Summary
Sometimes, Charlie wishes she was more like her best friend, Amelia. She’s stylish, athletic, and popular. Even Charlie’s mom acts like she’d rather have Amelia as her daughter. And Charlie’s crush, Cal, can’t get enough of Amelia, even though she shuts him down, hard, all the time.
Not only does Charlie’s mom seem to like Amelia better, but she’s always on Charlie about her weight. She gave her an activity tracker so she can track Charlie’s steps. She sells meal replacement shakes online and pushes Charlie about using them. When Charlie’s dad died and her mom focused her grief on losing weight, the dynamic between them shifted dramatically. Charlie chose self-acceptance instead of obsessing about weight, or at least she is trying to.
As Charlie negotiates her junior year, her worsening relationship with her mom, and her first boyfriend, things come to a head that leaves her on shaky ground.
Review
I adored this! It’s absolutely perfect – painful at times, sure, but so enjoyable overall. I loved Charlie! She, Amelia, and Brian made such a fantastic core group of characters. I would have loved a few more chapters with the characters at the end.
The writing and the story and the characters perfectly capture first love – and its sometimes all-consuming nature. The dynamic between Charlie and her mom also felt very real. I liked that, while progress was made, there were no instant solutions or easy answers to their issues (although, honest communication helped).
This is Charlie’s story of self-kindness, self-acceptance, and self-celebration. It’s a story *every* reader could enjoy and learn from. There were several moments where I wanted to mark the page or underline the writing – perfect little nuggets I wanted to savor. This would make an excellent choice for a book group or discussion group. Don’t miss this one! (Language, LGBTQ+, TW: fat shaming)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!
