Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Butter” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Butter

Erin Jade Lange (Goodreads Author)

3.74 · Rating details · 8,308 ratings · 1,276 reviews

A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark e ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 294 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Bloomsbury

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Butter, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

2012 YA & MG Debut Authors: The Apocalypsies!

269 books — 1,171 voters

YA Novels of 2012

1,322 books — 10,699 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

3.74 ·

Rating details

· 8,308 ratings · 1,276 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Apr 19, 2017 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it really liked it

Shelves: teenie-bopper-books, becoming-groweds-up, liburrrrrry-book, read-in-2017, it-s-all-in-the-name

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

I read Butter over two weeks ago, but never got around to writing a review pretty much because I didn’t want to get trolled. In case you aren’t already aware . . . .

After all the backlash the original blurb (not the book itself, because everyone decided to get asshurt before the damn thing was even released so they could read it) for Holding Up the Universe, I was more than a little scurrrrred to share all of my thoughts about this ...more

flag 60 likes · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2013 Stacia (the 2010 club) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-general-or-lit-fiction, young-adult

You think I eat a lot now? That's nothing. Tune in December 31st, when I will stream a live webcast of my last meal. I can't take another year in this fat suit, but I can end this year with a bang. If you can stomach it, you're invited to watch...as I eat myself to death.

- Butter

This is the opening paragraph. If that isn't enough to catch someone's attention, then I don't know what else would.

Before I picked this book up, I was a little nervous. I've tried to read books which dealt with similar issues (Bed, By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead being only but a couple I can recall) and none of them worked for me. It's got to be tough to write about a subject like this while managing to keep it both interesting and relevant. How is it possible without going too over-the-top?

For the most part, I think Butter succeeded in showcasing the life of a young man who had lost (or maybe never even had) the things that most people rely on to help themselves feel like normal, functioning beings. Butter had me in its greasy little clutches from page 1. I zipped through it in less than a day. The story itself wasn't merely a placeholder for the main event. A lot happened in the time before the clock ticked down to the "will he or won't he?" situation.

What probably disturbed me the most was the amount of apathy this kid Butter got from strangers out in the internet world. As much as I'd like to believe that someone would have tried to step in to help a person who put themselves in this predicament, we all know of individualized real-life situations where terrible circumstances have happened in a group setting (murders, rapes, etc.) and the mentality has been to go with the herd and not make waves. I'd like to believe that the majority of the time, someone would step in and try to talk a person off a ledge, but there are these rare cases where no one does. And the coldness of it all was what really hurt my heart and moved me to tears.

"Only a guy with an ass as fat as yours could eat all that in one sitting."

"This guy is full of shit. You can't eat yourself to death."

"You're so stupid for trying this. I hope you do die-"

I'm glad that I read this book because the story is one I won't likely forget. In fact, there wasn't anything big which stands out for me as a dislike. The reason I didn't go higher on the rating is because Butter himself didn't always come across as genuine, and his crush Anna seemed very cardboard (neither one of them were very interesting characters). However, the overall book itself is worth the read. Stories like this and others such as Hate List are ones which schools would benefit from making required reading. Actually, I think stories like these are just good to remind us all, regardless of age, that compassion is much-needed in this world.

Look, I get it. It sucks to be next to the fat guy on the plane. Maybe he's taking up too much of your armrest or crowding you into the window, but trust me, nobody's more uncomfortable than that guy, having to squish into that tiny seat and knowing nobody wants to sit next to him.

...more

flag 57 likes · Like · see review

May 02, 2012 Hannah rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012, want-finished-copy

I'm going to be honest here. I struggle a lot with sizeism. Even though I've learned, rationally, that size and health are not directly related, and that overeating is an eating disorder like any other, I still struggle. The idea that thin equals healthy, and that fat people are lazy and just need to stop eating so much and just try to be healthy were instilled in me so much while growing up that it's really hard to let go of them. I'll know that my thoughts are really mean and problematic, but I'm going to be honest here. I struggle a lot with sizeism. Even though I've learned, rationally, that size and health are not directly related, and that overeating is an eating disorder like any other, I still struggle. The idea that thin equals healthy, and that fat people are lazy and just need to stop eating so much and just try to be healthy were instilled in me so much while growing up that it's really hard to let go of them. I'll know that my thoughts are really mean and problematic, but I just can't turn that inner voice off, telling me that obesity is the obese person's fault.

So my attitude meant that Butter and I didn't connect right away - in the beginning, I'll admit I was a little grossed out by how much he eats and by how he insists that it's not his fault. But after a while, he grew on me. As the story progresses, we get to see behind the facade, to read about his insecurities and all his troubles, and those did make me feel for him. It was eye-opening to see how every single aspect of his life is affected by his weight. His character growth is tremendous, and towards the end, I really grew to love Butter. Butter is a great character; so much more than what he seems to be. I just wish we'd gotten to know some more about his past, about how he turned into this 400-pound kid.

