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Fat Angie #1
Fat Angie
Her sister was captured in Iraq, she’s the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything?
Angie is broken — by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of junk food hasn’t kept the pain (or the shouts of "crazy mad cow!") away. Having failed to kill herself — in front of a gym full of kids — she’s back at high school just trying to make it through each day. That is, until the arrival of KC Romance, the kind of girl who doesn’t exist in Dryfalls, Ohio. A girl who is one hundred and ninety-nine percent wow! A girl who never sees her as Fat Angie, and who knows too well that the package doesn’t always match what’s inside. With an offbeat sensibility, mean girls to rival a horror classic, and characters both outrageous and touching, this darkly comic anti-romantic romance will appeal to anyone who likes entertaining and meaningful fiction.
It has been awarded the Stonewall Book Award-Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award for 2014.
Angie is broken — by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of junk food hasn’t kept the pain (or the shouts of "crazy mad cow!") away. Having failed to kill herself — in front of a gym full of kids — she’s back at high school just trying to make it through each day. That is, until the arrival of KC Romance, the kind of girl who doesn’t exist in Dryfalls, Ohio. A girl who is one hundred and ninety-nine percent wow! A girl who never sees her as Fat Angie, and who knows too well that the package doesn’t always match what’s inside. With an offbeat sensibility, mean girls to rival a horror classic, and characters both outrageous and touching, this darkly comic anti-romantic romance will appeal to anyone who likes entertaining and meaningful fiction.
It has been awarded the Stonewall Book Award-Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award for 2014.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2013
About the author
E.E. Charlton-Trujillo
11 books178 followersThe author/filmmaker deemed rockstar by the kids she meets won the prestigious Delacorte Dell Yearling Award, Parents' Choice Silver Honor, National Council For The Social Studies Notable Book and the NY Public Library List for Teens for PRIZEFIGHTER EN MI CASA. FEELS LIKE HOME received critical praise, but it was FAT ANGIE that generated buzz from The New York Times Bestselling Author Gregory Maguire and Ellen Hopkins. Winner of the Stonewall Award, the ALA Rainbow List, Westchester Fiction Award and a Choose To Read Ohio Book, FAT ANGIE garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. Her trek across America to hold free writing workshops with youth on the fringe is the focus of the documentary At-Risk Summer. Her highly anticipated novel Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution releases March 5, 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 618 reviews
November 21, 2014
I hated this book. The description was so promising and did not fulfill any of my hopes!
1. Main character Angie is fat. The author reminds you over and over just how fat she is. You do not have a chance to forget that Angie is fat, or learn any other notable characteristics or even discover her personality traits. BOY, IS SHE FAT.
2. Because she is fat, Angie is (naturally!) unable to dress attractively or practice personal hygiene. She is constantly smelly and sweating. She habitually picks at the crotch of her jeans (the phrase "cameltoe" is mentioned more than once.) Because she is fat, Angie is (of course!) clumsy. She clumsily drops her clothes into a toilet and then has to WEAR THE PEE-STAINED CLOTHES.
3. Because Angie is fat, she is unable to interact socially or complete a sentence of conversation.
4. Angie identifies as gay-girl-gay. (This is the most stupid term I've heard in my entire life.)
5. Guess what? By the end of the book, Angie isn't fat anymore! Hurrah!!!
Oh, did I spoil the ending for you? I'd say I'm sorry but I actually did you a favor because now you don't have to read this horrible book.
1. Main character Angie is fat. The author reminds you over and over just how fat she is. You do not have a chance to forget that Angie is fat, or learn any other notable characteristics or even discover her personality traits. BOY, IS SHE FAT.
2. Because she is fat, Angie is (naturally!) unable to dress attractively or practice personal hygiene. She is constantly smelly and sweating. She habitually picks at the crotch of her jeans (the phrase "cameltoe" is mentioned more than once.) Because she is fat, Angie is (of course!) clumsy. She clumsily drops her clothes into a toilet and then has to WEAR THE PEE-STAINED CLOTHES.
3. Because Angie is fat, she is unable to interact socially or complete a sentence of conversation.
4. Angie identifies as gay-girl-gay. (This is the most stupid term I've heard in my entire life.)
5. Guess what? By the end of the book, Angie isn't fat anymore! Hurrah!!!
Oh, did I spoil the ending for you? I'd say I'm sorry but I actually did you a favor because now you don't have to read this horrible book.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
September 21, 2015Took a peek at the ending, and if I hadn't already been on the fence about the forced slang and general tone of the book, I would have DNF'd it for the ending.
I am TIRED of books with fat MCs that have the MC losing weight/becoming skinny as part of their happy ending. Happy fat people exist. Fat and happy are not two mutually exclusive states of being.
Do better, authors.
I am TIRED of books with fat MCs that have the MC losing weight/becoming skinny as part of their happy ending. Happy fat people exist. Fat and happy are not two mutually exclusive states of being.
Do better, authors.
February 21, 2023
This didn't go as well as I planned. I can definitely see this book being revolutionary during the time of its release; however, I don't necessarily believe that it holds up against the test of time. With that being said, there are some interesting conversations that are generated from this story. I read this for my first banned book diary series. 2.5 Stars. CW: fatphobia, homophobia, physical and emotional abuse, war, attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, cutting, parental abandonment, death of a loved one.
Fat Angie follows main character Angie who is only seen by others and herself in terms of her body shape and size. After attempting suicide in the wake of her sister's disappearance while serving in the military, Angie attempts to navigate being back at school. With an abusive and neglectful mother, an estranged brother, absent father, and constant bullying at school, it's no surprise that Angie is instantly enthralled with the new girl KC. Throughout the course of the novel, Angie works towards finally seeing herself and reckoning with absence of her sister.
What Worked/What Didn't Work: I did an entire reading vlog on this book which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LEo_... Unfortunately, I struggled with this one because of the tough nature of the topics. Angie doesn't really have support from anyone and it shows on every single page. It was hard to find any glimmer of hope in this one until the end which still is, in many ways, somber. While this may have been revolutionary during it's time, I don't think this is one that I would openly recommend to any teenager for fat and queer representation. Some of the terminology in this is dated, there is a lack of parental/adult support with the exception of one character, exceptions were made for characters that were completely unjustifiable, and Angie is literally bullied by everyone. I think that this series may get better with the 2nd and 3rd installment, but honestly I'm not interested in continuing. The writing was accessible and easy to follow and I did enjoy the fact that Angie became interested in basketball as a way to build that connection with her sister. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to save the book for me.
Fat Angie follows main character Angie who is only seen by others and herself in terms of her body shape and size. After attempting suicide in the wake of her sister's disappearance while serving in the military, Angie attempts to navigate being back at school. With an abusive and neglectful mother, an estranged brother, absent father, and constant bullying at school, it's no surprise that Angie is instantly enthralled with the new girl KC. Throughout the course of the novel, Angie works towards finally seeing herself and reckoning with absence of her sister.
