girl in trouble but small things as well such as gum chewing. The mother stood there hotly denying her daughter even chewed gum while the girl stood right beside her blowing huge, pink bubbles and popping them. Reading the constant denial and unwillingness to see her children's imperfections that Virginia's mother displays throughout the book reminded me so much of this woman I met years ago.
Another theme that strikes a reality note is Virginia turning her anger onto herself, both physically and mentally. Anyone who's ever pinched, hit, cut, or burned themselves and had thoughts of, "If only I weren't fat/stupid/ugly/short/tall/etc" will truly grasp the torment Virginia puts herself through.
An excellent book that I highly recommend!
One thing that struck a note of reality with me was Virginia's mother. I used to teach and had a student who transferred to my school a couple of months into the school year. She was in one of my classes. Her transfer grades were excellent, all As and Bs. Remarks and comments in her file from previous teachers indicated she was also well behaved and nice to be around. All that changed when she came to the school where I was teaching. Her mother had gone back to work as a child pyschologist, overseeing an entire hospital based clinic for troubled teens. The mother was so focused on her work and so convinced her two children were "perfect" that when her son and daughter both began acting out at school, the woman refused to believe it was her children. She kept trying to blame everyone else. She actually said in a conference with one of the vice principals and me that her daughter was NEVER a problem until she came to us and clearly we had it out for her child. Later, that vice principal told me that before I arrived for the meeting, he'd mentioned that it wasn't just big behaviors and failing grades that was getting the girl in trouble but small things as well such as gum chewing. The mother stood there hotly denying her daughter even chewed gum while the girl stood right beside her blowing huge, pink bubbles and popping them. Reading the constant denial and unwillingness to see her children's imperfections that Virginia's mother displays throughout the book reminded me so much of this woman I met years ago.
Another theme that strikes a reality note is Virginia turning her anger onto herself, both physically and mentally. Anyone who's ever pinched, hit, cut, or burned themselves and had thoughts of, "If only I weren't fat/stupid/ugly/short/tall/etc" will truly grasp the torment Virginia puts herself through.
An excellent book that I highly recommend!
July 25, 2016
I'm wavering between a 3.5 and a 4 on this one. Very quick read. The book is about Virginia a girl trying to live in a "picture perfect family" when she herself does not feel quite so picture perfect. Dealing with being overweight, critiqued and facing a family crisis, Virginia deals with teenage issues.
On paper, Virginia has it all. A super slim beautiful Mother, and caring family. She is wealthy and can basically do whatever she likes. Her best friend goes away for the summer and Virginia is left on her own so to speak. Virginia has a lot of insecurities. She is overweight and gets ridiculed about her weight. She has a lot of anger which she turns on herself. This story is awkward, depressing, funny, basically it feels like a teenager. Like how Virginia feels.
On paper, Virginia has it all. A super slim beautiful Mother, and caring family. She is wealthy and can basically do whatever she likes. Her best friend goes away for the summer and Virginia is left on her own so to speak. Virginia has a lot of insecurities. She is overweight and gets ridiculed about her weight. She has a lot of anger which she turns on herself. This story is awkward, depressing, funny, basically it feels like a teenager. Like how Virginia feels.
July 1, 2008
I LOVED this book in high school. I remember reading it repetitively because I just adored the main character, Virginia Shreves. I remember relating to her so, so well and supporting her over and over, always urging her on. I was her biggest fan. More often than not, I found myself wishing for what she wished for, dreaming of what she dreamt, and hoping and believing in her, because if everything could turn out okay for Virginia, it could turn out for me, too.
Mostly, I remember thinking that we were so alike, and yet so different, because whereas she overcame her insecurities, I was still waiting for my miracle. But she gave me hope that it could - and would - happen.
This is definitely one of those books that can make you laugh and cry all at once. It's awkward, funny, embarrassing, depressing. Just about any teenager can relate to this at some point.
To be honest, I can't believe I forgot about this book until now. This book was like my bible in high school. I'd recommend it to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. Even if it was just for a few seconds.
Mostly, I remember thinking that we were so alike, and yet so different, because whereas she overcame her insecurities, I was still waiting for my miracle. But she gave me hope that it could - and would - happen.
This is definitely one of those books that can make you laugh and cry all at once. It's awkward, funny, embarrassing, depressing. Just about any teenager can relate to this at some point.
To be honest, I can't believe I forgot about this book until now. This book was like my bible in high school. I'd recommend it to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. Even if it was just for a few seconds.
August 8, 2018
This book has trigger warnings for depression, rape, self-harm and bulimia! So keep that in mind if you decide to pick up this book.
I did enjoy it but there were some things that I did not like.
The first thing is that it took to long to get anywhere. The first 100 pages were the same story, and for a book that is 250 pages long, it shouldn't have taken that long to get into it. I felt there wasn't much of a plot.
Another thing is that the ending happened quickly. The book rounded itself off too fast for the pacing that was started in the first 200 pages. I feel like the author could have taken the last 50 pages or so and flush them out to make a longer book.
Something I did like was the connection I felt with Virginia. I connected with her on so many levels.
I did enjoy it but there were some things that I did not like.
The first thing is that it took to long to get anywhere. The first 100 pages were the same story, and for a book that is 250 pages long, it shouldn't have taken that long to get into it. I felt there wasn't much of a plot.
Another thing is that the ending happened quickly. The book rounded itself off too fast for the pacing that was started in the first 200 pages. I feel like the author could have taken the last 50 pages or so and flush them out to make a longer book.
Something I did like was the connection I felt with Virginia. I connected with her on so many levels.
June 6, 2008
The thing I hate about most realistic teen fiction, especially those attempting to tackle "issues," like self-esteem and body image, and so forth, is that the characters always experience some profound transformation within in the span of a few months, and everything gets wrapped up and tied with a nice little bow by the end of the book. This book was no exception to the rule.
Our heroine, Virginia, is a misfit teen who hides from the world by immersing herself in the Internet, movies & pop culture magazines. She lives by the Fat Girl Code of Conduct, which is neatly summarized for us in one her "lists" in the first few pages (and actually is one of the better inventions of the book), and feels out of place in her seemingly perfect family. But when her older brother, who Virginia has always worshiped, gets into trouble and has to leave school, Virginia starts seeing that her family isn't as perfect as she thought -- and that she has plenty to be proud of herself.
I think there are some valuable messages in here to teen girls about body image, being yourself and not putting people on pedestals -- but also think that the simplistic and heavy-handed fashion in which those messages are delivered might be off-putting to many teens, who are much more sophisticated readers than this book assumes they are. Maybe this book is more for tweens than older teens, but still I think there are plenty of other books girls could read and draw the same conclusions from that are better written and have more believable characters.
Our heroine, Virginia, is a misfit teen who hides from the world by immersing herself in the Internet, movies & pop culture magazines. She lives by the Fat Girl Code of Conduct, which is neatly summarized for us in one her "lists" in the first few pages (and actually is one of the better inventions of the book), and feels out of place in her seemingly perfect family. But when her older brother, who Virginia has always worshiped, gets into trouble and has to leave school, Virginia starts seeing that her family isn't as perfect as she thought -- and that she has plenty to be proud of herself.
I think there are some valuable messages in here to teen girls about body image, being yourself and not putting people on pedestals -- but also think that the simplistic and heavy-handed fashion in which those messages are delivered might be off-putting to many teens, who are much more sophisticated readers than this book assumes they are. Maybe this book is more for tweens than older teens, but still I think there are plenty of other books girls could read and draw the same conclusions from that are better written and have more believable characters.
April 26, 2018
Okay, this book is 15 years old and I just read it now since I have an ARC of book 2 which comes out at the end of May. I adored all of the body positive and sexual awareness stuff in this story, although I do have a few minor issues about how food is discussed - I think if this book had been written in 2018 it would have been addressed a bit differently, but I respect that I'm reading this 15 years late!
I'm VERY interested in how book 2 is going to address the massive technology differences between when this book was written and now - it makes sense that a 15-year-old book will include outdated technology, but when the sequel is set in just the next year, but written 15 years later......we shall see! Is this in the historical fiction realm yet?? It just reminds me of how much tech dates books and how avoidances of technology references can help a book live past its publishing date so much more easily. I'll keep you posted!
I'm VERY interested in how book 2 is going to address the massive technology differences between when this book was written and now - it makes sense that a 15-year-old book will include outdated technology, but when the sequel is set in just the next year, but written 15 years later......we shall see! Is this in the historical fiction realm yet?? It just reminds me of how much tech dates books and how avoidances of technology references can help a book live past its publishing date so much more easily. I'll keep you posted!
July 21, 2012
Ooh, I've been waiting to tear this one apart.