But even if I hadn't connected with Butter, I would have kept reading, because the concept makes this book impossible to put down. The whole idea is morbid and disgusting and just wrong - and completely intriguing. I was disgusted and horriefied, but I couldn't stop reading; I needed to know whether Butter would actually go through with it. There's an underlying sense of tension and fear of what Butter will do, the knowledge that there is no way this could end happily, that had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

I love the secondary characters. With one exception, none of them are black and white. They all make mistakes and none of them are really innocent in this whole thing, but you could always see where they're coming from. Even the characters I would have loved to hate, I couldn't, because you could see that they're not terrible people; they just make some bad decisions.

I'm not the best to judge, but I do think Erin Jade Lange handled the difficult topic of child obesity with great tact and grace. Her portrayal felt very honest and real, and I love how it never got preachy. There are so many ways this book could have preached about obesity or about bullying, but it doesn't - it just tells a story. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending - a little too happy for my taste - but in a way, I get it, because a darker, more pessimistic ending would have been really hard to take.

Butter is, at times, horrifying and, quite frankly, disgusting. (Seriously, the scene describing how Butter got his name made me want to never eat again.) But it also tells a hopeful, honest, beautiful story. There are scenes that'll break your heart, and there are scenes that'll put a smile on your face. It's not an easy book to read, but I highly recommend it.

Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo... ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Mar 11, 2014 Sarah Churchill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: bullying, books-i-own, received-for-review, antibullyreads-2014

Fantastic. A sort of dark comedy that gives insight into another form of bullying - that of the 'friends' who use and abuse, which the victim ignores because they just want to be accepted and have friends.

The whole premise of this book is so dark and disturbing that it's difficult to explain how normal it seems while reading, and how caught up you get in Butter's predicament. The scene where Butter earns his nickname is one of the most shocking scenes of the book, but also a very important one f ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2014 Ylenia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Ylenia by: Sarah Churchill

Shelves: 2015-reads

This book was on my TBR for like a year (at least) and I finally decided to pick it up and read it. Long story short: it's a good book, but not the best.
I wasn't expecting anything from it so I wasn't disappointed but I didn't even feel the "meh" feeling I usually have after finishing a 3 stars book.

Main problem I had with Butter was that I couldn't relate to the main character. I didn't feel connected, didn't feel anything. I was just reading about him and I kind of wanted to finish the book. ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Thomas rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction

Here's my preface: I know some people are naturally heavier than others. I'm aware that some people have medical issues. I know, as cliche as it sounds, that what's on the inside matters much more than what's on the outside.

But Butter was just so frustrating. I don't want to sound insensitive or make it seem like I'm a jerk who hates obese people, but this book had me on the edge. The main character, at 423 pounds, would eat to upset his mom and would fail to take responsibility for his actions ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Jan 05, 2015 Ash Rocketship rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2015

1. I didn't realize this was a young adult novel when I bought it, so I was actually expecting a grossly morbid story devoid of plot and morality, which I was looking forward to. When I realized it was a young adult novel, I knew I was in for something moralistic and terrible. My fault, obviously.

2. I cannot imagine that Erin Jade Lange has ever been fat, known a fat person, or even seen a person who actually weighed 423 pounds.

3. The writing was flat, boring, and sloppy. Sometimes getting thr

...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Craig MacLachlan rated it it was amazing

Erin Jade Lange has written an astounding, heart provoking, wonderful novel, BUTTER. I read BUTTER in two days and couldn't put it down. The writing is crisp and clean along with the characterization and Erin Lange immersed me into the story so well that at times I forgot I was reading a book!

One of my all time favorite books is WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. BUTTER deals with real life issues just like in WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS, though on a totally different scale and I now place BUTTER alongside ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Kelly rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012, ya-fiction

3.5.

Butter's a fat kid. That's something no one would argue with and something he himself identifies with. But he's so alone, and he's sad about being alone. He hates knowing what it is that keeps him alone is that number. Over the last few months, he's made good friends with Anna online -- Anna goes to his school, fits in with the in crowd, and has absolutely no idea the boy she talks to online (who goes by the name JP) is really Butter.

Then one day, Butter decides he's going to stand up for h 3.5.

Butter's a fat kid. That's something no one would argue with and something he himself identifies with. But he's so alone, and he's sad about being alone. He hates knowing what it is that keeps him alone is that number. Over the last few months, he's made good friends with Anna online -- Anna goes to his school, fits in with the in crowd, and has absolutely no idea the boy she talks to online (who goes by the name JP) is really Butter.

Then one day, Butter decides he's going to stand up for himself. He's going to eat himself to death. Online. So everyone can watch. When word gets around about this, Butter finds himself suddenly in with the popular group. But only because they aren't sure he'll actually do it. And hell, Butter doesn't know if he'll do it either.