What Worked/What Didn't Work: I did an entire reading vlog on this book which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LEo_... Unfortunately, I struggled with this one because of the tough nature of the topics. Angie doesn't really have support from anyone and it shows on every single page. It was hard to find any glimmer of hope in this one until the end which still is, in many ways, somber. While this may have been revolutionary during it's time, I don't think this is one that I would openly recommend to any teenager for fat and queer representation. Some of the terminology in this is dated, there is a lack of parental/adult support with the exception of one character, exceptions were made for characters that were completely unjustifiable, and Angie is literally bullied by everyone. I think that this series may get better with the 2nd and 3rd installment, but honestly I'm not interested in continuing. The writing was accessible and easy to follow and I did enjoy the fact that Angie became interested in basketball as a way to build that connection with her sister. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to save the book for me.
July 6, 2013
Issue. Issue. Issue. Issue. This book is stuffed full of issues, what my friend Wendy calls "guidance counselor fiction" I think. Our protagonist is fat, unpopular, bullied, abused, maybe gay, has a lousy relationship with her mom, her brother is adopted and abusive, her sister is missing in Iraq. Lots and lots of slang done in what struck me as an obtrusive manner. If our protagonist hasn't enough issues, no worries! We get secondary characters who include cutters, mean girls, clueless adults. There's just too much going on here. The plot, when I could dig it out, was engaging enough, and Angie's growth felt very believable. I wanted to like Angie, but the author buried her in so many issues it was too hard to care. My free review copy came from ALA Midwinter.
October 25, 2012
This isn't a perfect book. But it's closer to five stars than four. Great voice. Great message. A wee bit shaky in the very beginning, but it picks up steam quickly. Teens WILL want to read this book.
March 10, 2018
I almost DNF'ed this book by the end of the first chapter. I probably should have being that I didn't like it, but curiosity as to how it would end kept me reading.
Why I disliked it:
--The book refers to the MC as Fat Angie throughout the whole book. Why? Wasn't the title self-explanatory? Not only does everyone refer to her as Fat Angie but even when Angie is talking about herself she refers to herself as Fat Angie.
--Felt like a rip-off of Stephen King's Carrie. There is probably a bit of fan fiction going on, but I think I was too annoyed by the characterization of Angie. While Carrie was a more developed character and had qualities that the reader could see in spite of what her tormentors didn't, Angie was written in such a way that she truly came across as a caricature of everything bad, inadequate, and unsociable that it was hard to understand why the reader should sympathize with this girl.
--The author describes Angie as being smelly, sweaty, overweight, wearing the same shirt everyday, wearing tight shirts and pants that she constantly has to rearrange the crotch of, dirty hair, clutzy, unable to form full sentences or speak up for herself, not pretty...the author really laid it on thick throughout the whole book. I don't see how it was necessary to make her seem like a complete disaster. Everyone picks on her, including her adopted brother, her mother (her immediate family is the worst), the whole school, and the adults who are supposed to help (her phys ed coach and therapist), also look down on her. Even the "geek squad" pick on her. It's overkill.
--The typical clichés of the beautiful, popular mean girl who physically abuses Angie are present as well as the coach who always walks in 2 seconds too late to see the abuse and in her attempts to sympathize with Angie comes off worse by calling her "special".
--Now tell me why I should believe the new, beautiful girl is interested in Angie? The author never lets you see any beauty in Angie, not even inner beauty.
To give an example of how cruddy the author makes Angie seem: (p.63) Fat Angie quickly rubbed sleepy crust from her eyes. The crusty flakes clung to her t-shirt.
Really?
Why I disliked it:
--The book refers to the MC as Fat Angie throughout the whole book. Why? Wasn't the title self-explanatory? Not only does everyone refer to her as Fat Angie but even when Angie is talking about herself she refers to herself as Fat Angie.
--Felt like a rip-off of Stephen King's Carrie. There is probably a bit of fan fiction going on, but I think I was too annoyed by the characterization of Angie. While Carrie was a more developed character and had qualities that the reader could see in spite of what her tormentors didn't, Angie was written in such a way that she truly came across as a caricature of everything bad, inadequate, and unsociable that it was hard to understand why the reader should sympathize with this girl.
--The author describes Angie as being smelly, sweaty, overweight, wearing the same shirt everyday, wearing tight shirts and pants that she constantly has to rearrange the crotch of, dirty hair, clutzy, unable to form full sentences or speak up for herself, not pretty...the author really laid it on thick throughout the whole book. I don't see how it was necessary to make her seem like a complete disaster. Everyone picks on her, including her adopted brother, her mother (her immediate family is the worst), the whole school, and the adults who are supposed to help (her phys ed coach and therapist), also look down on her. Even the "geek squad" pick on her. It's overkill.
--The typical clichés of the beautiful, popular mean girl who physically abuses Angie are present as well as the coach who always walks in 2 seconds too late to see the abuse and in her attempts to sympathize with Angie comes off worse by calling her "special".
--Now tell me why I should believe the new, beautiful girl is interested in Angie? The author never lets you see any beauty in Angie, not even inner beauty.
To give an example of how cruddy the author makes Angie seem: (p.63) Fat Angie quickly rubbed sleepy crust from her eyes. The crusty flakes clung to her t-shirt.
Really?
June 13, 2018
This is, hands down, the worst book I have ever read. If I could, I would rate this zero stars. It's bad to the point that it's comical, I wanted to vomit reading this. As part of the LGBT community, I'd like to say that this is not a good book to read if looking for representation. Not only is there one unrealistic plot, there are eight (I counted)! There are parts in it that hint to it being pro- Iraq war! WHAT?
This book is a disgrace to mankind, a crime against God. Why would anyone in their right mind read this hot, wet garbage? I want to vomit thinking about this. DO NOT READ UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!!!
This book is a disgrace to mankind, a crime against God. Why would anyone in their right mind read this hot, wet garbage? I want to vomit thinking about this. DO NOT READ UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!!!
May 20, 2023
I've been sending my husband texts based on a certain Carly Rae Jepsen song all night (I find it way more hilarious than he does, to be honest), so I went ahead and wrote a review of this book in the same manner. Here you go:
Hey I read this book
And it was fat-shame-y
I found it rather “meh”
But you'll like it maybe?
Thank you, Thank you. I'll be here all week.
Hey I read this book
And it was fat-shame-y
I found it rather “meh”
But you'll like it maybe?
Thank you, Thank you. I'll be here all week.
April 19, 2017
This book is something that I enjoyed, and the reviews have had the idea of that since she was fat the resolution of this book was her loosing weight to be happy. But while finishing this book I didn't see that. Yes she lost weight, but it wasn't exactly purposely. She lost the weight (might I add it was never clarified how much she lost, so being she could have lost 10kg or 30kg or less) doing something to help her understand and become happy on her own. I do agree that books with the 'fat mc loosing weight by the end to become happy' do need to be diminished, but I don't think this is one of them. Opinions are yours, but this is mine.
