Puddin' by Julie Murphy

Puddin' by Julie Murphy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an okay read, with a lot of diverse characters and interesting relationship dynamics, especially in regards to the friendships between the girls and women in this story. It did take me a bit of time to find a groove at the start, especially with the multiple POVs. I had trouble settling in with the characters and placing them for some reason. In fact, I mixed some of the girls up in the beginning, which led to some general confusion.

Also, I don’t know what went wrong for me in the last 1/2 of the book, but I really started to lose interest. It just didn’t capture me, and I kept zoning out and rewinding. It wasn’t that the story was completely boring. It’s just that there wasn’t enough action and tension to keep my attention. I think maybe the storyline started to drag, and the characters just weren’t showing as much growth and development as I’d hoped for.

I remember not wanting to put the first book down, and that just wasn’t the case with this story. I even found myself wishing it would hurry up and end, so I could start something else. I guess I just didn’t take to the really slow pace and meandering plot. It’s also pretty predictable, which may have been part of the problem, so don’t expect any twists or surprises with this one.

And sometimes it’s just a bit too preachy for me. The more I think about this and identify things that didn’t work for me with this story, the more I decide to drop my rating. I’m going to let it stand at 3 stars, since I round up anyway, but it may even be more of a 2.5 for me, which I’m pretty sad about.

Book 351 read in 2018

Pages: 448

Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall

Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is very upsetting, until the point where it becomes EVEN MORE UPSETTING.

This is the story of an obese teen who grows up in an extremely abusive situation. I spent 50% of the book mentally pleading with the MC to run away. RUN AWAY, SUGAR, JUST RUN AWAY.

I desperately wanted her to flee the terrible situation, because I couldn't take reading about it. This is something I normally wouldn't advocate for with a teen, as even though it seems like nothing can be worse than staying in a terrible situation, the reality is that things usually can get worse for young runaways. But the heart wants what the heart wants.

Also, did I mention there's an EVEN MORE UPSETTING thing that you should prepare yourself for? Unfortunately, it was something Sugar couldn't have even run away from. Life came and just gave her another big punch in the gut, as if she wasn't able to become who she would be without hitting rock bottom. That's why this gets 4 stars, instead of 5, as I don't love the whole, take everything away from the MC, in order for her to become her best self mentality. I think people can become their best self with a little love and support, too. But overall, it's a good read if you don't mind being depressed throughout, with small flashes of beauty and hope.

Book 182 read in 2018

Pages: 276

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This YA contemporary novel has two unique characters. Libby, who due to extreme weight gain, had to be cut out of her own home a few years before, and Jack, who has Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness), cross paths due to a very poor choice that ended up having one good side-effect.

Initially, I was a bit --shall we say—ruffled?? by what felt like two extremes coming together for this story, because some part of me just found it all to be too unlikely. Then I reminded myself that I was reading a fiction novel (well, duh), and that I needed to suspend disbelief and check my reality at the door.

Honestly, Libby and Jack helped me get over it, with their unique voices and interesting situations.

Also, I had never heard of Prosopagnosia before, though it is apparently more widespread than I would have even guessed, so this definitely created awareness for me. It’s a reminder to be patient and helpful in social circumstances, because you never know what’s happening with the person on the other end.

Pages: 391

Fat People by Bill Schubart

This is a book of short stories about people who are morbidly obese. Most of them have an eating disorder, and all the associated problems that go with extreme obesity and health problems. Not an uplifting book; there are no good outcomes for any of the characters in the stories.

214 pages