This book is terrible on multiple levels, so many I might even have forgotten some. The ridiculous title tried to warn me away, but no, I had to get it because I really wanted to read about an eating disorder that was the opposite of anorexia. On that front, it was really stereotypical - fat girl belongs to family of thin/athletic/super-successful people, and feels like an outcast because of it. Said girl confides in one special teacher. There is an excessively gorgeous, popular, and skinny superbitch for a nemesis, who will inevitably turn out to be bulimic because that's just how high school goes.
Then, the book adds a few layers of dreck with the following elements, in ascending order of terribleness:
-As part of her campaign to take charge of her life and be different, she gets her eyebrow pierced and thinks this looks good. This is an admittedly petty charge to level at the book - I don't quite get why you'd want metal sticking out of your face, but hey, have at your personal preference. At least you can take it out later if you change your mind.
-Her supposedly perfect older brother, whom she idolizes, is accused of date rape. Immense amounts of sympathy are heaped on the poor girl because he took advantage of her while she was drunk. No sympathy whatsoever is given to the brother, who was also drunk - so drunk that he barely even remembers sleeping with her, and can't remember her saying no (so, like, maybe there is room for interpretation as to how this event actually went down?). Nope, the irritating protagonist just keeps pounding home the fact that what he did was so unbelievably HORRIBLE and REPULSIVE and DISGUSTING that she can hardly even look at him. Meanwhile, I contemplate ways of strangling fictional characters.
-Early in the book, she outlines and stubbornly clings to her rules that make up the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct" with respect to dating. Basically, it consists of being a cheap whore so boys will like you. Seriously! Apparently, you should let boys fool around with you - always in utter secrecy; no one is to know that you even know one another's names, because it would be so embarassing...for the guy - and never ever ever broach the idea of "dating" or being considered a "girlfriend." In fact, at one point she actually says that the idea is to let boys have the milk for free. (Oh my God, this is the stupidest 15 year old ever.)
This is the part that drives me nuts, because I don't understand how this idea would enter your head. You don't think you're attractive? Fine: lose weight; problem solved. If you think you're too ugly to kiss but not too ugly to be seen up close and personal while naked...your thinking is backwards. If you don't think can lose weight, and also think you're so unattractive that it would repulse people to be seen with you in public, here is a novel concept: don't bother with relationships at all. Abstain from the business entirely until you feel like you're worth having geunine affection bestowed upon you.
But where in the world would you come up with the idea to pursue nothing more than meaningless and frankly humiliating sex? At age 15, I hasten to repeat, meaning you are just barely old enough to start having sex at all and have literally decades ahead of you to see if maybe, just maybe, a dude will want you to be his girlfriend no matter what you weigh. Even if you don't sleep with him first.
It all just makes me want to start headdesking and never stop. The stupidity burns so hard it hurts.
This book is terrible on multiple levels, so many I might even have forgotten some. The ridiculous title tried to warn me away, but no, I had to get it because I really wanted to read about an eating disorder that was the opposite of anorexia. On that front, it was really stereotypical - fat girl belongs to family of thin/athletic/super-successful people, and feels like an outcast because of it. Said girl confides in one special teacher. There is an excessively gorgeous, popular, and skinny superbitch for a nemesis, who will inevitably turn out to be bulimic because that's just how high school goes.
Then, the book adds a few layers of dreck with the following elements, in ascending order of terribleness:
-As part of her campaign to take charge of her life and be different, she gets her eyebrow pierced and thinks this looks good. This is an admittedly petty charge to level at the book - I don't quite get why you'd want metal sticking out of your face, but hey, have at your personal preference. At least you can take it out later if you change your mind.
-Her supposedly perfect older brother, whom she idolizes, is accused of date rape. Immense amounts of sympathy are heaped on the poor girl because he took advantage of her while she was drunk. No sympathy whatsoever is given to the brother, who was also drunk - so drunk that he barely even remembers sleeping with her, and can't remember her saying no (so, like, maybe there is room for interpretation as to how this event actually went down?). Nope, the irritating protagonist just keeps pounding home the fact that what he did was so unbelievably HORRIBLE and REPULSIVE and DISGUSTING that she can hardly even look at him. Meanwhile, I contemplate ways of strangling fictional characters.
-Early in the book, she outlines and stubbornly clings to her rules that make up the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct" with respect to dating. Basically, it consists of being a cheap whore so boys will like you. Seriously! Apparently, you should let boys fool around with you - always in utter secrecy; no one is to know that you even know one another's names, because it would be so embarassing...for the guy - and never ever ever broach the idea of "dating" or being considered a "girlfriend." In fact, at one point she actually says that the idea is to let boys have the milk for free. (Oh my God, this is the stupidest 15 year old ever.)
This is the part that drives me nuts, because I don't understand how this idea would enter your head. You don't think you're attractive? Fine: lose weight; problem solved. If you think you're too ugly to kiss but not too ugly to be seen up close and personal while naked...your thinking is backwards. If you don't think can lose weight, and also think you're so unattractive that it would repulse people to be seen with you in public, here is a novel concept: don't bother with relationships at all. Abstain from the business entirely until you feel like you're worth having geunine affection bestowed upon you.
But where in the world would you come up with the idea to pursue nothing more than meaningless and frankly humiliating sex? At age 15, I hasten to repeat, meaning you are just barely old enough to start having sex at all and have literally decades ahead of you to see if maybe, just maybe, a dude will want you to be his girlfriend no matter what you weigh. Even if you don't sleep with him first.
It all just makes me want to start headdesking and never stop. The stupidity burns so hard it hurts.
September 3, 2011
An "issue" book which is too simplistic and life lessons-ridden to be enjoyed at my advanced age. I want something that can surprise me. And Printz Honor? And on the top of the banned books list? WHY? Is this about those second base scenes? Or there is more to come?
April 11, 2009
Mixed feelings for several different reasons, but overall I liked this very much and read it in one sitting. Just to touch on one: if the narrator really ate as much as the book claims, and exercised that little, she'd be a lot larger than the book says she is. It annoyed me that the doctor specifically mentioned her not being "obese"--I can see how being somewhat overweight would make her feel like she stood out in her thin family, but it wouldn't be enough for other people to notice her as being particularly fat, certainly not for people to glare at her when they see her eating a piece of pizza. I have a feeling that this might alienate the very teenagers the book wants most to reach. How would a teenager who's more overweight than Virginia feel reading that Virginia gets made fun of... and yet only falls into the "overweight" category? I know lots of teens who are more than twenty or thirty pounds overweight--the only figure mentioned.
August 23, 2014
I picked up this book hoping for a funny, light summer read; however, I found that the book presented many serious issues that remained fairly unresolved by the end of the book. (WARNING: Triggers for self-harm, eating disorders, and general self-hatred below, as well as spoilers)
Carolyn Mackler introduces the prevalent issues of self-hate in her book, "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" in an unabashed manner; she uses language and describes actions that are realistic and what many people actually think or do to themselves. Though the authenticity is appreciated, the self-hate is never truly addressed as being unhealthy, or even bad. The only mention of Virginia's self-harm behavior as being bad for her health is by her doctor, Dr. Love, who merely suggests she try kickboxing instead of hurting herself. Though Virginia's self-harm is limited in the book, by not showing a real response from her doctor it can create the idea that self-harm is just something that one can stop immediately and that there aren't any underlying problems, which is not always the case.
In addition to not addressing issues of self-harm, Carolyn Mackler also fails to discuss eating disorders, despite the fact that Virginia goes on a crash diet where she refuses to let herself eat, and Virginia notices bulimia in another girl at her school. These incidences are largely ignored by the author, and it is extremely disconcerting; especially in the case of Brie, who clearly is suffering from bulimia. It is appalling that though Virginia notices Brie suffering, she does not do anything to help Brie, nor does she do anything except feel bad for Brie, but even that lasts only a few sentences because, after all, Brie is "so popular". It is irresponsible to assume the attitude that because someone is popular that they do not struggle with self-image or self-hatred and by not confronting that attitude and showing how it is false, this book perpetuates the idea that disliking girls for their apparent security in life is okay and watching them fail and enjoying that failure is okay.
This book is playing with some dangerous material in a fairly unsafe manner, and though it is a great book to spark discussions off of, it is not a good book to read without discussion.
Carolyn Mackler introduces the prevalent issues of self-hate in her book, "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" in an unabashed manner; she uses language and describes actions that are realistic and what many people actually think or do to themselves. Though the authenticity is appreciated, the self-hate is never truly addressed as being unhealthy, or even bad. The only mention of Virginia's self-harm behavior as being bad for her health is by her doctor, Dr. Love, who merely suggests she try kickboxing instead of hurting herself. Though Virginia's self-harm is limited in the book, by not showing a real response from her doctor it can create the idea that self-harm is just something that one can stop immediately and that there aren't any underlying problems, which is not always the case.