November 3, 2014
I had high hopes for this one, and it disappointed me. I thought that it was going to have a message of self-acceptance at any size, but I didn’t see it. In any story about a fat character, I hold my breath, waiting for them to have a turning point of discovering exercise and beginning to lose weight. If this doesn't happen, if the character gets to feel good about their body as it is, I’m pleasantly surprised, and I consider it a body positive book. I want characters who change their attitudes, not their bodies. Angie’s attitude change was pretty tied to her size change, so I felt let down.
I'm not trying to say that exercise is bad, and it’s great that Angie found her hidden basketball talent, felt connected to her sister through playing, and started to build better relationships with her classmates. But the basketball was a bit of a general cure-all. Her classmates didn’t bully her so much, not because they took the time to get to know her or because they realized that bullying was wrong, but because she started losing weight and won a basketball game. That gives me more of a message of “change yourself to fit in” than “it’s okay to be yourself, even if that’s not ‘normal.’”
I don’t think that “fat” is a bad word, or inherently an insult, but Angie’s nickname came from other students mocking her. It wasn’t like she was reclaiming the word or claiming it for herself before other students could throw it at her (a la Fat Amy’s explanation in Pitch Perfect).
There were a lot of issues crammed into this book. Angie’s size (classmates and brother bullying her, her mother refusing to buy her clothes that fit), Angie’s first love and coming out, her interactions at school following her public suicide attempt, her piece-of-shit counselor, her totally heartless family, the missing sister who only Angie believed to be alive, and then KC and her relationship with her father and her cutting. A lot of things were just barely touched on. I felt bad for KC's character. At first she seemed to just be there to help Angie realize that it's ok to be weird and different, but then she turned out to have a lot going on herself. But she didn't really get support from Angie, since Angie was so wrapped up in herself. I did like the scenes about the development of their relationship, like their “sheepish smilefest” at The Backstory. And KC cared more about Angie from the start than anyone else seemed to, including Angie herself.
Here's a passage that illustrates both KC supporting Angie and the way that Angie never got to just be a person; she always had to have a size adjective tacked on:
A couple of other little things that bugged while I was reading:
-So many phrases were repeated to death, like Angie's "couldn't-be-bothered mother" and "gay-girl gay," which . . . what does that even mean?
-The sports stuff seemed pretty cheeseball to me. Like Angie running into the stands for reassurance from KC before she made her free throws. When Angie ran off the court, the story read: "This was, by all rules and regulations associated with the game of basketball, an unusual act. Not an act ever dramatized in sports films." I think that the protagonist running off the court/stage/field/etc at a key moment to get reassurance from their partner actually happens in movies all the time. (Right now, the big audition scene in Save the Last Dance is all that comes to mind, but I know it happens in other movies.) And then when Angie scores the game-winning point: “It was the Disney-esque ending Angie had prayed for. She had won the game. A big game. She had done it!” And everything came to a head that night -- the game, plus the news that Angie's sister really was dead, KC's fallout with her dad, and Angie walking in on her cutting herself. It was a little too much.
I think I'm so critical of this story because I was a fat, queer, weird teenager, but I don't think Fat Angie relates to my experience at all. And I don't know anything about the author, so maybe she has experience with a situation like this. But I wanted a message of self-love, and all I got was a reiteration that Fat = Ugly. Early in the story, Angie's mother tells her, “No one is ever going to love you if you stay fat.” And I don't think the story does a ton to refute that statement. Angie is described as "barreling" about, graceless and awkward "like a cow", she "huffs and puffs," her shoulders are described as "Charmin-like." Later, after a bad interaction, "Despite the weeks of training with Jake and the leafy greens, she saw that she was still big enough to be ugly.” KC does seem like she would love Angie if she stayed fat, and was the only person (including Angie) who saw her as a person and not a fat person. But then all of her issues came up, and the story got kind of scattered again.
I'm not trying to say that exercise is bad, and it’s great that Angie found her hidden basketball talent, felt connected to her sister through playing, and started to build better relationships with her classmates. But the basketball was a bit of a general cure-all. Her classmates didn’t bully her so much, not because they took the time to get to know her or because they realized that bullying was wrong, but because she started losing weight and won a basketball game. That gives me more of a message of “change yourself to fit in” than “it’s okay to be yourself, even if that’s not ‘normal.’”
I don’t think that “fat” is a bad word, or inherently an insult, but Angie’s nickname came from other students mocking her. It wasn’t like she was reclaiming the word or claiming it for herself before other students could throw it at her (a la Fat Amy’s explanation in Pitch Perfect).
There were a lot of issues crammed into this book. Angie’s size (classmates and brother bullying her, her mother refusing to buy her clothes that fit), Angie’s first love and coming out, her interactions at school following her public suicide attempt, her piece-of-shit counselor, her totally heartless family, the missing sister who only Angie believed to be alive, and then KC and her relationship with her father and her cutting. A lot of things were just barely touched on. I felt bad for KC's character. At first she seemed to just be there to help Angie realize that it's ok to be weird and different, but then she turned out to have a lot going on herself. But she didn't really get support from Angie, since Angie was so wrapped up in herself. I did like the scenes about the development of their relationship, like their “sheepish smilefest” at The Backstory. And KC cared more about Angie from the start than anyone else seemed to, including Angie herself.
Here's a passage that illustrates both KC supporting Angie and the way that Angie never got to just be a person; she always had to have a size adjective tacked on:
“The whole world hates me,” said Fat Angie. “Don’t you get it? They hate me. Me. Fat Angie.”
“Then hate ‘em back. Besides, who needs the whole world?” said KC. “I mean, only a few parts of it are kinda important. And if they all hate someone named Fat Angie, then that’s not you. You’re Angie.”
And right then, the thinner-but-not-slim Angie melted inside.
A couple of other little things that bugged while I was reading:
-So many phrases were repeated to death, like Angie's "couldn't-be-bothered mother" and "gay-girl gay," which . . . what does that even mean?
-The sports stuff seemed pretty cheeseball to me. Like Angie running into the stands for reassurance from KC before she made her free throws. When Angie ran off the court, the story read: "This was, by all rules and regulations associated with the game of basketball, an unusual act. Not an act ever dramatized in sports films." I think that the protagonist running off the court/stage/field/etc at a key moment to get reassurance from their partner actually happens in movies all the time. (Right now, the big audition scene in Save the Last Dance is all that comes to mind, but I know it happens in other movies.) And then when Angie scores the game-winning point: “It was the Disney-esque ending Angie had prayed for. She had won the game. A big game. She had done it!” And everything came to a head that night -- the game, plus the news that Angie's sister really was dead, KC's fallout with her dad, and Angie walking in on her cutting herself. It was a little too much.
