e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

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 show more 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. show less

It took me a bit to get use to the cadence and the language of this novel in verse about Theo. Theo and his friends are headed to the park to play basketball, feeling fierce, when everything changes. They witness an attack on a kid named Ricky-Ricky that leaves him "flat-fixed" (dead). Theo tries to help and by doing so he crosses a line (or several) and soon finds himself on the receiving end of a horrible bet down and a marked man. T doesn't want to get involved in the gang, he doesn't show more want to pack heat, he want peace in his neighborhood. He's facing a summer that was full of hope and soon finds himself at odds with his best friend, fighting with his mom, and finding a girl he wants to "share some think" with.
Tragedy is all around and seems unavoidable in this novel where there aren't many options and not much hope either. Poetic and poignant. A compelling read. show less

Angie is a human train wreck with absolutely no rescuers in sight. She's always been on the heavy side, but after her super athlete older sister enlisted and was sent to Iraq where she was captured and hasn't been seen for months, she pretty much self-destructed. She cut her wrists in the girl's bathroom before running through a school assembly and screaming as blood flew everywhere. There's no way to get past something of that magnitude, especially when the Queen of Mean at her school, show more along with her toadies delights in making her feel less than useless every day.
Her mother, a totally self-absorbed twit who is dating her adopted brother's therapist keeps telling her to just get over it. That is when she's not turning the spotlight on herself and making like she has to be a martyr because of her loser daughter. Wang, her adopted brother, has mega-issues himself and takes his anger out on her. Her father bolted years ago and now has a new wife and two perfect kids. Her therapist has absolutely no empathy and seems to delight in taking everything Angie says and citing it as yet another example of her dysfunction.
That leaves misery, isolation and compulsive consumption of junk food as the only constants in her life. That is until new girl K.C. Arrives at her school. Tall, beautiful and hip, K.C. Scares Angie at first because she looks at her and even talks to her. Better yet, she listens and seems to understand how Angie feels. What follows is a beautiful, but painful transformation for Angie. It's one that forces her to accept the possibility that someone might actually love her, that she's probably gay and that despite the sadness of her sister's disappearance hanging over her every day, her life is hers and she can change it.
This is an extremely intriguing book that's unafraid to take the main character through hell several times on the way to finding love, sunlight and self-acceptance. It's one that teens who like an underdog or who have been bullied will really relate to and should be on the shelf of every school and public library because it's just that good. show less

I loved the last line of this rather sad story. I won't quote it because it would be a spoiler.

I do believe this book dealt with every issue that a teen could possibly face.

If there was a beer drinking game where every time you read "Fat Angie," everyone would be plastered on the floor. Personally I winced at the two words, but it was meaningful for the account of Angie's life.

My heart as a mother went out to Angie.

Angie is a mess. She lives with her can't-be-bothered mother and adopted show more cruel brother Wang. She's kind of mean to him too though. She is tormented if not tortured by her high-school peers. To top all that off she is the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Yes,Angie thinks my sister will return one day.
Can a mountain of junk food limit 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 beautiful KC Romance, the kind of girl who doesn't exist in Dryfalls, Ohio. A girl who is one hundred and ninety-nine percent wow! This girl never sees her as Fat Angie, and realizes too well that the outside wrapping doesn't always match what's inside.
This book will appeal to anyone who likes entertaining and meaningful fiction. show less