In addition to not addressing issues of self-harm, Carolyn Mackler also fails to discuss eating disorders, despite the fact that Virginia goes on a crash diet where she refuses to let herself eat, and Virginia notices bulimia in another girl at her school. These incidences are largely ignored by the author, and it is extremely disconcerting; especially in the case of Brie, who clearly is suffering from bulimia. It is appalling that though Virginia notices Brie suffering, she does not do anything to help Brie, nor does she do anything except feel bad for Brie, but even that lasts only a few sentences because, after all, Brie is "so popular". It is irresponsible to assume the attitude that because someone is popular that they do not struggle with self-image or self-hatred and by not confronting that attitude and showing how it is false, this book perpetuates the idea that disliking girls for their apparent security in life is okay and watching them fail and enjoying that failure is okay.
This book is playing with some dangerous material in a fairly unsafe manner, and though it is a great book to spark discussions off of, it is not a good book to read without discussion.
February 16, 2010
Virginia is a big girl, both in size and personality. As the youngest sibling of three in an accomplished, attractive and brunette family, Virginia feels out of place with her blonde hair, voluptuous figure, and unconventional likes. Convinced she must have been switched at birth, Gin has difficulty relating to anyone in her family, though she is fairly close to her older sister and idolizes her older brother, Byron. Nevertheless, Gin feels inferior to her perceived perfect family. Her mother’s vigorous exercise routines and preoccupation with weight gain in addition to her father's obvious eye for svelte women do nothing to help her self esteem. Before long, Virginia develops a go to life guide also known as "The Fat Girls Code of Conduct". It's both sad and endearing to see that Virginia's guide is astute, witty and yet self depreciating.
Despite Virginia’s size, her feelings of inadequacy, longing, and unattractiveness have been felt by all, making her undeniably relatable. I felt her observations about her peers were spot on and but in spite of that, her assumptions about her family and more importantly, herself, leave something to be desired. Consequently, one event shakes Virginia’s long standing, high esteem for her family.
“The Earth, My Butt, and other Big Round Things” is the story of a girl, struggling to find her place, accept her size, and take charge of her life. While I found Virginia’s voice to be relatable and incisive, I can’t in good conscious give it more than a three star rating. Byron’s actions felt like a contrived plot device that distracted me from Virginia’s voice. It would have been more prudent for the author to allow Virginia to come into her own acceptance and revelations of the imperfections of her family on her own accord, not via a familial incident. Nevertheless, this story is an enjoyable read that I would certainly recommend to female readers.
Despite Virginia’s size, her feelings of inadequacy, longing, and unattractiveness have been felt by all, making her undeniably relatable. I felt her observations about her peers were spot on and but in spite of that, her assumptions about her family and more importantly, herself, leave something to be desired. Consequently, one event shakes Virginia’s long standing, high esteem for her family.
“The Earth, My Butt, and other Big Round Things” is the story of a girl, struggling to find her place, accept her size, and take charge of her life. While I found Virginia’s voice to be relatable and incisive, I can’t in good conscious give it more than a three star rating. Byron’s actions felt like a contrived plot device that distracted me from Virginia’s voice. It would have been more prudent for the author to allow Virginia to come into her own acceptance and revelations of the imperfections of her family on her own accord, not via a familial incident. Nevertheless, this story is an enjoyable read that I would certainly recommend to female readers.
January 4, 2019
The author rewrote this novel to fit the current world - adding technology and whatnot to make this story more accessible for young adults of today. That being said, the writing itself is definitely fluent as well. It's a quick read, but not a light one in the slightest.
A whole array of heavy topics are touched upon, most of them anything but easy to swallow. There's mention of a side character having committed date rape, there's self harm, there's fat-phobia in abundance, with bullying and eating disorders to top if all off. Definitely no easy subjects but such important ones for teenagers to read about. Especially since a whole lot of us find/found ourselves struggling with our body image at some point in our lives.
The way Virginia struggles with herself, with how others might or might not view her, with the clothing choices she has to make, the way she avoids mirrors... So many small and big things that spoke to me and.. actually got me emotional because some memories are better left buried, but I couldn't help thinking about them since Virginia went through some of the exact same things. This book touched me in a way I expected it to, but alas..
It also touched me in a way I didn't want it to and actually made me quite angry and mad and frustrated all at the same time. Which isn't that weird, since I'm pregnant? But it felt like more than just hormones - which is what makes it even worse.
Virginia's parents? Absolutely horrible. I honestly wish nobody has parents like that. They focus on her weight more than on her actual person. Everything revolves around Virginia having to lose weight, to the point of not taking her out for fancy dinners and parties because.. obviously she wouldn't add to the "perfect image of a perfect family" they want to show the world. I was horrified.
The focus on weight and how fat she looks instead of focusing on her health? Like.. Okay, we know those things are connected, but it comes across way differently if you're concerned about your kid's health instead of weight. There's a difference right there and I loved the doctor in this book for pointing that out. Do not focus on weight, focus on body image. It's something that'll stick with me, I'm sure.
As for Virginia herself.. She sometimes gave me an icky feeling as well. I could connect with her on multiple levels, like I said earlier, but there are also instances where she does, says and thinks things that simply should've been challenged. I feel like the author should've tried to challenge certain thoughts and actions more.
Last and worst - for me personally since I'm a survivor - is the date rape I mentioned earlier. Said rapist pretty much gets away with what they've done and I still cannot get over that. They even got rewarded in some ways - multiple ways. Simply thinking about it, weeks after finishing this book, still angers me in close to no time at all. I just.. Ugh..
Can you see why I had such a hard time writing this review? It's not like there aren't any positive things, but the negatives are.. huge and jump out at me the moment I think about this book. This could be so much more than what it is but unfortunately it's not.
2/5
A whole array of heavy topics are touched upon, most of them anything but easy to swallow. There's mention of a side character having committed date rape, there's self harm, there's fat-phobia in abundance, with bullying and eating disorders to top if all off. Definitely no easy subjects but such important ones for teenagers to read about. Especially since a whole lot of us find/found ourselves struggling with our body image at some point in our lives.
The way Virginia struggles with herself, with how others might or might not view her, with the clothing choices she has to make, the way she avoids mirrors... So many small and big things that spoke to me and.. actually got me emotional because some memories are better left buried, but I couldn't help thinking about them since Virginia went through some of the exact same things. This book touched me in a way I expected it to, but alas..
It also touched me in a way I didn't want it to and actually made me quite angry and mad and frustrated all at the same time. Which isn't that weird, since I'm pregnant? But it felt like more than just hormones - which is what makes it even worse.
Virginia's parents? Absolutely horrible. I honestly wish nobody has parents like that. They focus on her weight more than on her actual person. Everything revolves around Virginia having to lose weight, to the point of not taking her out for fancy dinners and parties because.. obviously she wouldn't add to the "perfect image of a perfect family" they want to show the world. I was horrified.
The focus on weight and how fat she looks instead of focusing on her health? Like.. Okay, we know those things are connected, but it comes across way differently if you're concerned about your kid's health instead of weight. There's a difference right there and I loved the doctor in this book for pointing that out. Do not focus on weight, focus on body image. It's something that'll stick with me, I'm sure.
As for Virginia herself.. She sometimes gave me an icky feeling as well. I could connect with her on multiple levels, like I said earlier, but there are also instances where she does, says and thinks things that simply should've been challenged. I feel like the author should've tried to challenge certain thoughts and actions more.
Last and worst - for me personally since I'm a survivor - is the date rape I mentioned earlier. Said rapist pretty much gets away with what they've done and I still cannot get over that. They even got rewarded in some ways - multiple ways. Simply thinking about it, weeks after finishing this book, still angers me in close to no time at all. I just.. Ugh..
Can you see why I had such a hard time writing this review? It's not like there aren't any positive things, but the negatives are.. huge and jump out at me the moment I think about this book. This could be so much more than what it is but unfortunately it's not.
2/5
September 3, 2018
3/5 STARS. This review is also available on my blog HERE.
If it doesn't make sense in certain parts it's because I reviewed it in the same blog post as its sequel. Click the link for full comprehension and to read the double review there :)
I'll be very honest here, I was extremely right to be hesitant about this book. It, unfortunately, contained all of them trigger warnings and more and for the first half, I seriously considered putting it down. It was so uncomfortable and so obviously unhealthy the way Virginia thought of herself and what she put her body through. However, I don't totally blame her in that her family was horrible and were so fat shaming it was ridiculous to the point where I was cheering for the goddamn doctor in the book!
