Oh my- this could have been written about me...
45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson was a fun, relatable read.
Ann Galardi is a 16-year old girl, who wears a size 17. She has been in Weight Watchers four times since she was 10. She's struggled through diet after diet, only to lose a little and gain the weight back (and then some). Her mother is very thin, and her grandmother (jokingly) calls everyone "fat-ass." When Ann is asked to be a bridesmaid at her favorite aunt's wedding, she decides something needs to change! She ends up ordering a weight loss system off an infomercial, and gets a job at a mall pretzel shop to pay for it. As she juggles diet, exercise, a summer job, friends (and ex-friends), and a very blended family, she learns to be comfortable in her own skin.
I devoured (pun?) this book! From the infomercial product ordering (Nutrisystem didn't work for me...but Zumba and TurboFire did) to the embarrassing, dress debacle in the dressing room...I've been there. I've struggled with my weight all my life, but hit my breaking point about 4 years ago and lost 50 lbs. But I was that overweight 16-year old up through college and the first half of grad school- trying to shop in cute stores that didn't have anything in my size. I was cheering for her, and empathizing with her, through the whole thing!
K.A. Barson did a great job of portraying what a lot of girls go through in their journey to a healthier lifestyle. From poring over product websites, looking at before & after pictures, to eating a bunch of crap in one-sitting, because "after tomorrow...". She also did a good job portraying how relationships can change: mother-daughter, father-daughter, brother-sister, stepparent-stepchild, old friends, new friends.
I appreciated, too, that it wasn't extremely focused on eating disorders. While I also tend to be drawn toward those (Fat Chance, Wintergirls, The Best Little Girl in the World) it is nice to see a different perspective on weight loss. Those books are very good, but can also be very...draining.
I would recommend this to anyone who is struggling, or has struggled with weight. I would also recommend it to those interested in mother-daughter relationships, and anyone who likes pretzels (cuz seriously, the whole time I was reading, I wanted a pretzel...with nacho cheese...and still do.)
45 Pounds (More or Less) is published by Viking/Penguin Group (USA). ARC provided by NetGalley.
Release date: 7.11.13
"They sent me away to boarding school. Sent me away makes it sound like they sent me to an asylum. There were no straps involved." -Andrew Largeman, Garden State
I try to relate books to other books, or movies. This YA novel was like Garden State mixed with Juno, mixed with Perks of Being a Wallflower, with snippets of Fault in Our Stars. And I ate it up (pun kind of intended).
A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook & Brendan Halpin is, well, a really, awesome mess!
This is the story of Emmy and Justin. Both are 16. Both are "messed up."
Emmy is adopted. She's Chinese, and her real parents left her, because, well, she's a girl. Her adoptive parents and sister are all tall, thin, and blonde. She always feels like an outsider. After threatening a bully at school, she is sent to Heartland Academy.
Justin feels numb. When his Dad walks in on him with a girl, in a compromising position, things just go downhill. After a handful of Tylenol, he is sent to Heartland Academy.
The two find each other, and an unconventional group of friends, at this reform school. They are denied Internet, TV, razors, nail clippers, tweezers, and books like 13 Reasons Why. Through classes, therapy sessions, and different antics, they learn to deal with their issues, discover themselves, and let others in.
Oh goodness, I loved this book. It's snarky and sarcastic, sad and cynical, quippy and crass...a full range of teenage emotion. With some serious laugh-out-loud moments.
It's told from alternating points-of-view, and does so as well as a David Levithan novel.
The supporting cast was as good as the two main players. We've got Mohammed, Justin's roommate, who's the "only black kid in 100 miles" and has some anger issues. Jenny, Emmy's roommate, who has selective mutism and a bit of an obsession with pigs. Diana, the 13-year old, cute-as-pie "psycho" and Chip, the mullet-sporting gamer, round out the Anger Management Group-turned-friends.
As Justin and Emmy try to make their way through the 6-tiered system, they made their way into my mind and heart. I was rooting for these kids, who have these deep-seated issues. I wanted them to achieve the next breakthrough (as much as I wanted them to backtalk the counselor trying to help them). As I got deeper and deeper into their issues, my heart hurt for them. And that made the breakthroughs that much more sweet.
If anything, read the book for an epic bout of Porcine Pandemonium at the State Fair. I would recommend this to anyone who's a fan of Ellen Page/Michael Cera movies & David Levithan or John Green books. I would also recommend it to anyone who has an interest in teens and mental health, unconventional heroes, and bacon.
A Really Awesome Mess is published by Egmont USA. ARC provided by NetGalley.
