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Heads You Win, Tails I Lose
After taking diet pills to help her lose weight, a fifteen-year-old girl finds herself increasingly relying on them
158 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 28, 1973
About the author
Isabelle Holland
66 books29 followersIsabelle Christian Holland (born June 16, 1920 in Basel, Switzerland — died February 9, 2002) was an author of children and adult fiction. Her father was the American Consul in Liverpool, England during WWII. She moved to America in 1940 due to the war. She wrote Gothic novels, adult mysteries, romantic thrillers, and many books for children and young adults. She wrote over 50 books in her lifetime, and was still working at the time of her death at age 81 in New York City.
Two of her novels have been made into movies:
Bump in the Night, 1991,
The Man Without a Face, 1993
Both of these novels deal with issues or allegations of pedophilia.
Two of her novels have been made into movies:
Bump in the Night, 1991,
The Man Without a Face, 1993
Both of these novels deal with issues or allegations of pedophilia.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 4, 2016
Heroine: Why does nobody love me?
Heroine's crush: Because you're fat. Totally repulsive, really. You might as well be a feminist, because no boy will ever want you.
Heroine's mother: What did I do to deserve such a fat child? You're fat.
Heroine's father: Greedy pig. If you had a modicum of self-control, you wouldn't be so fat. FAT.
Well-intentioned teachers and friends: Why hasn't anyone ever suggested a diet? You should go on a diet.
Mother: Have I mentioned that you're fat? Just eat less. It's what I do. I don't take pills. I SAID I DON'T TAKE PILLS. Really, your crush is right. Men won't want you like this. *pours a drink*
Heroine: Then what are these pills for? Well, Mother won't miss a few...
Everyone except the parents: Wow! You're losing weight! Wow!
Parents: You're still a worthless piece of scum.
Mother: Just like your father.
Father: Just like your mother.
Crush: Yeah, you're less fat, but so what? You're still a waste of space.
Heroine: Why does life still suck?
Mother: Because EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAULT. It's all your fault that I got pregnant with you and had to get married to your father. You ruined our lives. *swigs from the bottle*
Love interest (not the crush): Aw, I think you're cute. You look great now that you've lost weight!
Heroine: Oohh...maybe I shouldn't have taken two of these diet pills instead of one...hahahaha everything is sooooo funnnnnyyy!
All responsible adults: Oh shit.
Mother: You idiot. Those pills were too strong for you. But it's good that you took them, because it's better to risk dying than to remain fat and repulsive.
Father's possible mistress: Don't you realise that your father loves you? He only tells you how fat and repulsive you are because he's insecure.
Father: Oh, my darling child. Everything's your mother's fault. I've always loved you.
Heroine: At last! A caring parent! And I'm thin now! Everything works out!
Aaaand scene.
Heroine's crush: Because you're fat. Totally repulsive, really. You might as well be a feminist, because no boy will ever want you.
Heroine's mother: What did I do to deserve such a fat child? You're fat.
Heroine's father: Greedy pig. If you had a modicum of self-control, you wouldn't be so fat. FAT.
Well-intentioned teachers and friends: Why hasn't anyone ever suggested a diet? You should go on a diet.
Mother: Have I mentioned that you're fat? Just eat less. It's what I do. I don't take pills. I SAID I DON'T TAKE PILLS. Really, your crush is right. Men won't want you like this. *pours a drink*
Heroine: Then what are these pills for? Well, Mother won't miss a few...
Everyone except the parents: Wow! You're losing weight! Wow!
Parents: You're still a worthless piece of scum.
Mother: Just like your father.
Father: Just like your mother.
Crush: Yeah, you're less fat, but so what? You're still a waste of space.
Heroine: Why does life still suck?
Mother: Because EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAULT. It's all your fault that I got pregnant with you and had to get married to your father. You ruined our lives. *swigs from the bottle*
Love interest (not the crush): Aw, I think you're cute. You look great now that you've lost weight!
