Status
Available
Series
Genres
Publication
Candlewick (2015), Edition: Reprint, 272 pages
Description
Romance. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. LGBTQIA+ (Fiction.) HTML: Winner of a 2014 Stonewall Book Award! Her sister was captured in Iraq, she's the resident laughingstock at school, and her therapist tells her to count instead of eat. Can a daring new girl in her life really change anything? Angie is broken�??by her can't-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormenters, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of junk food hasn't kept 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 KC Romance, the kind of girl who doesn't exist in Dryfalls, Ohio. A girl who is one hundred and ninety-nine percent wow! A girl who never sees her as Fat Angie, and who knows too well that the package doesn't always match what's inside. With an offbeat sensibility, mean girls to rival a horror classic, and characters both outrageous and touching, this darkly comic anti-romantic romance will appeal to anyone who likes entertaining and meaningful fict… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member brandileigh2003
Fat Angie has a rough start, and I had some issues connecting with Angie, but I overall liked this one.
It reminds me so much that kids are mean, and how much bullying can really effect us all. It also shows the importance of family, because Angie was heart broken about her sister, and held out
The coach really supported Angie and that was a bright spot for me in the beginning, especially when I still hadn't gotten a hang of Angie's voice.
KC was also mysterious and I liked how she saw within Angie and didn't let the outside effect things.
I also appreciated the growth of Angie's character and how she ultimately learned to do what she loved and how she stood up for herself and learned about her as well as those around her.
Bottom Line: This is a touching book, with a narrator who grows and learns a lot.
It reminds me so much that kids are mean, and how much bullying can really effect us all. It also shows the importance of family, because Angie was heart broken about her sister, and held out
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hope far longer than anyone else that she would be found. It also speaks to the powerful emotions and their total impact on someone, because when she thought her sister's body had been found, she tried to kill herself too. The coach really supported Angie and that was a bright spot for me in the beginning, especially when I still hadn't gotten a hang of Angie's voice.
KC was also mysterious and I liked how she saw within Angie and didn't let the outside effect things.
I also appreciated the growth of Angie's character and how she ultimately learned to do what she loved and how she stood up for herself and learned about her as well as those around her.
Bottom Line: This is a touching book, with a narrator who grows and learns a lot.
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LibraryThing member DeweyEver
Fat Angie (as even the narrator and sometimes Angie herself refer to her) is struggling to cope in the midst of bullying due to her weight and the implosion of her family after her sister, a soldier, goes missing in action. When the new girl, KC Romance, and neighbor Jake suddenly start paying
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attention to her, Fat Angie must sort out her feelings. Though the storyline is interesting and modern, the writing can be stilted at times, especially in the inclusion of 'definitions' for pop culture terms in the middle of the narrative. These definitions suddenly disappear toward the end of the novel, which is also confusing; these should have been left out completely, even though some of the references were dated. Another recent novel that tackles bullying with a better writing style is Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina. Show Less
LibraryThing member sennebec
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
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.
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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, 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.
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LibraryThing member olegalCA
I have a sneaking suspicion that I just didn't "get" this book. Someone else with a different sense of humour would probably enjoy it very much. I didn't like the "fat-shaming" and found the relationship between the teenage girl and her mother to be over the top and unbelievable.
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
A classic "problem novel" laden with issues but the author has a fabulous prose style and a real gift for creating memorable characters and snappy dialogue.
LibraryThing member benuathanasia
Dangit. Never judge a book by its cover. Literally or figuratively. I was expecting some Precious/Push wannabe. But no. This book was full of complex depth that really spoke to the teenage trial - whether or not you've ever struggled with weight, whether or not you've lost someone to the military
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or war. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I didn't much care for the writing of this YA novel (too YA in style for me) but the plot was interesting. The mother Connie made my blood boil as in my opinion she was emotionally abusing her daughter rather than just being neglectful.
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
I did not like this book! I hated the writing style, the cliques and the fact that the main protagonist was referred to as Fat Angie throughout the novel.
LibraryThing member bucketofrhymes
I received a free copy of this book through the Early Reviewers program — thank you!
This books has great characters, a great concept, and addresses a lot of very important and heartbreaking issues. Difficult but important to read. My one qualm was that I didn’t click with the writing style.
This books has great characters, a great concept, and addresses a lot of very important and heartbreaking issues. Difficult but important to read. My one qualm was that I didn’t click with the writing style.
LibraryThing member jothebookgirl
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
My heart as a mother went out to Angie.
Angie is a mess. She lives with her can't-be-bothered mother and adopted 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.
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
Show More
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 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
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
Too many issues crammed into one novel, but all were handled well.
LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC
2.5 stars (I think the rating will be much higher for teens, especially those struggling.)
This is a good book for teens because it deals with a lot of life issues: bullying, growing up, sexual orientation, war, obesity, depression, cutting, suicide, parental neglect, death, family issues, basically
Sadly I didn't connect with it as much probably because I'm old.
This is a good book for teens because it deals with a lot of life issues: bullying, growing up, sexual orientation, war, obesity, depression, cutting, suicide, parental neglect, death, family issues, basically
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everything that affects self-worth especially during the difficult time of the teen years.Sadly I didn't connect with it as much probably because I'm old.
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LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC
2.5 stars (I think the rating will be much higher for teens, especially those struggling.)
This is a good book for teens because it deals with a lot of life issues: bullying, growing up, sexual orientation, war, obesity, depression, cutting, suicide, parental neglect, death, family issues, basically
Sadly I didn't connect with it as much probably because I'm old.
This is a good book for teens because it deals with a lot of life issues: bullying, growing up, sexual orientation, war, obesity, depression, cutting, suicide, parental neglect, death, family issues, basically
Show More
everything that affects self-worth especially during the difficult time of the teen years.Sadly I didn't connect with it as much probably because I'm old.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ssperson
A YA book that covers the gamut: fat-shaming, bullying, gay-bashing, attempted suicide (not on-screen), cutting, binging & purging. It also had the requisite YA-missing/horrible-parent.
I know that first paragraph sounds like I didn't like this book, but I did (obviously, as I gave it four stars).
I know that first paragraph sounds like I didn't like this book, but I did (obviously, as I gave it four stars).
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It's not necessarily an easy book; it's hard to read about a girl being bullied all the time. And there were times when I really just wanted to take Angie away from her horrible mother and take care of her myself. But, as happens in a good YA novel, truths are learned, and people find out a little bit about themselves. And what more can we really ask for? Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I didn't much care for the writing of this YA novel (too YA in style for me) but the plot was interesting. The mother Connie made my blood boil as in my opinion she was emotionally abusing her daughter rather than just being neglectful.
Awards
Lambda Literary Award (Finalist — 2014)
Ohioana Book Award (Finalist — Juvenile Literature — 2014)
Stonewall Book Award (Winner — 2014)
Westchester Fiction Award (Winner — 2014)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — Teen Fiction — 2014)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
272 p.; 5.25 inches
ISBN
9780763680190