My Diverse Books Review Project #1: Heavy Romance
For Christmas, I got a lot of books. I mean A LOT. A whole box of books, mostly novels. A good part of them YA novels. Some of them I got even though I wasn't particularly drawn to the story, based on the blurb. It was because I noticed that they had diverse characters, and lately there's been a call for more diversity in literature. I was therefore pleased to see books with such diverse characters existed, so I want to see how they are. And of course, share my thoughts on them.
The first of the books I finished reading wasHolding Up the Universe. I loved it. Mainly I loved the main characters, 250 pound Libby who won't let anyone put her down and Jack who tries to cover up for a disorder by being charming and going along with everyone. Libby is pretty, loves to wisecrack, dance, and wear girly clothes. She's an ordinary girl, really, despite her above-average weight, and she's determined not to let her size get in the way of her having it all. And being sweet as well as tough, she gets pretty much the ending she deserves.
It's not the first book I've read with an overweight girl who is a good dancer. Last year, I read Choco Chip Hips about a fat girl who wants to join her school's prestigious dance club. It's feel-good too, but it doesn't really focus on romance. Here in the Philippines, middle-class parents are still uneasy about girls dating before senior high (with good reason, I think). So it works pretty well for its country of origin. I'm not saying the romance doesn't work out, it's just not definite by the end of this book. And not treated as very important. What is important is the girl is able to achieve her main goals in life, keep her friends, and win new ones. Which makes for a satisfying life for a sixteen-year-old.
The first book I read of the sort, though, is Circle of Friends. I'd have to say this book gives the most romantic thrills of all. Too bad the guy, despite being the gorgeous golden boy that all the girls drooled over, turned out not to be worth it. Still, there's hope for fat girl Benny of having romance again in the future.
I've never had a major weight problem, but I've had my own insecurities regarding my attractiveness, so I could relate with these MCs and their conflicts and rejoice in their successes. I don't find anything weird about a fat girl being a romantic heroine given that I've seen fat girls getting married in life and on reality TV. While binge-watching TV after the birth of my youngest, I watched a lot of wedding-related shows and one episode showed two big black girls selecting their wedding dresses, back-to-back with a show presenting the Disneyland wedding of another big black girl. So I could see in real-life fat girls do get fairy-tale endings. And I think it's good for YA lit to show this too. There's no disputing people should try to keep to a healthy weight, but they can still live ordinary lives while struggling it. This is the reality projected in these stories, made more thrilling and powerful by good writing.
The first of the books I finished reading wasHolding Up the Universe. I loved it. Mainly I loved the main characters, 250 pound Libby who won't let anyone put her down and Jack who tries to cover up for a disorder by being charming and going along with everyone. Libby is pretty, loves to wisecrack, dance, and wear girly clothes. She's an ordinary girl, really, despite her above-average weight, and she's determined not to let her size get in the way of her having it all. And being sweet as well as tough, she gets pretty much the ending she deserves.
It's not the first book I've read with an overweight girl who is a good dancer. Last year, I read Choco Chip Hips about a fat girl who wants to join her school's prestigious dance club. It's feel-good too, but it doesn't really focus on romance. Here in the Philippines, middle-class parents are still uneasy about girls dating before senior high (with good reason, I think). So it works pretty well for its country of origin. I'm not saying the romance doesn't work out, it's just not definite by the end of this book. And not treated as very important. What is important is the girl is able to achieve her main goals in life, keep her friends, and win new ones. Which makes for a satisfying life for a sixteen-year-old.
The first book I read of the sort, though, is Circle of Friends. I'd have to say this book gives the most romantic thrills of all. Too bad the guy, despite being the gorgeous golden boy that all the girls drooled over, turned out not to be worth it. Still, there's hope for fat girl Benny of having romance again in the future.
I've never had a major weight problem, but I've had my own insecurities regarding my attractiveness, so I could relate with these MCs and their conflicts and rejoice in their successes. I don't find anything weird about a fat girl being a romantic heroine given that I've seen fat girls getting married in life and on reality TV. While binge-watching TV after the birth of my youngest, I watched a lot of wedding-related shows and one episode showed two big black girls selecting their wedding dresses, back-to-back with a show presenting the Disneyland wedding of another big black girl. So I could see in real-life fat girls do get fairy-tale endings. And I think it's good for YA lit to show this too. There's no disputing people should try to keep to a healthy weight, but they can still live ordinary lives while struggling it. This is the reality projected in these stories, made more thrilling and powerful by good writing.
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