I think I'm so critical of this story because I was a fat, queer, weird teenager, but I don't think Fat Angie relates to my experience at all. And I don't know anything about the author, so maybe she has experience with a situation like this. But I wanted a message of self-love, and all I got was a reiteration that Fat = Ugly. Early in the story, Angie's mother tells her, “No one is ever going to love you if you stay fat.” And I don't think the story does a ton to refute that statement. Angie is described as "barreling" about, graceless and awkward "like a cow", she "huffs and puffs," her shoulders are described as "Charmin-like." Later, after a bad interaction, "Despite the weeks of training with Jake and the leafy greens, she saw that she was still big enough to be ugly.” KC does seem like she would love Angie if she stayed fat, and was the only person (including Angie) who saw her as a person and not a fat person. But then all of her issues came up, and the story got kind of scattered again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
2.5 Stars
Fat Angie’s size had made her an outcast for quite some time, but when she decided to slit her wrists in the middle of a pep rally, she REALLY became a target for the mean girls. After her failed suicide attempt, Angie tried to be as invisible as possible – sharing her feelings only through unsent letters to her sister, a soldier who was taken prisoner in Iraq. All that changes when she meets new transfer student, KC Romance, and her neighbor Jake starts speaking to her again.
This book could have been a lot better. It had a chance of scoring a higher rating from me had I not started a really good YA book immediately upon finishing it.
It also may have received more stars had I not watched Pitch Perfect again and again and again and again with my children over their Christmas Break. Fat Angie wasn’t nearly as likeable as Fat Amy. The world needs more characters like Fat Amy.
Characters like Fat Angie make me feel next to nothing. When I read a book about a fat girl who is holding out hope her M.I.A. sister is still alive and tried to kill herself in front of the entire student body, I want to feel SAD. Like the darkest dark, rip your heart out, maybe I should stick my head in the oven for a little while sad. Feeling “meh” is not the way to get a great review : (
Along the same lines, books with super predictable plot twists don’t score real big in the twinkly star department either.
In a nutshell, Fat Angie was an okay read. It won’t change your life. It might not even change your opinion about Fat Angie when you’re finished. It may, however, remind you of Fat Amy’s awesomeness and make you want to watch Pitch Perfect ten more times ; )
2.5 Stars
Fat Angie’s size had made her an outcast for quite some time, but when she decided to slit her wrists in the middle of a pep rally, she REALLY became a target for the mean girls. After her failed suicide attempt, Angie tried to be as invisible as possible – sharing her feelings only through unsent letters to her sister, a soldier who was taken prisoner in Iraq. All that changes when she meets new transfer student, KC Romance, and her neighbor Jake starts speaking to her again.
This book could have been a lot better. It had a chance of scoring a higher rating from me had I not started a really good YA book immediately upon finishing it.
It also may have received more stars had I not watched Pitch Perfect again and again and again and again with my children over their Christmas Break. Fat Angie wasn’t nearly as likeable as Fat Amy. The world needs more characters like Fat Amy.
Characters like Fat Angie make me feel next to nothing. When I read a book about a fat girl who is holding out hope her M.I.A. sister is still alive and tried to kill herself in front of the entire student body, I want to feel SAD. Like the darkest dark, rip your heart out, maybe I should stick my head in the oven for a little while sad. Feeling “meh” is not the way to get a great review : (
Along the same lines, books with super predictable plot twists don’t score real big in the twinkly star department either.
In a nutshell, Fat Angie was an okay read. It won’t change your life. It might not even change your opinion about Fat Angie when you’re finished. It may, however, remind you of Fat Amy’s awesomeness and make you want to watch Pitch Perfect ten more times ; )
May 4, 2017
The number of reviews complaining about the Fat Girl Gets Skinny trope are really misleading. Angie doesn't get skinny. And skinniness doesn't lead to her being happy. Angie is a socially awkward (she's got slow processing speed and doesn't read social cues well and can be too literal) who has been chronically bullied by her peers, her brother, and her mom. And she's mourning her sister. Her new friend cuts herself and her old friend is filled with guilt for not standing up for her. There's disordered eating, bad therapeutic boundaries, and themes of self harm and suicide and all some reviews can say is that the reader is upset the fat girl lost a few pounds (even though she is still fat) before finding happiness!?
Smdh.
WNDB: Sexuality
Smdh.
WNDB: Sexuality
June 19, 2014
First off, I'll start with Angie: I really dislike that Angie, through all of her trials in this book, still refers to herself as "Fat Angie". It seems a constant slag on this bigger girl; if she's not referred to by her size, she's characterized as "blank" or stupid, strange or slightly psychotic. Her mannerisms are that of a slightly autistic or special needs person with the counting and the mental breakdowns. Questioning her sexuality is totally fine with me, but I wish there would have been some kind of mention of this in the beginning, instead of readers realizing it at the same time she seems to be realizing that she might be gay. I feel like she might know enough about her own sexuality at her age to realize that she might be gay or is questioning her sexuality. Again, I think some kind of mention in the beginning would have been nice. It just seemed out of nowhere. I guess what I was hoping for her character was realizing that she didn't need to partake in the fatphobia which plagued her school and home life. It just seemed to be a thumbs up for those who already hate their bodies to just keep on hating (or walk and run and play basketball to lose weight and be "beautiful"). Ugh! I just feel like so much went wrong with her character. She wasn't emotionally "attachable", either. I couldn't connect to her on any level and that was frustrating.
Next, Angie's Mother: Why can't she have some kind of redeeming quality? Some sort of humanness about her instead of the cold harshness with which she treats Angie, Wang and just about anyone else she encounters? Even after the news is broken that her daughter (Angie's sister) is dead, she maintains a coldness toward everyone. I wanted to have some reconciliation between them, because they're all each other has. Nope!
Wang: What an ass. He ruined a lot of things for his sister and doesn't seem to feel that bad about it. I just genuinely disliked his character. Why couldn't he have stuck with his sister after the loss of their sibling?!
KC: Out of all of the characters, I think I liked KC the best, though she had some flaws I disliked as well. The cutting, for example. It was already mentioned that Angie cut, but then KC does too. One or the other, I think, because so much else in the book was negative and flat and closed-off.
I think I could go on with more of the fatphobia and bullying in the book, but I just can't even do it anymore. The main points: The author didn't seem to care about her character. She referred to her as "Fat Angie" throughout the book. Even in the end. I wanted Angie to go through the struggles and have KC help her gain self-confidence and the realization that she is a good person who happens to have fat. Because there were so many plot elements, I felt like none of them got the attention that they deserved from the author.
TLDR: 1-dimensional, unrelatable characters, too many negative and unresolved plot-lines. Too much melodrama.
Next, Angie's Mother: Why can't she have some kind of redeeming quality? Some sort of humanness about her instead of the cold harshness with which she treats Angie, Wang and just about anyone else she encounters? Even after the news is broken that her daughter (Angie's sister) is dead, she maintains a coldness toward everyone. I wanted to have some reconciliation between them, because they're all each other has. Nope!