Heroine: Oohh...maybe I shouldn't have taken two of these diet pills instead of one...hahahaha everything is sooooo funnnnnyyy!
All responsible adults: Oh shit.
Mother: You idiot. Those pills were too strong for you. But it's good that you took them, because it's better to risk dying than to remain fat and repulsive.
Father's possible mistress: Don't you realise that your father loves you? He only tells you how fat and repulsive you are because he's insecure.
Father: Oh, my darling child. Everything's your mother's fault. I've always loved you.
Heroine: At last! A caring parent! And I'm thin now! Everything works out!
Aaaand scene.
May 27, 2019
I hated this book when I read it as a kid, and a quick re-read hasn't changed my opinion much. I mean, way to glorify stealing your parents' prescription medication! Spoilers ahead: "Gee, I'm too fat. Let me steal some of mom's diet pills. But I can't sleep, so let me take some of her sleeping pills too. OK, now I'm really thin. What? These diet pills are "speed"? I'd better stop taking them. And anyway dad loves me again, and a boy has a crush on me, now that I'm skinny."
April 7, 2023
I remember reading this book when I was in my teenage. And although I was not overweight like Melissa Hammond, the main character, I deeply empathized with her character. She was always blatantly criticized by people in her surroundings, including her own family, and was always told how unappealing and imperfect she was for the male gaze. She was once told that she was 'too fat' by her neighbour Ted, the same Ted her miserable teenage-self assumed was the love of her life. I also remember coming across similar, insensitive comments from people, who were apparently pretty close to me, about my features, which I believe suited my face pretty well but no one gave a second thought about them. Story of Melissa seems to be close to my personal experience and many others like me somewhere in their lives.
As a helpless teenager, Melissa took huge steps to alter her appearance to fit the beauty standards and got slim and pretty in a very short time. She was very pleased with her efforts, initially, as she started getting noticed by everyone in her neighborhood, in school and even by her own father who would criticize her and call her names. As a frustrated and neglected teenager Melissa put her life in great danger about which no one was aware not even her mother. But it was revealed one day in school when she seemed to lose her life. It astonished the people how the words hurt especially the teenagers and to what extent that can go. I think this book is a simple, subtle yet realistic and impactful depiction of an average teenager's life and of the seemingly little things, done or said, that are capable of bringing about drastic change in one's life.
As a helpless teenager, Melissa took huge steps to alter her appearance to fit the beauty standards and got slim and pretty in a very short time. She was very pleased with her efforts, initially, as she started getting noticed by everyone in her neighborhood, in school and even by her own father who would criticize her and call her names. As a frustrated and neglected teenager Melissa put her life in great danger about which no one was aware not even her mother. But it was revealed one day in school when she seemed to lose her life. It astonished the people how the words hurt especially the teenagers and to what extent that can go. I think this book is a simple, subtle yet realistic and impactful depiction of an average teenager's life and of the seemingly little things, done or said, that are capable of bringing about drastic change in one's life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2018
One of the better books in the genre from that era.
July 26, 2026
Melissa's parents were amazingly awful. That's the main thing I got from the story.
I was expecting something more about popularity and wanting to be thin to fit in, and while there were elements of that it wasn't the focal point at all.
I don't have anything negative to say but it just wasn't what I was wanting. I did like how caring some of the school staff was.
I was expecting something more about popularity and wanting to be thin to fit in, and while there were elements of that it wasn't the focal point at all.
I don't have anything negative to say but it just wasn't what I was wanting. I did like how caring some of the school staff was.
April 29, 2016
I really enjoyed revisiting this book from my youth. However, it was a little simplistic, as the main character Melissa is lucky not to suffer too much from her dalliances with speed and sleeping pills.
Her parents are going through their own issues, leaving her feeling isolated and unloved. The boy she has harboured a crush on for most of her life doesn't feel the same way, but he's not all that unfeeling in the book, more just thoughtless. As she begins to lose weight about halfway through the book, she finds herself being praised for doing so, by multiple people, with different viewpoints about why it's good for her. The entire diet pill scenario, although crucial to the storyline, is actually pretty lightly touched upon.