As lovely as it was to have a protagonist who loves to read and write and make lists (my fav), what she was writing about was a 'Fat Girl Code of Conduct'. A list of things she had to abide by to hide her low self-esteem for her body. It made me really uncomfortable and I just wanted to wrap her in a hug and tell her how beautiful she is. Her mental state also changes so rapidly and dramatically. I personally didn't relate to that experience in mental illness but as I always say, mental illness is subjective.
I won't spoil but when the 'horrible thing' her brother does that is super scandalous comes about (horrible is an understatement though), the story began the change for the better. As a whole, this book was exploring and detailing how Virginia started to look at herself, her behaviour and other's behaviour when she sees that her brother and her family was never as perfect as she thought. Her grief for her brother's actions seemed to slowly change her perspective of what was bad. Her weight vs. his scandal. Anyone would rather the former. This sense of change and realisation also seemed like it was helped by the absence of her best friend. It reminded me of Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson because Virginia learnt how to be more independent and make new friends rather than stick to the one she's always been with. Being in your own little shell and with your initial views and perspectives can seriously set you back.
Although I think towards the end, her self-esteem still wasn't super healthy, she grew as a person to begin gaining more confidence in herself and her body which neither should need to conform to a certain type. The second, Virginia started standing up for herself more and realising that being who is she is perfectly duckin fine, this book definitely grew on me. I was happy to say that I was excited to read the sequel, and not only for its delicious cover.
xx Tracy
Thank you, Bloomsbury for kindly sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
If it doesn't make sense in certain parts it's because I reviewed it in the same blog post as its sequel. Click the link for full comprehension and to read the double review there :)
I'll be very honest here, I was extremely right to be hesitant about this book. It, unfortunately, contained all of them trigger warnings and more and for the first half, I seriously considered putting it down. It was so uncomfortable and so obviously unhealthy the way Virginia thought of herself and what she put her body through. However, I don't totally blame her in that her family was horrible and were so fat shaming it was ridiculous to the point where I was cheering for the goddamn doctor in the book!
As lovely as it was to have a protagonist who loves to read and write and make lists (my fav), what she was writing about was a 'Fat Girl Code of Conduct'. A list of things she had to abide by to hide her low self-esteem for her body. It made me really uncomfortable and I just wanted to wrap her in a hug and tell her how beautiful she is. Her mental state also changes so rapidly and dramatically. I personally didn't relate to that experience in mental illness but as I always say, mental illness is subjective.
I won't spoil but when the 'horrible thing' her brother does that is super scandalous comes about (horrible is an understatement though), the story began the change for the better. As a whole, this book was exploring and detailing how Virginia started to look at herself, her behaviour and other's behaviour when she sees that her brother and her family was never as perfect as she thought. Her grief for her brother's actions seemed to slowly change her perspective of what was bad. Her weight vs. his scandal. Anyone would rather the former. This sense of change and realisation also seemed like it was helped by the absence of her best friend. It reminded me of Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson because Virginia learnt how to be more independent and make new friends rather than stick to the one she's always been with. Being in your own little shell and with your initial views and perspectives can seriously set you back.
Although I think towards the end, her self-esteem still wasn't super healthy, she grew as a person to begin gaining more confidence in herself and her body which neither should need to conform to a certain type. The second, Virginia started standing up for herself more and realising that being who is she is perfectly duckin fine, this book definitely grew on me. I was happy to say that I was excited to read the sequel, and not only for its delicious cover.
xx Tracy
Thank you, Bloomsbury for kindly sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2011
I had to think on this one for a bit after reading. It's a coming of age book of sorts, and gives a nice message in that "perfect" is not always what it seems, so find your own perfection. I also like that the main character is a "full figured" girl, and that she doesn't win friends and admiration by suddenly becoming thin and beautiful. But at the same time, there are some points that I really was uncomfortable with (and if you don't want spoilers, cease reading now.)
I understand the fall from grace Virginia's brother Byron takes, and it's place in the story, but was really astonished that the whole subject of date-rape, once included, was rather glossed over. If your target audience is teenage girls, this could have been a great teaching tool to help in the prevention of violation by someone trusted. As it is, only the family lawyer seems to get that maybe Byron taking a trip to Paris while he's out on probation might not seem like sincere remorse.
The other thing that bothered me was not that Virginia went to visit her pal on the west coast, but that all concerned seemed to think it no big deal that she got her eyebrow pierced without parental permission (being underage at all). Even more annoying was the take home message that you can be big and the butt of scorn in your high school, but if you get your eyebrow pierced, suddenly you are appreciated as cool and life gets good.
I know the book won awards. I guess I just remember what it's like to parent adolescents and the curmudgeon in me is responding.
I understand the fall from grace Virginia's brother Byron takes, and it's place in the story, but was really astonished that the whole subject of date-rape, once included, was rather glossed over. If your target audience is teenage girls, this could have been a great teaching tool to help in the prevention of violation by someone trusted. As it is, only the family lawyer seems to get that maybe Byron taking a trip to Paris while he's out on probation might not seem like sincere remorse.
The other thing that bothered me was not that Virginia went to visit her pal on the west coast, but that all concerned seemed to think it no big deal that she got her eyebrow pierced without parental permission (being underage at all). Even more annoying was the take home message that you can be big and the butt of scorn in your high school, but if you get your eyebrow pierced, suddenly you are appreciated as cool and life gets good.
I know the book won awards. I guess I just remember what it's like to parent adolescents and the curmudgeon in me is responding.
September 19, 2020
A little too neatly packaged
This was a fast read with lots of witty banter. It dealt with some serious issues but ultimately they were glossed over.
This was a fast read with lots of witty banter. It dealt with some serious issues but ultimately they were glossed over.
December 17, 2014
I am Virginia Shreves. She's smart, has braces, a secret hook-up buddy, and a body that's considered too large by society standards. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things is her journey from hiding herself to becoming the young woman she wants to be whether that's fat or thin, as long as she's doing what she loves. Virginia's family is perfect, so she feels like she doesn't fit. It doesn't help that her mother is constantly making snide comments about her body and weight, and her father is always pointing out the skinny women on TV as attractive. It isn't really until her older brother makes a seemingly harmless comment about her clothes, that Virginia decides to take matters into her own hands. Then her perfect brother does something despicable, and Virginia begins to question everything.
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things was adorable and real and sometimes sad, but overall very hopeful and honest. I could total relate to Virginia as she struggles with her weight and body image. Like her, I feel okay about my body and want to be accepted for how I am, but we're both constantly told our bodies are not acceptable because they're too big. Unlike Virginia, I never resulted to crash dieting and self harm. Both of these are brief periods in her life, but they're handled very respectfully. Virginia ultimately realizes that these things aren't helpful, sustainable, and leave her feeling empty. She needs new ways of coping with her situation and becoming a healthier (and maybe thinner) version of herself.
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things is quite short, so if I say much more, you won't even need to read the book! But you totally should! I loved how the author handled the issues of body image and weight. She made it very clear through the use of a physician that health is more important than weight, but also didn't demonize dieting and exercise. I also like how she handled the crime that Virginia's brother committed. It would have been easy to make it completely blow up, but it doesn't always go that way in real life, so I liked that. Overall, I just really enjoyed this portrayal of a teen girl dealing with life's problems and figuring out who she wants to be.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things was adorable and real and sometimes sad, but overall very hopeful and honest. I could total relate to Virginia as she struggles with her weight and body image. Like her, I feel okay about my body and want to be accepted for how I am, but we're both constantly told our bodies are not acceptable because they're too big. Unlike Virginia, I never resulted to crash dieting and self harm. Both of these are brief periods in her life, but they're handled very respectfully. Virginia ultimately realizes that these things aren't helpful, sustainable, and leave her feeling empty. She needs new ways of coping with her situation and becoming a healthier (and maybe thinner) version of herself.
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things is quite short, so if I say much more, you won't even need to read the book! But you totally should! I loved how the author handled the issues of body image and weight. She made it very clear through the use of a physician that health is more important than weight, but also didn't demonize dieting and exercise. I also like how she handled the crime that Virginia's brother committed. It would have been easy to make it completely blow up, but it doesn't always go that way in real life, so I liked that. Overall, I just really enjoyed this portrayal of a teen girl dealing with life's problems and figuring out who she wants to be.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
April 5, 2013
I think I only picked this book up because of the eye-catching title. I just couldn't ignore it when I saw it on the library shelf. Because of the funny name and the short length of it, I was expecting a light, funny read. Just what I needed after finishing Before I Die...