Wang: What an ass. He ruined a lot of things for his sister and doesn't seem to feel that bad about it. I just genuinely disliked his character. Why couldn't he have stuck with his sister after the loss of their sibling?!
KC: Out of all of the characters, I think I liked KC the best, though she had some flaws I disliked as well. The cutting, for example. It was already mentioned that Angie cut, but then KC does too. One or the other, I think, because so much else in the book was negative and flat and closed-off.
I think I could go on with more of the fatphobia and bullying in the book, but I just can't even do it anymore. The main points: The author didn't seem to care about her character. She referred to her as "Fat Angie" throughout the book. Even in the end. I wanted Angie to go through the struggles and have KC help her gain self-confidence and the realization that she is a good person who happens to have fat. Because there were so many plot elements, I felt like none of them got the attention that they deserved from the author.
TLDR: 1-dimensional, unrelatable characters, too many negative and unresolved plot-lines. Too much melodrama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2020
Angie is fat and she has so many things happening: her sister is in the military and she is missing; her mother is horribly negligent and verbally abusive; her brother is a prick; and she can’t decide if she wants to commit to a relationship with a girl.
Get it together Angie! I like YA that shines a lot on issues that many kids deal with, but this was a bit much at times. Still, I did read to the end.
Get it together Angie! I like YA that shines a lot on issues that many kids deal with, but this was a bit much at times. Still, I did read to the end.
March 14, 2020
I wouldn't have picked this up myself but this was a gift and the book's tone reminded me of the giver. I didn't like the last part because I disagree that she should be the one to apologize.
December 30, 2015
I feel like I should have loved this book, but I didn't.
Fat Angie has a LGBT, fat protagonist and the book deals with many different issues. From bullying to self harm to Angie dealing with her sister having gone missing in Iraq. I understand why the author wanted to tackle all these problems, but it felt cluttered and like there was too much going on at the same time. I also didn't feel like I could really connect to any of the characters. Angie herself sometimes felt more like a caricatures of a fat person than a real person, even though we get to see her feelings and thoughts. The way she's constantly described as sweating and how often the word fat is used even by the narrative really bugged me.
Then there's KC Romance, even though I tried not to judge her by her eye-roll worthy name, she really annoyed me for most of the book. The way she spoke was meant to be "cool", but it just sounded weird and not like a human being would talk. I also never really felt a romantic connection between her and Angie.
The story felt all over the place, I didn't like any of the side characters, and I felt like the ending was very rushed. All in all, not a book I would recommend.
Fat Angie has a LGBT, fat protagonist and the book deals with many different issues. From bullying to self harm to Angie dealing with her sister having gone missing in Iraq. I understand why the author wanted to tackle all these problems, but it felt cluttered and like there was too much going on at the same time. I also didn't feel like I could really connect to any of the characters. Angie herself sometimes felt more like a caricatures of a fat person than a real person, even though we get to see her feelings and thoughts. The way she's constantly described as sweating and how often the word fat is used even by the narrative really bugged me.
Then there's KC Romance, even though I tried not to judge her by her eye-roll worthy name, she really annoyed me for most of the book. The way she spoke was meant to be "cool", but it just sounded weird and not like a human being would talk. I also never really felt a romantic connection between her and Angie.
The story felt all over the place, I didn't like any of the side characters, and I felt like the ending was very rushed. All in all, not a book I would recommend.
August 10, 2016
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2.5 Stars
After a failed suicide attempt occurring after her older sister went missing in Iraq, Fat Angie is one of the most hated girls at her school. She tries to become invisible, although mean girl Stacey Ann, won't leave her alone. That's when a new girl, K. C. Romance comes into her life and everything changes.
It bothered me a little bit that the only description we ever got for Angie is that she is fat. We never got to know her as an individual. The amount of slang in this book felt very forced and definitely took away from the enjoyment of the story for me. The plot was very cluttered and it felt like there was way too many issues and subplots being mashed into one story. I also felt that the ending was far too predictable. I didn't feel like I could connect with any of the characters in anyway. Angie's mom was vile, her brother was a jerk, Stacey Ann was such a cliche mean girl and K. C. just got on my nerves.
2.5 Stars
After a failed suicide attempt occurring after her older sister went missing in Iraq, Fat Angie is one of the most hated girls at her school. She tries to become invisible, although mean girl Stacey Ann, won't leave her alone. That's when a new girl, K. C. Romance comes into her life and everything changes.
It bothered me a little bit that the only description we ever got for Angie is that she is fat. We never got to know her as an individual. The amount of slang in this book felt very forced and definitely took away from the enjoyment of the story for me. The plot was very cluttered and it felt like there was way too many issues and subplots being mashed into one story. I also felt that the ending was far too predictable. I didn't feel like I could connect with any of the characters in anyway. Angie's mom was vile, her brother was a jerk, Stacey Ann was such a cliche mean girl and K. C. just got on my nerves.
June 8, 2013
This book is pretty great! The author seems to struggle a bit to "reach the teens" with many (many!) somewhat-slick pop-culture references and slanguage terms, but the human themes are there for anyone to learn from: the difficulty of carrying on loving relationships within a family after the tragedies of divorce and untimely death, how Americans on the home front are the silent sacrifices of our neverending wars on terrorism, how we can be so nasty to overweight people, and how our LGBT and questioning teens, even in 2013, pretty much don't have the support they need as they start dipping their feet into the dating pool, so they figure it out on their own and often succeed. Contains sad bits, happy bits, funny bits, uplifting bits.
March 25, 2019
To be honest, I found this a little bit exhausting to read. Angie is so isolated, and she faces a wall of relentless harassment. There are small moments of connection and support--the gym teacher, Jake (Angie's neighbour)--but they are muted and far between. Even the romance isn't an entirely happy one. I wasn't expecting this to be fluffy, but it far exceeded how dark I was prepared for it to be. I will be picking up the sequel as well, but I will cross my fingers that there's a little more hope mixed in with the despair in that one.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
July 9, 2017
Angie is honestly just trying to get by. That's all she wants – to make it through the day as smoothly and quietly as possible. It isn't the easiest thing in the world, especially as most of her school remembers the day she tried to kill herself in the fully crowded gym. Her mum doesn't seem to care that much about anything other than Angie's weight whilst her brother seems to only give a shit when he's able to mock her and her life. It didn't always use to be that way, but things have seriously gotten out of hand family-wise ever since Angie's older sister joined the army. Nowdays, Angie is the only one who believes she's still out there somewhere.
At least until KC suddenly pops up. She's the new girl in Dryfalls, Ohio and might honestly be the coolest, most beautiful person Angie has ever laid her eyes on. As if that isn't enough, she keeps insisting on bonding with Angie, like she's got the best friendship offers. And whilst she does prefer to be her own company, it's hard to resist. Especially as KC is the first person to treat her like she's just another person; she hasn't felt that way since her sister left home. It's a nice feeling.
