5 stars
Honestly, I absolutely loved this book. I loved the weird slang. I loved the dynamic characters. I loved the narration style. Perhaps it was because I listened to the audiobook rather than reading the physical book, but I just got so lost in this story.
As a whole, I think there was a lot going on in this book so I can see how people could easily take offense to various aspects of it. I can completely understand why people would not want to back a book that requires the protagonist to lose weight in order to be happy. However, I don’t think that’s what this book was. While written in third person, the narration infiltrates Angie’s mind, suggesting that some of the unflattering descriptions are how Angie views herself. The language around Angie’s weight appears purposely vague. It is clear she is fat, but we don’t really know what size that means. Partway through, she is described as still fat but also more athletic and muscular. My impression was that she isn’t skinny/not fat, but is just stronger than she was at the start of the novel. While reading, I had the distinct impression that it wasn’t the possible weight loss that allowed Angie to be happy, but a cumulative whole of her accepting various aspects of her life and seeing herself in a different way.
That’s just my take on it. I really loved this book. We will see how I like the sequel since the library only has a physical book instead of the audiobook. I can see how the choppy narration style may be less lovable in written form.