Well, I have to say that this book was exactly what I expected, nothing more. It was a very quick, mindless read that I'm not sure I will remember in a month.
I disliked pretty much all of the characters, including Virginia. She was really annoying most of the book. She was always thinking of herself as an extremely heavy girl, even though the doctor said that she is only slightly above the average weight. The way she saw the world was twisted - she said that ALL of the girls in her school are skinny, which I'm sure is not correct. In the real world, most girls in high school aren't thin, let alone skinny. There's no way she is the ONLY heavy girl in her school. Virginia was just way too whiny to be likable or easy-to-relate-to.
I also HATED her parents, and her mother in particular. She is a teenagers therapist - she was spending her whole day giving advice and listening to so many teens and parents, but she never helped her own daughter. I also hated the way she obsessed about Virginia's weight and encouraged her to go on unhealthy crash diets. She was ashamed - yes, ashamed - of her daughter because she wasn't perfectly skinny. This behavior just disgusted me. It made me understand why Virginia felt so bad about her body.
At the end of the book Virginia made a change - she pierced her eyebrow and dyed her hair purple, and like a miracle, it made her feel better about herself instantly. Sorry, I just can't buy it. Changing your hair color and piercing you brow doesn't make you comfortable about your body all of a sudden. This was SO unrealistic.
Actually, the whole ending was very hard to believe. Miraculously, all of the problems in Virginia's life were solved - she became friendly and popular, her parents started to be proud of her, she lost weight AND she made up with the boy she loves. That's just a too perfect ending.
This book was readable, but not much more than that. It was overall annoying and unrealistic. I am not sure if I can recommend it to anyone.
Well, I have to say that this book was exactly what I expected, nothing more. It was a very quick, mindless read that I'm not sure I will remember in a month.
I disliked pretty much all of the characters, including Virginia. She was really annoying most of the book. She was always thinking of herself as an extremely heavy girl, even though the doctor said that she is only slightly above the average weight. The way she saw the world was twisted - she said that ALL of the girls in her school are skinny, which I'm sure is not correct. In the real world, most girls in high school aren't thin, let alone skinny. There's no way she is the ONLY heavy girl in her school. Virginia was just way too whiny to be likable or easy-to-relate-to.
I also HATED her parents, and her mother in particular. She is a teenagers therapist - she was spending her whole day giving advice and listening to so many teens and parents, but she never helped her own daughter. I also hated the way she obsessed about Virginia's weight and encouraged her to go on unhealthy crash diets. She was ashamed - yes, ashamed - of her daughter because she wasn't perfectly skinny. This behavior just disgusted me. It made me understand why Virginia felt so bad about her body.
At the end of the book Virginia made a change - she pierced her eyebrow and dyed her hair purple, and like a miracle, it made her feel better about herself instantly. Sorry, I just can't buy it. Changing your hair color and piercing you brow doesn't make you comfortable about your body all of a sudden. This was SO unrealistic.
Actually, the whole ending was very hard to believe. Miraculously, all of the problems in Virginia's life were solved - she became friendly and popular, her parents started to be proud of her, she lost weight AND she made up with the boy she loves. That's just a too perfect ending.
This book was readable, but not much more than that. It was overall annoying and unrealistic. I am not sure if I can recommend it to anyone.
May 30, 2011
A lot of relevant teen girl issues in this book, without being overwhelming or too obvious. Protagonist Virginia deals daily with feeling like the black sheep in her perfect family because of her body issues. She is overweight in a family of naturally thin and attractive people.
At school, she overhears a group of popular girls claim they'd kill themselves if they looked like Virginia. Ironically enough, these girls are, in fact, killing themselves with their own body issues and eating disorders. But Virginia feels she has to live by her imagined "Fat Girl Code of Conduct" which dictates what she can and can't do, wear or not wear, expect or not expect.
For example, she can't expect any boy to actually like her or want to be seen with her in public. So when she starts having regular make-out sessions with a nice guy from school whom she really likes, she automatically assumes that's all he'll want from her. That he won't ever want to acknowledge their relationship in public.
And she can't wear bright, loud colors or patterns because (as her mother tells her) that would only draw attention to her less than perfect figure.
When her uber-perfect brother at college is suspended for date rape, Virginia gradually starts to change her definition of perfection and what ideals she should really be looking up to. So it's great when Virginia finally starts realizing that only she gets to decide what is right for her, how she can act, and what she can wear. And most importantly, that it's okay for her to be who she is. Whatever size that may be.
As women and girls, we're so bombarded by images of what society imagines is perfection, the absolute beauty. And, of course, so few fit into that tiny mold (or really hurt themselves trying to make themselves fit). So it's refreshing to read about a girl who doesn't magically shed all her weight to become Cinderella by the end of the novel, but instead figures out how to truly make herself happy -- by living up to her own expectations and not the made-up ones of the world around her.
At school, she overhears a group of popular girls claim they'd kill themselves if they looked like Virginia. Ironically enough, these girls are, in fact, killing themselves with their own body issues and eating disorders. But Virginia feels she has to live by her imagined "Fat Girl Code of Conduct" which dictates what she can and can't do, wear or not wear, expect or not expect.
For example, she can't expect any boy to actually like her or want to be seen with her in public. So when she starts having regular make-out sessions with a nice guy from school whom she really likes, she automatically assumes that's all he'll want from her. That he won't ever want to acknowledge their relationship in public.
And she can't wear bright, loud colors or patterns because (as her mother tells her) that would only draw attention to her less than perfect figure.
When her uber-perfect brother at college is suspended for date rape, Virginia gradually starts to change her definition of perfection and what ideals she should really be looking up to. So it's great when Virginia finally starts realizing that only she gets to decide what is right for her, how she can act, and what she can wear. And most importantly, that it's okay for her to be who she is. Whatever size that may be.
As women and girls, we're so bombarded by images of what society imagines is perfection, the absolute beauty. And, of course, so few fit into that tiny mold (or really hurt themselves trying to make themselves fit). So it's refreshing to read about a girl who doesn't magically shed all her weight to become Cinderella by the end of the novel, but instead figures out how to truly make herself happy -- by living up to her own expectations and not the made-up ones of the world around her.
April 25, 2020
I heard this book had been updated in anticipation for the sequel release, but I borrowed it from the library, and am pretty sure I read the original version, since they talked about the colored iMacs (which I loved!).
That said, I found it really incredible and sad, that the events and issues explored in this book are still in the forefront today. The book focuses largely on body image, but there was also a date rape subplot, which had a huge impact on Virginia.
I was a fat kid, thin teen and twenty-something, but have struggled with my weight as I got older, so I related to Virginia in so many ways. I felt all those feelings, and thought all those things. I understood where she was coming from, and thought her portrayal was very realistic. Therefore, I cheered with each positive step she took. I was excited when she spoke up for herself. I loved being part of her journey, and even though it wasn't complete, she made a great deal of progress.
Her family also undergoes some big changes, and that was also where I saw a lot of growth in Virginia. Her brother fell from the pedestal she set him upon, and she sort of started to notice all his cracks, that were there well before. She also began to call her father out on his behaviors, and it's not like he did an about face, but at least she made her point of view known. Her family was a work in progress, and still need time for all the changes they need to undergo.
I don't know. I feel like a black sheep, because I liked this book. As someone, who struggle with my weight and disordered eating, I related to Virginia, and I enjoyed seeing her find her power.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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That said, I found it really incredible and sad, that the events and issues explored in this book are still in the forefront today. The book focuses largely on body image, but there was also a date rape subplot, which had a huge impact on Virginia.
I was a fat kid, thin teen and twenty-something, but have struggled with my weight as I got older, so I related to Virginia in so many ways. I felt all those feelings, and thought all those things. I understood where she was coming from, and thought her portrayal was very realistic. Therefore, I cheered with each positive step she took. I was excited when she spoke up for herself. I loved being part of her journey, and even though it wasn't complete, she made a great deal of progress.
Her family also undergoes some big changes, and that was also where I saw a lot of growth in Virginia. Her brother fell from the pedestal she set him upon, and she sort of started to notice all his cracks, that were there well before. She also began to call her father out on his behaviors, and it's not like he did an about face, but at least she made her point of view known. Her family was a work in progress, and still need time for all the changes they need to undergo.
I don't know. I feel like a black sheep, because I liked this book. As someone, who struggle with my weight and disordered eating, I related to Virginia, and I enjoyed seeing her find her power.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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February 16, 2023
An imperfect, deeply important and prescient account of fat adolescence from deep inside the early-00s heroin chic/thin-is-in era. Other reviewers criticize the stereotypicality of Virginia, but I disagree –– her responses to anti-fat bigotry and diet culture are ambivalent and as such, realistic: she struggles to reconcile her place in a hostile family that she still desperately wants support from, her status as both invisible and hypervisible as a fat young woman in school, and her experiences as someone struggling with disordered eating that is left deliberately unrecognized by fatphobic people, including professionals, in her life. While the ending of this story wraps up a bit too neatly for me, I was pleased to see a book that prioritized solidarity among marginalized people above thoughtless allegiance to "blood"/family. I was also impressed by the subtle, but meaningful relationship between Virginia and her fat teacher, and find Mackler's implicit commentary on fatness in public to be reflective of contemporary conversations about body politics.
I recommend pairing this one with Fat Girl Dances with Rocks and REVENGE BODY.
I recommend pairing this one with Fat Girl Dances with Rocks and REVENGE BODY.
November 8, 2007
First of all, I love the title. It is actually the title of something in the book - you'll have to read it to see. I was excited to read this for two reasons (beyond the title): One is that it has been popular with our high schoolers. Yes, a book that many have actually checked out and read on their own. The only other big one I can think of like that was the Divinci Code a few years ago. Second, I got to meet Carolyn Mackler at the ALA conference in Reno. I didn't know what she looked like, and with this book being about a chubby girl, I though she may have some heft to her, but she was as skinny as a rail. Really nice too.
The book deals with a chubby NYC teen's perception of herself and those around her, and how it changes. It's about growth and seeing how some people we think are so great aren't and some we think are so bad, probably aren't all that bad either. I can't speak as to authenticity since I am neither female nor did I grow up in NYC (the chubby part - getting there) but it seemed fairly authentic to me. Highly recommended.
The book deals with a chubby NYC teen's perception of herself and those around her, and how it changes. It's about growth and seeing how some people we think are so great aren't and some we think are so bad, probably aren't all that bad either. I can't speak as to authenticity since I am neither female nor did I grow up in NYC (the chubby part - getting there) but it seemed fairly authentic to me. Highly recommended.
February 19, 2025
Dit was beter dan ik op had gerekend! Ik voelde erg mee met het hoofdpersonage en vloog er doorheen. Als tiener had ik dit zeker een top boek gevonden denk ik.
December 7, 2010
Vigrina is a girl who is unsuecure about her wieght. She also feels like she is does not belong to the family. Her sister and her mom had a perfect body. Every girls thinks her brother is a hotie. Virgina was thinking aren't im suppose to be like them? Viginia feels pressured by her her family, but mostly her mom to make her lose weight. Since Vigina is unsuecure about her weight she doesn't date boys in fact she has a set of rules that fat girls shouldn't do. Virgina has always thought of her brother as a role model, but when he get kicked out of collage for a sex party. She didn't who her brother was anymore and lost touch with him. Virgina was not confindent of dating, but when Froggy Welsh the fourth apeared everything changed. In all I really liked this book and reccomend it to anyone.
August 8, 2018
Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of the book for review!
CW: eating disorders, self-harm, rape, emotional abuse
"But what happened the next morning, what will happen every morning for the rest of my life, that's up to me. I think people can choose to be victims or they can choose to be empowered and to carry on. That's what i want. To be empowered."
Although I had a few issues with this book, it's a story that needs to be told. It's honest and the author holds nothing back, it's thought provoking and tackles a lot of issues relevant to today's society. It was originally released in 2003 and has been rewritten to fit into a 2018 book in anticipation for the new sequel (which I'll be reading and reviewing soon).
I think Virginia is a character that a lot of people can relate to, and I say this about a lot books that have fat teenage main characters, but I wish I could've read more books like this when I was in high school. She's going through a hard time and has no one to lean on. Her parents are extremely judgemental and kind of busy dealing with her brother's problems, her best friend moved away, and no one at school takes any notice of her, except for Froggy who we did not get enough of! She turns to a lot of unhealthy habits, some of which I was not expecting, but it's how she overcomes them that I found admirable. She developed a lot over the course of the novel; learning to accept herself for who she is, although I found the jump between the bad thoughts and the positive ones a bit too quick(?). I can't wait to see what happens with her character in the sequel.
"If he's the sun, I'm a planet revolving around him... I mean, if you take away the sun's light, the planets won't know where to go or what to do."
There were a lot of aspects in the story that I loved reading about; Virginia's weight and body issues and how she dealt with them, the family dynamics and a-hole parents, learning not to judge people from the outside before getting to know who they are on the in, how she handled finding out that her brother is not the golden trophy that she always thought. Although there was a small hint at a romance, it was refreshing for that not to be the main focus (although I'm hoping Froggy gets more page time in book 2!).
"As I lean against the filthy bathroom wall, I remind myself to be numb. It's the only way I'll be able to carry on."
As empowering as I found the story, there were a few issues I had or things that I found problematic;
- Mum basically is proud that her daughter has an eating disorder and Dad comments on women's weight (Virginia's, his wife's, women on TV) through the whole book... EEW!!
-It deals with the topic of rape, but it wasn't dealt with the way it should've been. It kind of gets brushed under the carpet, and even though it wasn't really Virginia's story, I didn't like how it was handled.
-It followed a lot of Fat Girl MC tropes; only friend moves away so she has to eat lunch in the toilets, all the popular girls at school are super skinny or bulimic, Mum is super skinny, fat girl gets eating disorder, etc, etc...
"My finger is searing in pain. But at least the pain is concentrated in one spot rather than dominating my entire body."
THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS is a fast-paced and easy read about a young girl realising that nobody's perfect, and nobody needs to be. It's funny and sad, empowering and heartbreaking, honest and real. I look forward to seeing where Virginia's story takes her next.
"You can't put people on pedestals. They'll just disappoint you."
CW: eating disorders, self-harm, rape, emotional abuse
"But what happened the next morning, what will happen every morning for the rest of my life, that's up to me. I think people can choose to be victims or they can choose to be empowered and to carry on. That's what i want. To be empowered."
Although I had a few issues with this book, it's a story that needs to be told. It's honest and the author holds nothing back, it's thought provoking and tackles a lot of issues relevant to today's society. It was originally released in 2003 and has been rewritten to fit into a 2018 book in anticipation for the new sequel (which I'll be reading and reviewing soon).
I think Virginia is a character that a lot of people can relate to, and I say this about a lot books that have fat teenage main characters, but I wish I could've read more books like this when I was in high school. She's going through a hard time and has no one to lean on. Her parents are extremely judgemental and kind of busy dealing with her brother's problems, her best friend moved away, and no one at school takes any notice of her, except for Froggy who we did not get enough of! She turns to a lot of unhealthy habits, some of which I was not expecting, but it's how she overcomes them that I found admirable. She developed a lot over the course of the novel; learning to accept herself for who she is, although I found the jump between the bad thoughts and the positive ones a bit too quick(?). I can't wait to see what happens with her character in the sequel.
"If he's the sun, I'm a planet revolving around him... I mean, if you take away the sun's light, the planets won't know where to go or what to do."
There were a lot of aspects in the story that I loved reading about; Virginia's weight and body issues and how she dealt with them, the family dynamics and a-hole parents, learning not to judge people from the outside before getting to know who they are on the in, how she handled finding out that her brother is not the golden trophy that she always thought. Although there was a small hint at a romance, it was refreshing for that not to be the main focus (although I'm hoping Froggy gets more page time in book 2!).
"As I lean against the filthy bathroom wall, I remind myself to be numb. It's the only way I'll be able to carry on."
As empowering as I found the story, there were a few issues I had or things that I found problematic;
- Mum basically is proud that her daughter has an eating disorder and Dad comments on women's weight (Virginia's, his wife's, women on TV) through the whole book... EEW!!
-It deals with the topic of rape, but it wasn't dealt with the way it should've been. It kind of gets brushed under the carpet, and even though it wasn't really Virginia's story, I didn't like how it was handled.
-It followed a lot of Fat Girl MC tropes; only friend moves away so she has to eat lunch in the toilets, all the popular girls at school are super skinny or bulimic, Mum is super skinny, fat girl gets eating disorder, etc, etc...
"My finger is searing in pain. But at least the pain is concentrated in one spot rather than dominating my entire body."
THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS is a fast-paced and easy read about a young girl realising that nobody's perfect, and nobody needs to be. It's funny and sad, empowering and heartbreaking, honest and real. I look forward to seeing where Virginia's story takes her next.
"You can't put people on pedestals. They'll just disappoint you."
July 6, 2017
2.5 stars from me as there is NO way I would give this 3. I had issues with several unresolved topics mentioned. This wasn't downright awful but it was a little difficult to get through at times.
FRTC.
Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
I had never heard of this until I saw the author has a sequel coming out soon (no joke, The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I comes out May 29, 2018). I figured I would read this to see if I wanted the sequel. Normally the title would have kept me away because that is not a title that would draw my attention. I was hoping for a light and funny read but what I got was a lot of serious topics and unresolved issues.
Short recap: Virginia is bigger than anyone else in her family and they have a rude way of reminding her about that. Virginia struggles daily to find how she fits in and how she could become comfortable with who she is.
In the beginning, I liked Virginia’s character. I was cheering her on but that was short lived. When she started making the “Fat Girl Code of Conduct” I was floored. I was much larger when I was younger and my high school years were hands down some of my worst years ever, but I wouldn’t have made a list that listed that fat girls should allow guys to make out with them in secret. Are you kidding me? This girl had a warped view of herself in the world. She hated on every other girl in her school, saying they were all super thin. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t true as people come in all shapes & sizes. Virginia made it seem that she was the only heavy girl she has ever come into contact with and I just don’t believe that. I can’t believe that.
Virginia did not get much better after that. She hates on herself constantly and has zero confidence/self-esteem. I believe 98.56% of that came from her crappy family. Her parents were absolute jerks. Her mom was the worst. The woman was supposed to be a teen psychologist yet she couldn’t see what she was doing to her own child? She couldn’t see that how she talked and acted towards her was WRONG? This woman obsessed and nitpicked over every single thing her daughter ate. Aren’t parents supposed to be encouraging? They never bothered to actually talk to Virginia, they just made rude comments about her size. I got the impression that her mother was actually ashamed of her own daughter, especially after her other daughter was “so perfect”. How screwed up is that?
The one character I did love in this story is Virginia’s best friend, Shannon. I adored her! I wish she had a bigger role because she was the one positive influence in Virginia’s life. Shannon never judged or provoked, she was just a welcome breath of fresh air in this story.
The sudden transformation Virginia goes through felt unbelievable. Dying hair and getting a facial piercing does not suddenly make someone accept they are a heavy person. It does not make them love their body type or make them comfortable in their own skin. I was happy that Virginia finally started speaking her mind about things that bothered her, but she was downright rude about it. She started snapping at people, biting their heads off, and walking around like she was Queen Sh!t. Calm down, princess, no need to take everyone’s heads off if they say something you don’t like. There is a rational and logical way to express your thoughts and feelings to someone that actually encourages communication. What you did was lay down your rule and say it was law.
The major issues mentioned within this entire story felt unresolved in the worst way: self harm, date rape, and bulimia. Virginia makes references to killing herself (drinking bleach) after the rape allegations are made against her brother. Her best friend, Shannon, is the only one she says it to but does ask her not to do that. The friend is still so concerned about Virginia that she calls her the next morning from the other side of the US to make sure she is okay. Why couldn’t Shannon have gone one step further and tell her parents what was going on? She clearly has a good relationship with them so why not tell an adult? We’ll never know because it is never talked about again. Unless you count the time one of the three most popular girls says, “If I was Virginia, I would kill myself”. Virginia overheard that and it stayed with her. All she could think about was, “Brie would rather kill herself than be me.” But we never hear about that again either. Guess all is well… ?
Date rape: Virginia’s brother, who is worshiped by their parents, is found guilty of date raping a girl at his college. No details are ever given other than that. I’m not saying details need to be given but how about Mackler take this opportunity to talk about this topic and express how wrong it is… or what girls can do to protect themselves? Just a few thoughts.
Bulimia: This may be no big shocker but Virginia that the nastiest girl in school, Brie, has bulimia. This is the very same girl that was overheard saying she would rather kill herself than be Virginia. Does Virginia do anything with this information, such as alert a school official? NOPE. She turns around and walks quietly out of the bathroom. She keeps bringing attention to this when she sees Brie struggling in gym class. Stop being so quiet about this. Say something! It felt like this VERY serious topic was swept under the rug. This could have been another perfect time to explain what this condition is and how bad it is.
Or better yet, how about the author try not to cram so many important and serious topics into a book that supposed to be funny and light?
The big takeaway from this story is this: it is readable. It is not a light and fluffy read. It is also not very believable. The ending was too rushed and Mackler tried to force everything into a perfect box but that didn’t work. Again, dying your hair and getting a facial piercing does not fix all of your problems. In the story she suddenly became popular and everyone loved her because she colored her hair purple and got an eyebrow ring, she started losing weight, her parents became proud of her, and found her voice. It was just… too perfect. I didn’t buy it for a second. I was hoping for so much more.
Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
I had never heard of this until I saw the author has a sequel coming out soon (no joke, The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I comes out May 29, 2018). I figured I would read this to see if I wanted the sequel. Normally the title would have kept me away because that is not a title that would draw my attention. I was hoping for a light and funny read but what I got was a lot of serious topics and unresolved issues.
Short recap: Virginia is bigger than anyone else in her family and they have a rude way of reminding her about that. Virginia struggles daily to find how she fits in and how she could become comfortable with who she is.
In the beginning, I liked Virginia’s character. I was cheering her on but that was short lived. When she started making the “Fat Girl Code of Conduct” I was floored. I was much larger when I was younger and my high school years were hands down some of my worst years ever, but I wouldn’t have made a list that listed that fat girls should allow guys to make out with them in secret. Are you kidding me? This girl had a warped view of herself in the world. She hated on every other girl in her school, saying they were all super thin. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t true as people come in all shapes & sizes. Virginia made it seem that she was the only heavy girl she has ever come into contact with and I just don’t believe that. I can’t believe that.
Virginia did not get much better after that. She hates on herself constantly and has zero confidence/self-esteem. I believe 98.56% of that came from her crappy family. Her parents were absolute jerks. Her mom was the worst. The woman was supposed to be a teen psychologist yet she couldn’t see what she was doing to her own child? She couldn’t see that how she talked and acted towards her was WRONG? This woman obsessed and nitpicked over every single thing her daughter ate. Aren’t parents supposed to be encouraging? They never bothered to actually talk to Virginia, they just made rude comments about her size. I got the impression that her mother was actually ashamed of her own daughter, especially after her other daughter was “so perfect”. How screwed up is that?
The one character I did love in this story is Virginia’s best friend, Shannon. I adored her! I wish she had a bigger role because she was the one positive influence in Virginia’s life. Shannon never judged or provoked, she was just a welcome breath of fresh air in this story.
The sudden transformation Virginia goes through felt unbelievable. Dying hair and getting a facial piercing does not suddenly make someone accept they are a heavy person. It does not make them love their body type or make them comfortable in their own skin. I was happy that Virginia finally started speaking her mind about things that bothered her, but she was downright rude about it. She started snapping at people, biting their heads off, and walking around like she was Queen Sh!t. Calm down, princess, no need to take everyone’s heads off if they say something you don’t like. There is a rational and logical way to express your thoughts and feelings to someone that actually encourages communication. What you did was lay down your rule and say it was law.
The major issues mentioned within this entire story felt unresolved in the worst way: self harm, date rape, and bulimia. Virginia makes references to killing herself (drinking bleach) after the rape allegations are made against her brother. Her best friend, Shannon, is the only one she says it to but does ask her not to do that. The friend is still so concerned about Virginia that she calls her the next morning from the other side of the US to make sure she is okay. Why couldn’t Shannon have gone one step further and tell her parents what was going on? She clearly has a good relationship with them so why not tell an adult? We’ll never know because it is never talked about again. Unless you count the time one of the three most popular girls says, “If I was Virginia, I would kill myself”. Virginia overheard that and it stayed with her. All she could think about was, “Brie would rather kill herself than be me.” But we never hear about that again either. Guess all is well… ?
Date rape: Virginia’s brother, who is worshiped by their parents, is found guilty of date raping a girl at his college. No details are ever given other than that. I’m not saying details need to be given but how about Mackler take this opportunity to talk about this topic and express how wrong it is… or what girls can do to protect themselves? Just a few thoughts.
Bulimia: This may be no big shocker but Virginia that the nastiest girl in school, Brie, has bulimia. This is the very same girl that was overheard saying she would rather kill herself than be Virginia. Does Virginia do anything with this information, such as alert a school official? NOPE. She turns around and walks quietly out of the bathroom. She keeps bringing attention to this when she sees Brie struggling in gym class. Stop being so quiet about this. Say something! It felt like this VERY serious topic was swept under the rug. This could have been another perfect time to explain what this condition is and how bad it is.
Or better yet, how about the author try not to cram so many important and serious topics into a book that supposed to be funny and light?
The big takeaway from this story is this: it is readable. It is not a light and fluffy read. It is also not very believable. The ending was too rushed and Mackler tried to force everything into a perfect box but that didn’t work. Again, dying your hair and getting a facial piercing does not fix all of your problems. In the story she suddenly became popular and everyone loved her because she colored her hair purple and got an eyebrow ring, she started losing weight, her parents became proud of her, and found her voice. It was just… too perfect. I didn’t buy it for a second. I was hoping for so much more.
June 1, 2016
I am so mad at this book I can't even be sure this review will make much sense, but let's try.
*****THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS AHEAD, BE AWARE!*****
There are so, but so many problems with this story. Problems that are dangerous, that can hurt people. First off, how the author decided to make some criminal things light and simple to overcome. Carolyn Mackler decided to use rape, parental neglect and abuse, self harm, depression and other serious issues as simple plot movers, just some bothering details the main character had to learn how to face so she could grow. NO. that's wrong, that's a disturbing message to pass.
The parents in this novel are abusive on a level that could grant them jail time, at least here in my country. Specially the mother. The neglect allied to the abuse led this girl to put herself in danger and the mother never even knows! She should have been held accountable for the damage she caused, most of all for defending her son who admits the date rape he'd been accused of.
And there comes the second part that made me so exasperated while reading; the brother. So this guy goes and rapes a girl, admits that he couldn't know if there was consent (which, by the way, MEANS THERE WASN'T CONSENT you scum!!), is suspended from college (another naive, for lack of a better word, point of the story; as if it were that simple for colleges to take rape accusations seriously. We could all wish things really happened that way.) and is then spoiled by his disgusting abusive parents as if he were on vacation. At no point throughout the book he has to face the abominable act he committed, has to face serious charges for it. I don't know how the law works in America this case but here the college would have to inform the police. He would have ended in jail, and I wished all through my reading he had ended up there. No such luck. It's like he was caught cheating on an exam, nothing more serious than that. Actually, if that were the case maybe the parents would at least act disappointed. Maybe.
The father is just a misogynist, sexist, neglectful being put there just to seem like the good parent (in comparison with that awful mother anyone would be the good one). He learns nothing. He is called out by his daughter on one tiny aspect of his terrible habits and that's it.
No one, in fact, grows in that family but the protagonist, and even her, not enough. Because she takes it as "learn how to accept her family as they are" when she should have told them all to screw themselves and never have contact to those poisoning entities anymore. They never even learn how she was self-harming BECAUSE of them. They get a huge free-pass, all because they say some small "redeeming" sentence to her here and there. No, they're toxic, they're disgusting and they should all have been held accountable by their acts. Criminal acts, I must repeat. No one faces any real trouble for that.
There's more; the lesson this book passes is something like, "no matter how much shit is put on your lap, if you can't overcome it on your own, you've decided to be a victim, not a survivor, so screw you." Even the raped girl says something like that. Is that really a message we want YAs reading as true? That it's that easy and quick to overcome depression, abuse, self-harm and eating disorders? That if a traumatic event happens to you you have to shove it off and decide it won't ruin you and bam! it's all set?
Dear, I keep remembering other problems...at the end, when the main character starts to magically accept herself as she is she then has to proceed to body shame other people? Why couldn't she just say something like all humans come in different shapes and forms and all are good and beautiful? Why did she have to put someone down to feel she was being put up?
I'm still so absurdly mad that the rapist takes a free pass. That the mother keeps her career and still thinks she's a good mother, that the only self improvement in the whole book is rushed, unrealistic and doesn't lead to any resolution of the root of her problems.
There's more, I'm sure but I can feel my blood still boiling and the beginning of a migraine from this reading so I'll stop here. So disappointed, this could have been a good novel, a good message. It absolutely wasn't.
*****THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS AHEAD, BE AWARE!*****
There are so, but so many problems with this story. Problems that are dangerous, that can hurt people. First off, how the author decided to make some criminal things light and simple to overcome. Carolyn Mackler decided to use rape, parental neglect and abuse, self harm, depression and other serious issues as simple plot movers, just some bothering details the main character had to learn how to face so she could grow. NO. that's wrong, that's a disturbing message to pass.
The parents in this novel are abusive on a level that could grant them jail time, at least here in my country. Specially the mother. The neglect allied to the abuse led this girl to put herself in danger and the mother never even knows! She should have been held accountable for the damage she caused, most of all for defending her son who admits the date rape he'd been accused of.
And there comes the second part that made me so exasperated while reading; the brother. So this guy goes and rapes a girl, admits that he couldn't know if there was consent (which, by the way, MEANS THERE WASN'T CONSENT you scum!!), is suspended from college (another naive, for lack of a better word, point of the story; as if it were that simple for colleges to take rape accusations seriously. We could all wish things really happened that way.) and is then spoiled by his disgusting abusive parents as if he were on vacation. At no point throughout the book he has to face the abominable act he committed, has to face serious charges for it. I don't know how the law works in America this case but here the college would have to inform the police. He would have ended in jail, and I wished all through my reading he had ended up there. No such luck. It's like he was caught cheating on an exam, nothing more serious than that. Actually, if that were the case maybe the parents would at least act disappointed. Maybe.
The father is just a misogynist, sexist, neglectful being put there just to seem like the good parent (in comparison with that awful mother anyone would be the good one). He learns nothing. He is called out by his daughter on one tiny aspect of his terrible habits and that's it.
No one, in fact, grows in that family but the protagonist, and even her, not enough. Because she takes it as "learn how to accept her family as they are" when she should have told them all to screw themselves and never have contact to those poisoning entities anymore. They never even learn how she was self-harming BECAUSE of them. They get a huge free-pass, all because they say some small "redeeming" sentence to her here and there. No, they're toxic, they're disgusting and they should all have been held accountable by their acts. Criminal acts, I must repeat. No one faces any real trouble for that.
There's more; the lesson this book passes is something like, "no matter how much shit is put on your lap, if you can't overcome it on your own, you've decided to be a victim, not a survivor, so screw you." Even the raped girl says something like that. Is that really a message we want YAs reading as true? That it's that easy and quick to overcome depression, abuse, self-harm and eating disorders? That if a traumatic event happens to you you have to shove it off and decide it won't ruin you and bam! it's all set?
Dear, I keep remembering other problems...at the end, when the main character starts to magically accept herself as she is she then has to proceed to body shame other people? Why couldn't she just say something like all humans come in different shapes and forms and all are good and beautiful? Why did she have to put someone down to feel she was being put up?
I'm still so absurdly mad that the rapist takes a free pass. That the mother keeps her career and still thinks she's a good mother, that the only self improvement in the whole book is rushed, unrealistic and doesn't lead to any resolution of the root of her problems.
There's more, I'm sure but I can feel my blood still boiling and the beginning of a migraine from this reading so I'll stop here. So disappointed, this could have been a good novel, a good message. It absolutely wasn't.
August 8, 2018
Um livro com 15 anos mas que foi actualizado para os tempos actuais e mesmo que a autora só tenha feito alterações em termos de novas tecnologias, os assuntos abordados continuam a ser tão actuais agora como em 2003.
Descobri agora que há um segundo livro que gostaria de ler sem dúvida. Espero que seja lançado cá.
--
(...)
Gostei do livro. Achei realista embora não me tenha conseguido identificar muito porque não tenho a mesma forma física da Virgínia e nunca passei por estes problemas. Gostei de como a Virgínia era realista em certas coisas que as raparigas gordas não se encaixavam e as listas que ela faz inserem-se bem no livro.
O meu maior medo deste tipo de livros é que normalmente aparece sempre algum rapaz que faz com que a rapariga queira mudar de um dia para o outro só por causa dele. Aqui acontece um bocado isso mas não de forma tão evidente. A Virgínia quer realmente sentir-se bem com ela própria, óbvio que ela sonha ser magra mas ao mesmo tempo é consciente o suficiente que sabe que não consegue mudar o seu corpo da noite para o dia.
(...)
https://algodaodoceparaocerebro.blogs...
Descobri agora que há um segundo livro que gostaria de ler sem dúvida. Espero que seja lançado cá.
--
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Gostei do livro. Achei realista embora não me tenha conseguido identificar muito porque não tenho a mesma forma física da Virgínia e nunca passei por estes problemas. Gostei de como a Virgínia era realista em certas coisas que as raparigas gordas não se encaixavam e as listas que ela faz inserem-se bem no livro.
O meu maior medo deste tipo de livros é que normalmente aparece sempre algum rapaz que faz com que a rapariga queira mudar de um dia para o outro só por causa dele. Aqui acontece um bocado isso mas não de forma tão evidente. A Virgínia quer realmente sentir-se bem com ela própria, óbvio que ela sonha ser magra mas ao mesmo tempo é consciente o suficiente que sabe que não consegue mudar o seu corpo da noite para o dia.
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