Oh, boy. There are very, very few things I didn't like about this book. It is pure beauty... just as much as it is is brutal tragedy. But that's the nice part of it, it allows itself to be both. Just like, you know, life usually is. I feel like there isn't just one plot in this book, it's a complex mix of different themes that sort of paint a picture together; and that picture is the book itself. Angie is the narrator and it's mostly about her and her struggles but it's just as much about KC and her past or Angie's brother Wang and his struggles with their sister going missing as well as his adoption as a child. I know most books are different themes coming together; especially when they are realistic fiction such as this one, but I could feel it in a whole different way in this book than I usually do in others.
But yes, the truth is that it's mostly about Angie – her struggles, her sorrows, her joys, her. It was hard not to fall in love with her, platonically, sure, but love nonetheless, because she felt so raw and real and full of flaws but also of, well, perfections. I do have one problem with her, though, that I have a hard time letting go. At one point, during a fight, she calls Wang rice muncher and quite honestly, I don't care how mean your brother is; there is no excuse to be racist. It was a big disappointment to read that line. Especially as there is no follow up on it. And I just want to, like, ask the author what the fucking point with that was? Honestly? What the fuck.
At least until KC suddenly pops up. She's the new girl in Dryfalls, Ohio and might honestly be the coolest, most beautiful person Angie has ever laid her eyes on. As if that isn't enough, she keeps insisting on bonding with Angie, like she's got the best friendship offers. And whilst she does prefer to be her own company, it's hard to resist. Especially as KC is the first person to treat her like she's just another person; she hasn't felt that way since her sister left home. It's a nice feeling.
Oh, boy. There are very, very few things I didn't like about this book. It is pure beauty... just as much as it is is brutal tragedy. But that's the nice part of it, it allows itself to be both. Just like, you know, life usually is. I feel like there isn't just one plot in this book, it's a complex mix of different themes that sort of paint a picture together; and that picture is the book itself. Angie is the narrator and it's mostly about her and her struggles but it's just as much about KC and her past or Angie's brother Wang and his struggles with their sister going missing as well as his adoption as a child. I know most books are different themes coming together; especially when they are realistic fiction such as this one, but I could feel it in a whole different way in this book than I usually do in others.
But yes, the truth is that it's mostly about Angie – her struggles, her sorrows, her joys, her. It was hard not to fall in love with her, platonically, sure, but love nonetheless, because she felt so raw and real and full of flaws but also of, well, perfections. I do have one problem with her, though, that I have a hard time letting go. At one point, during a fight, she calls Wang rice muncher and quite honestly, I don't care how mean your brother is; there is no excuse to be racist. It was a big disappointment to read that line. Especially as there is no follow up on it. And I just want to, like, ask the author what the fucking point with that was? Honestly? What the fuck.
April 13, 2017
2.5 stars. This is a sweet book. Actually, it's too sweet. It's so sweet that it comes off as immature.
While Angie is fairly easy to empathize with, all the side characters seem completely flat. Even worse is that the flat side characters aren't supposed to be anything but flat. You're not supposed to sympathize with any characters other than Angie and her love interest. Almost every other character is bad.
I did like that this is a book with a fat main character where she doesn't become incredibly skinny at the end. Angie stops identifying herself with her weight, but doesn't lose it altogether. It has immature moments, but the characters were easy to identify with.
There was one thing about the book I really didn't like. Angie has an antagonistic relationship with her adopted brother, and she uses a racist slur against him at one point. It's not mentioned; in fact, it's glossed over because he's homophobic towards her and outs her to her homophobic mom. It was pretty gross, frankly.
There were some things I liked, but I wouldn't recommend this book.
While Angie is fairly easy to empathize with, all the side characters seem completely flat. Even worse is that the flat side characters aren't supposed to be anything but flat. You're not supposed to sympathize with any characters other than Angie and her love interest. Almost every other character is bad.
I did like that this is a book with a fat main character where she doesn't become incredibly skinny at the end. Angie stops identifying herself with her weight, but doesn't lose it altogether. It has immature moments, but the characters were easy to identify with.
There was one thing about the book I really didn't like. Angie has an antagonistic relationship with her adopted brother, and she uses a racist slur against him at one point. It's not mentioned; in fact, it's glossed over because he's homophobic towards her and outs her to her homophobic mom. It was pretty gross, frankly.
There were some things I liked, but I wouldn't recommend this book.
April 6, 2019
I initially thought I had to read this for class, because it had been an assigned title in prior years. Surprise! This semester changed and Fat Angie was not on the list for this year. Cue the choir of angels, because I did not really read this book at all!! Based on the summary the book "sounded" good but three chapters in, I felt lied to by the summary. I am still not sure if I can say I finished this book, because I ended up reading backwards, from the last chapter. It was mildly more bearable.... So, what is the moral to take away? Fat people don't get a happily ever after, on physically active people who are getting in shape and loose weight get a happy ending? That's a great message to send to teens....
Here are some of the things I found wrong:
1) the author refers to Angie as "Fat Angie" throughout the whole novel. We clearly understand she is overweight because it's in the title, but apparently the author doesn't want us to forget that. It takes away from the climactic part when Angie sees KC cutting and KC yells to "get out Fat Angie!".... honestly, I was desensitized to the name that I didn't feel that sting I believe I was supposed to feel, because I'd heard "Fat Angie" so much since page 1. And oh bless, she is finally happy at the end, finally referred to as Angie by the author, with the girl, and what a shock, she is starting to loose weight after become athletically active.
2) the story line about her sister being killed, and the one about her mother being absent, to me seemed irrelevant to anything. The story could have benefited from one or the other but not both. There ended up being SO much going on that it was overkill. MC is obese and everyone picks on her (including the nerds), she is gay and crushing on her new friend KC, KC is a cutter, her sister is kidnaped overseas, her mother is absent. This book is jammed with a lot.
3) MC is obese and therefore has ZERO understanding of personal hygiene. The amount of times that it's stated how she is smelly, stinks, has crusted stuff on her clothes, mentions of cameltoes....got tiresome. Just because she is overweight doesn't mean she doesn't know how to clean herself and i found it insulting to insinuate that was the case.
4) after all the definitions of her outward appearance, you expect readers to believe that this pretty girl, KC, is going to fall for Angie? Literally the whole town seems to hate her...the author seems to hate her...yet this girl doesn't? This girl is the only one to see the "inside"? That's not very believable.
Overall... if I could give this no stars I would. There are other body positive and LGBT books for teens to read that deliver their message in a better method. Read "The Upside of Unrequited" or "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli, instead. Please!