The ease with which Melissa is able to get prescription medication is something that is hard to understand in this day and age, but even back then it seems as though it should not have been so simple. Melissa's mother never explores with her why she has the pills in the first place, and there is an important back story about her own self-destructive tendencies, which is never fully developed.
Another aspect which is quite interesting is the relationship that Melissa has with her role models, a librarian and a teacher, both of whom take Melissa with them in their cars on separate journeys. Today, this would be much less likely to happen, but it was important in this book, because Melissa felt safe with them and was able to forge a secure and trustworthy connection with them, which helps her in her time of need.
I enjoyed her eventual reconnection with her father towards the end of the book, and the way her parents' relationship was realistically portrayed, as one which probably had run its course, rather than being overly hopeful after what we, as the readers, had witnessed from each of them.
I think this book could absolutely have spawned a sequel, several years later showing how Melissa has come to terms with her body image, her parents' relationship and perhaps if she continued to get involved in theatre.
Her parents are going through their own issues, leaving her feeling isolated and unloved. The boy she has harboured a crush on for most of her life doesn't feel the same way, but he's not all that unfeeling in the book, more just thoughtless. As she begins to lose weight about halfway through the book, she finds herself being praised for doing so, by multiple people, with different viewpoints about why it's good for her. The entire diet pill scenario, although crucial to the storyline, is actually pretty lightly touched upon.
The ease with which Melissa is able to get prescription medication is something that is hard to understand in this day and age, but even back then it seems as though it should not have been so simple. Melissa's mother never explores with her why she has the pills in the first place, and there is an important back story about her own self-destructive tendencies, which is never fully developed.
Another aspect which is quite interesting is the relationship that Melissa has with her role models, a librarian and a teacher, both of whom take Melissa with them in their cars on separate journeys. Today, this would be much less likely to happen, but it was important in this book, because Melissa felt safe with them and was able to forge a secure and trustworthy connection with them, which helps her in her time of need.
I enjoyed her eventual reconnection with her father towards the end of the book, and the way her parents' relationship was realistically portrayed, as one which probably had run its course, rather than being overly hopeful after what we, as the readers, had witnessed from each of them.
I think this book could absolutely have spawned a sequel, several years later showing how Melissa has come to terms with her body image, her parents' relationship and perhaps if she continued to get involved in theatre.
June 5, 2015
I wouldn’t really say that I did not like this book. It was interesting enough to inspire hatred. It was very meh. Blah. Like a white wall. I could have easily stopped reading in the middle of the book and not given it a second thought. The characters were all one-dimensional, locked into their forms, with no backstory. Mother and Father, the cautionary tale of an unhappy marriage that forces both to be consumed by vices, and take their frustrations out on their daughter. Melissa, the victim of her parent’s horrible marriage, her unrequited love, and teasing because of her weight. Teddy, they typical pretty boy, and Claire, his even more typical pretty girlfriend. I wanted to feel something for Mother and Father and Melissa, but I really had nothing. Miss Ainsle was interesting, and seemed to be the lone voice of reason. She and Joel were the only two characters I really cared about, but they were underdeveloped. Their backstories squeezed into a few paragraphs. The plot was also unexciting. It plodded along, and was utterly uninteresting until it reached what was supposed to be its climax, which was pretty anticlimactic. The only good part of the plot was the reconciliation and optimism at the end of the book. The ending is the reason for the second star. Overall, I did not find this book of interest and would not recommend it.
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December 14, 2009Heads you win, tails I lose by Isabelle Holland (1973)
August 17, 2016
Retread this "oldie but goodie" from my junior high days. I very much identified with the main character, Melissa, and her struggles with weight (which are still ongoing with me).
October 30, 2016
read this in high school. Poor Melissa--what awful parents. Her inner monologue and fantasy life are certainly a creative and realistic coping mechanism.
September 1, 2019
One of those "issues" books aimed at teens that I read in the 1980s.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews