Sometimes you just need to read something light and entertaining and this delightfully sparkling book just hit the spot this weekend Whilst I suppose this book might best be in the young adult section ,I was drawn to it by the title alone being one of life’s big boned women but immediately caught my eye The book is exactly what i would recommend to young people for its strong body positivity message .The fat girl gets the school hunk and her intellectual and artistic abilities shine through I loved the descriptions of the autistic younger brother it was accurate and positive ,yes he had difficulties with life but his potential as an innovator shone through as did his character and humanity .It is great to have positive images of autistic individuals and those with learning difficulties in literature . The writing is witty and the book moves with speed and lightness through the story holding my attention fully . There’s a bit of sex nicely done and responsible I’d think parents would find this acceptable for their early teenagers The setting was exotic for a uk reader but the similarities with life here were enough for me to recognise my own school life I felt the book would make a great movie and I’m sure the rights will sell quickly Not my usual read but very enjoyable

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! TW: Fatphobia, body-shaming, eating disorders Plus-sized Lori hates her body. She can’t look in the mirror and, frankly, she doesn’t want to. She knows what will be staring back at her. Moving to a new school where students care about beach bodies and thigh-gaps above all, is her worst nightmare. Hoping to survive senior year unnoticed doesn’t last long when she notices the hot guy - Jake - at her little brother’s school, who turns out, likes spending time with them both. Surely, they can’t have anything in common, can they? — For the first part of this book, I absolutely hated it. Lori is like me. She’s plus-sized like me. She has the same eating disorder as me. Based on the idea that I’m the target audience for this book, the first part felt like it was telling me everything I hate about myself, or if I don’t, what I should. Flabby arms when you wave hello or goodbye, walking on the beach in the sand - things fat people can’t do, apparently. Obviously, I know this is about a MC who does hate herself at this stage so I understand why the author needed to point this out. But the manner in which it was done, it felt as though it was an attempt to overload the reader into all the ways you should hate yourself in a bullet point format, rather than integrating it into the story. So how did I end up rating this four stars? Because, despite all of that, this book is real. There are so many different subjects touched on (perhaps too many for such a short story) - but the hero of this storyline is Lori’s little brother and his autism. The way this was written really brought this book to life. It wasn’t just a connecting factor to bring the two love interests together, it discussed the in’s and out’s of living with someone with autism and the lack thereof of help and guidance for the family members - how true this is to real life, I’m not sure, but I’d love to hear more from people who are living through this and their perspective on it. I adored the therapy scenes that Lori has - and all the plant references - but one of the most magical moments in this book is Lori finding her voice through her art. Finding a purpose. Everyone at that age asks themselves the same question - what am I doing here? Where am I going? And it was no different for Lori. That self-discovery of who she is and what she wants to do, was wonderful to read. I would’ve liked more development towards the end of the book, rather than the direction that it took, but it still worked really well. As for the love story, I usually tell myself that these “not like other girls” falling in love with the hot, playboy of senior year is ridiculous but with Jake and Lori, I couldn’t help but fall in love with their love. It was beautifully written and I was gripped. However, there was a hint of “hot guy eradicates all of the fat girl’s insecurities”. I would’ve liked to have seen a flash of insecurity for a moment or two before she reminded herself everything she’s overcome herself. This is the first type of book that I’ve read so I can’t really recommend anything similar but if you love books about self-discovery and want to cry and laugh at the same time - this is the book for you.

I don’t think there is enough diversity when it comes to protagonists, and I don’t know many characters who are average to larger sizes. When I was younger I would’ve loved to read about more chubby or curvy girls and women, ones I could really relate to. The only one that springs to mind is Ellie from Jacqueline Wilson’s Girls In Love series. So, I was happy to be approved on NetGalley to read Big Boned, a young adult novel by Jo Watson. Lori Palmer is the new girl in a town full of athletic, glossy teens who seem to value sports teams and school spirit above all else. Self-conscious about her size, Lori is hesitant to get too close to anyone at her new school for fear of past bullying reoccurring, and manages to make an enemy on her first day. Things change when she makes a new, unexpected friend at her brothers school, and this opens the door for fun, flirting and finding her voice. This was a great story with a lot of heart. I found the inclusion of hashtags, abbreviations and @ signs at the start a bit clunky, but I’m sure teenagers will enjoy and embrace that more than I! I appreciated that Lori had a lot in her life, family dysfunction, a neurodiverse sibling, longing for friends she left behind, seeing a therapist to deal with past trauma and trying to settle into a new school, and all this was happening alongside her inner turmoil regarding her size. I liked that she was a fleshed out character, with talents and passions and intellect, rather than solely focusing on her weight. Saying that, I also loved that though there was an element of romance, there is a clear message that you need to fall in love with yourself first. The writing style didn’t blow me away, but the more I read this story the more I enjoyed it, and I was rooting for Lori till the end. A great story with an important message, and a character many young people can identify with. Fans of Dumplin’ may enjoy this too! 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for the eARC of this book in return for an honest review, I was initially drawn to this book by its adorable cover art and the description which screamed ‘coming of age YA’ (which I love!) and I wasn’t disappointed at all. While yes, it’s littered with cliches and you can kind of see where the ending is going before it’s even half way there, I found this to be a really fun and easy read with the outline of an important message around it. This is a really witty, encouraging and entertaining book about growth and learning to love yourself. 3.5 stars

I’d describe this as a modern-day fairytale for teens. It contains some clear messages about body acceptance and self-belief packaged in a teen romance. I liked the narrative voice and the protagonist’s relationship with her little brother was beautiful. I did feel that the protagonist’s extreme artistic talent was a tad unrealistic, however, and the ending was all a little too good to be true, but that’s part of what gives the book such a modern fairy-tale vibe. It’s light and escapist, with some really positive messages and I’m all for that!