Here are some of the things I found wrong:
1) the author refers to Angie as "Fat Angie" throughout the whole novel. We clearly understand she is overweight because it's in the title, but apparently the author doesn't want us to forget that. It takes away from the climactic part when Angie sees KC cutting and KC yells to "get out Fat Angie!".... honestly, I was desensitized to the name that I didn't feel that sting I believe I was supposed to feel, because I'd heard "Fat Angie" so much since page 1. And oh bless, she is finally happy at the end, finally referred to as Angie by the author, with the girl, and what a shock, she is starting to loose weight after become athletically active.
2) the story line about her sister being killed, and the one about her mother being absent, to me seemed irrelevant to anything. The story could have benefited from one or the other but not both. There ended up being SO much going on that it was overkill. MC is obese and everyone picks on her (including the nerds), she is gay and crushing on her new friend KC, KC is a cutter, her sister is kidnaped overseas, her mother is absent. This book is jammed with a lot.
3) MC is obese and therefore has ZERO understanding of personal hygiene. The amount of times that it's stated how she is smelly, stinks, has crusted stuff on her clothes, mentions of cameltoes....got tiresome. Just because she is overweight doesn't mean she doesn't know how to clean herself and i found it insulting to insinuate that was the case.
4) after all the definitions of her outward appearance, you expect readers to believe that this pretty girl, KC, is going to fall for Angie? Literally the whole town seems to hate her...the author seems to hate her...yet this girl doesn't? This girl is the only one to see the "inside"? That's not very believable.
Overall... if I could give this no stars I would. There are other body positive and LGBT books for teens to read that deliver their message in a better method. Read "The Upside of Unrequited" or "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli, instead. Please!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2014
FAT Angie is overweight, her soldier sister is missing in Iraq, presumed death. FAT Angie tried to kill herself in a pep rally, thereby making herself the target of bullying in her high-school.
This book was full with issues, I mean in the history of teen issues, every single one of them -except anorexia obviously- is in this book:bullying, death of a sibling, divorced parents,LGBT, cutting, adoption, war...ext. all of that in one little book was too much. I didn't care about the characters under all of that mess.
The slang vocabulary used by KC is annoying, her "cool" demeanor was annoying, purple hearts everywhere will suffer because of KC Romance. Whenever KC comes into a scene bad thoughts come to my mind.
I hated Angie, I was supposed to like her, after all it is her story. But I felt Like the author FORCED me to like her by making her entire life as dysfunctional as possible.TOO MUCH is BAD!! By the end I honestly wanted mean-girl Stacy Ann to show up and slap some sense into everybody.
And the narrator in the audiobook is horrible to top all of that, she is AGGRESSIVE!It is always "FAT ANGIE did this, FAT ANGIE said that. I got spooked a lot!
This book was full with issues, I mean in the history of teen issues, every single one of them -except anorexia obviously- is in this book:bullying, death of a sibling, divorced parents,LGBT, cutting, adoption, war...ext. all of that in one little book was too much. I didn't care about the characters under all of that mess.
The slang vocabulary used by KC is annoying, her "cool" demeanor was annoying, purple hearts everywhere will suffer because of KC Romance. Whenever KC comes into a scene bad thoughts come to my mind.
I hated Angie, I was supposed to like her, after all it is her story. But I felt Like the author FORCED me to like her by making her entire life as dysfunctional as possible.TOO MUCH is BAD!! By the end I honestly wanted mean-girl Stacy Ann to show up and slap some sense into everybody.
And the narrator in the audiobook is horrible to top all of that, she is AGGRESSIVE!It is always "FAT ANGIE did this, FAT ANGIE said that. I got spooked a lot!
October 15, 2014
As a teen librarian I read a lot of teen fiction. The vast majority of it seems like a marketing campaign rather than a literary effort.
That's why I really appreciate this book. Charlton-Trujillo's prose crackles and her characters feel real. I listened to the audio book and the reader, Angela Dawe, did an amazing job.
That's why I really appreciate this book. Charlton-Trujillo's prose crackles and her characters feel real. I listened to the audio book and the reader, Angela Dawe, did an amazing job.
June 17, 2020
How this book *won* the Stonewall Book Award will never make sense to me. A fat character who is always called Fat Angie, 2-dimensional characters (like the mom who Angie can never appease,) and a horrible resolution which relies on the thinner = happy trope. I cannot and will not recommend anyone else to read it. Very disappointing.
June 7, 2020
If I could give this 0 stars I would
August 19, 2024
This book was a lot more tragic than I was expecting, but overall, it was a quick-paced, engaging, and emotional read. The language, references, and insane amount of bullying are very reflective of the early 2000s time period the story is set in.
Some plot points felt rushed at times, but since it is technically a middle grade read, it also felt fitting. All in all, a good book!
Some plot points felt rushed at times, but since it is technically a middle grade read, it also felt fitting. All in all, a good book!
May 11, 2014
With the recent attention of the "We need diverse books" campaign I was really hoping for an amazing book about the struggles of an overweight, questioning teen. I was disappointed...
I felt like the entire book was too much, and not in a good way. Maybe I'm missing the point of the book? But for the narrator to not even be able to call Angie anything else other than "Fat Angie" was too much. The fact that she had a failed suicide attempt IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL, was just too much. The fact that she is overweight, BECAUSE HER SISTER WAS TAKEN HOSTAGE IN IRAQ AND BROADCAST OVER CNN was just too much. The fact that her mother wasn't supportive, BECAUSE SHE WAS BANGING THE THERAPIST was just too much. Her brother was one of her worst tormentors, (oh and by the way he is ADOPTED, because we have to make this all as dysfunctional as possible) but yet the cute boy next door took an interest was JUST TOO MUCH. Her parents divorced, of course. The fact that Angie is having feelings for the new girl in school who doesn't care what anyone thinks and immediately falls in love with Angie (because she saw her on tv no less) WHO IS CUTTER AND HAD A BAD COMING OUT TO HER DAD, is just too much. Angie is bullied mercilessly, but everyone knows it's because she is struggling with the loss of her sister (who's body they never found so Angie still has hope for) is a little too much as well. The point in the book where Angie decides to try out for Varsity basketball because her sister was a state champion, was just too much.
Angie felt forced and fake. And any two or three of the above statements would have been plenty for a compelling story of a teen struggling with loss and depression, and the anxiety of sexuality. But to keep adding on scene after scene of every replayed stereotype? I mean, there was even a scene where she is stripped in the locker room. Really? Oh and she is outed over a pic of her kissing the new girl, it went viral. Ugh, I've read various accounts of this in every teen angst book.
Not everything was cookie cutter, I thought KC was a well developed character who despite her hard ass tough as nails exterior was still struggling with acceptance from her dad. Her relapse into cutting was very real and well written, her language and vocabulary were authentic. I also liked her relationship with her mother. It was a little cliche since it was supposed to contrast the awful relationship that Angie has with her mom, but even so it was well done.
Angie's reconciliation with her brother was nice. And he isn't heard from enough in the story, his own issues could have made for a better voice in the narrative instead of the crappy popular/mean girl.
Speaking of, her story is a little too much too, as a matter of fact, apparently she hates Angie because her dad went to Iraq and lost fingers on his hand but no one seemed to care? Really? Is this the most unpatriotic town in the country that it allows families of war veterans to be treated this way. It seems too much for a town in Ohio.
I wouldn't recommend this book to kids who are questioning or even to kids who are bullied or dealing with obesity. Why? Because it's unrealistic. Angie loses weight... just like that... just by practicing basketball... and do you think she makes the team?? OF COURSE SHE DOES... it's all too much...
This might be good for small town readers who may not have any experience with gay issues or what it's like to be different. But again, I don't know that any real connection to Angie is made, more so to KC and the brother, but Angie... its all just too much.
I felt like the entire book was too much, and not in a good way. Maybe I'm missing the point of the book? But for the narrator to not even be able to call Angie anything else other than "Fat Angie" was too much. The fact that she had a failed suicide attempt IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL, was just too much. The fact that she is overweight, BECAUSE HER SISTER WAS TAKEN HOSTAGE IN IRAQ AND BROADCAST OVER CNN was just too much. The fact that her mother wasn't supportive, BECAUSE SHE WAS BANGING THE THERAPIST was just too much. Her brother was one of her worst tormentors, (oh and by the way he is ADOPTED, because we have to make this all as dysfunctional as possible) but yet the cute boy next door took an interest was JUST TOO MUCH. Her parents divorced, of course. The fact that Angie is having feelings for the new girl in school who doesn't care what anyone thinks and immediately falls in love with Angie (because she saw her on tv no less) WHO IS CUTTER AND HAD A BAD COMING OUT TO HER DAD, is just too much. Angie is bullied mercilessly, but everyone knows it's because she is struggling with the loss of her sister (who's body they never found so Angie still has hope for) is a little too much as well. The point in the book where Angie decides to try out for Varsity basketball because her sister was a state champion, was just too much.
Angie felt forced and fake. And any two or three of the above statements would have been plenty for a compelling story of a teen struggling with loss and depression, and the anxiety of sexuality. But to keep adding on scene after scene of every replayed stereotype? I mean, there was even a scene where she is stripped in the locker room. Really? Oh and she is outed over a pic of her kissing the new girl, it went viral. Ugh, I've read various accounts of this in every teen angst book.
Not everything was cookie cutter, I thought KC was a well developed character who despite her hard ass tough as nails exterior was still struggling with acceptance from her dad. Her relapse into cutting was very real and well written, her language and vocabulary were authentic. I also liked her relationship with her mother. It was a little cliche since it was supposed to contrast the awful relationship that Angie has with her mom, but even so it was well done.
Angie's reconciliation with her brother was nice. And he isn't heard from enough in the story, his own issues could have made for a better voice in the narrative instead of the crappy popular/mean girl.
Speaking of, her story is a little too much too, as a matter of fact, apparently she hates Angie because her dad went to Iraq and lost fingers on his hand but no one seemed to care? Really? Is this the most unpatriotic town in the country that it allows families of war veterans to be treated this way. It seems too much for a town in Ohio.
I wouldn't recommend this book to kids who are questioning or even to kids who are bullied or dealing with obesity. Why? Because it's unrealistic. Angie loses weight... just like that... just by practicing basketball... and do you think she makes the team?? OF COURSE SHE DOES... it's all too much...
This might be good for small town readers who may not have any experience with gay issues or what it's like to be different. But again, I don't know that any real connection to Angie is made, more so to KC and the brother, but Angie... its all just too much.
April 6, 2013
This is an absolutely fabulous read!! So very touching (painfully at times!), Fat Angie has the kind of heart, soul and kick-ass attitude of the shows it pays homage to throughout the book, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Freaks and Geeks.
I picked it out purely based on the title, but soon found it spoke to me in much more important ways. Anyone who has ever wanted to prove she is more than just what people think they know about her will hold Fat Angie close to her heart. And anyone who is a sucker for a sweet love story that proves there is someone out there who can look past appearances will find themselves falling in love with the characters.
Angie ("Fat Angie" to her tormentors and her mom) never gives up hope on the things that matter to her even when everything is beating her down. KC Romance (yep, that's her name) is a kindred spirit even if she looks more like she'd fit in with the popular girls. They both fight their own self-destructive spirits to emerge better for having met each other.
I hated finishing Fat Angie. Even after I waited the proper "this is waaay too good to start a new book right away" amount of time, I still found my next to be read title to pale in comparison.
I picked it out purely based on the title, but soon found it spoke to me in much more important ways. Anyone who has ever wanted to prove she is more than just what people think they know about her will hold Fat Angie close to her heart. And anyone who is a sucker for a sweet love story that proves there is someone out there who can look past appearances will find themselves falling in love with the characters.
Angie ("Fat Angie" to her tormentors and her mom) never gives up hope on the things that matter to her even when everything is beating her down. KC Romance (yep, that's her name) is a kindred spirit even if she looks more like she'd fit in with the popular girls. They both fight their own self-destructive spirits to emerge better for having met each other.
I hated finishing Fat Angie. Even after I waited the proper "this is waaay too good to start a new book right away" amount of time, I still found my next to be read title to pale in comparison.
February 19, 2014
Fat Angie's tone swings between teen dramedy and tragic issues novel, resulting in a mess of a book. Angie often has trouble following the trajectory of conversations, and I had trouble following the trajectory of the plot. Angie's almost-girlfriend KC even states at one point that their waffling relationship is "getting stale." Situations and dialogue keep repeating until the very end when all of the resolutions are flat and too late to pack any punch.
Charlton-Trujillo does not go to any lengths to develop her characters internally, relying only on their physical transformations. Angie has zero emotional depth except to haven nervous breakdowns about her sister. Most of her dialogue consists of "um" and "yeah." Though she does have moments of strength, they are overshadowed by broken promises and an awful, sappy moment stolen from Forrest Gump.
The one positive thing I can say about this book is that KC is willing to talk about her self-harm issues, and work toward getting better. Angie, on the other hand, is stuck with a therapist that is no help, and irrelevant to the plot.
Worst of all, Angie never breaks away from thinking of herself as Fat Angie, the label her tormentors give her.
Charlton-Trujillo does not go to any lengths to develop her characters internally, relying only on their physical transformations. Angie has zero emotional depth except to haven nervous breakdowns about her sister. Most of her dialogue consists of "um" and "yeah." Though she does have moments of strength, they are overshadowed by broken promises and an awful, sappy moment stolen from Forrest Gump.
The one positive thing I can say about this book is that KC is willing to talk about her self-harm issues, and work toward getting better. Angie, on the other hand, is stuck with a therapist that is no help, and irrelevant to the plot.
Worst of all, Angie never breaks away from thinking of herself as Fat Angie, the label her tormentors give her.
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