Until he's utterly hurt by Anna. That's when he decides what his plan of action will be.

Butter had a fantastic voice, and this was one of the rare instances where I felt like the tackling of a weight issue in a YA book was handled well. Butter knew who he was and he wasn't necessarily ashamed of it. (view spoiler) I felt Butter's emotional highs and lows throughout.

But he is so far from perfect. In fact, no one in this book is cut and dry. They're all shades of good and bad. Butter has his moments of being a real great, sympathetic character, but then he has his moments of being a real jerk. His new-found friends, who are stereotypical "cool kids," aren't necessarily horrible people. They definitely mistreat him, but at the same time, they're sort of necessary for Butter's development in a way he doesn't always understand. (view spoiler) The adults in this book are imperfect, too.

What didn't quite work for me was that at times, it felt a little too message-driven. Online bullying is bad, and it's bad to hate yourself and consider suicide your only way out or your only way of getting attention or proving yourself to other people. It's bad to misrepresent yourself and it's bad to hurt other people. Had some of this been cut back a little bit, I think the message would have come out stronger via the story itself.

Lange's writing is great, and she nails the male voice well. The premise and execution work with the characters. This'll appeal to both girl and guy readers who like realistic stories. It is relevant.

Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/09/b... ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Matt rated it really liked it

When lonely outcast 16-year old Butter decides to post a website proclaiming a countdown to his New Years Eve event: "Butter's Last Meal" where he plans to eat himself to death live, he finds that his popularity explodes. Suddenly, the 432-pound Butter finds himself inside of the cool crowd, buds with the jocks, invited to all the parties, and - for the first time - Butter finds he has friends, and the girl of his dreams doesn't seem so unattainable.

But as time goes on the the clock counts down ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Oct 19, 2013 Sue rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mental-illness, depression, young-adult

I wasn't sure what to think when I started this novel. The premise disturbed and fascinated me, but I had put off reading it for a few months since it had arrived in our library. I should have read it the minute it entered our doors. I finished it in a day and it is occupying a dark corner of my brain, and may do so for some time.

Butter is a morbidly obese sixteen year old on the cusp of entering senior high school. His nickname is the result of a horrifying bullying incident about 5 years befor I wasn't sure what to think when I started this novel. The premise disturbed and fascinated me, but I had put off reading it for a few months since it had arrived in our library. I should have read it the minute it entered our doors. I finished it in a day and it is occupying a dark corner of my brain, and may do so for some time.

Butter is a morbidly obese sixteen year old on the cusp of entering senior high school. His nickname is the result of a horrifying bullying incident about 5 years before the events of the book. We see the story from Butter's perspective and at first it seems like we should be feeling sympathetic to him, especially when we see how lonely he is. He plays the saxophone on his own because he can't bear the thought of people looking at him if he played in a band. The internet relationship he has with a girl from school who wouldn't normally even give him the time of day. Butter's dad doesn't talk to him - like he can't bring himself to acknowledge just how damaged his son is, and Butter's mum vacillates between enabling his problems and helping to end them. One minute she is offering him low fat yoghurt, the next she is serving a breakfast of waffles, eggs, syrup and bacon. No wonder this kid is messed up. Eating is an escape, a way of punishing his parents, and himself, for never living up to his expectations.

Fed up with feeling out of control, Butter decides to end his life on New Year's Eve by eating himself to death - on live webcam. He puts up a website telling the world his plans and waits for the fallout.

What happens is terrible, sad, poignant, enraging and entirely believable.

All of a sudden, Butter finds himself popular amongst the "in" crowd at school. They go out of their way to let him know they support his "choice" and will do everything they can to help him make it happen. Along the way we meet people in Butter's life who really do care about him and find him rejecting all of them, for various reasons that become thinner and thinner as the story ploughs on. My favourite of these was his teacher, Professor Dunn. The Professor connects with Butter through their love of jazz and he reaches out to Butter several times through the story. Butter dismisses all those who show him kindness as "lame' because who would want to be seen with/be friends with a guy like him? Only losers.

As we near New Year's Eve, Butter constructs a final menu, and considers measures to make sure he succeeds in this attempt. He is has an anaphylactic reaction to strawberries? Onto the menu they go, but not too early - he wants to put on a good show. It is macabre and absolutely gut-wrenching.

Will Butter really do it? Will he go through with it, or will he choose to confront his problems head on? I am going to make you read the book to find out, but make sure you check your expectations at the door. I was thrown on my ear by this book - more than once.

I will say that I did not like Butter the character. I found him manipulative and just generally nasty. However, I loved Butter the book. I loved it for its realistic feel, the way it confronted issues about obesity, bullying and the way social media can wreak devastating damage on some people.

The one sticking point for me has been the ending of the book. I won't reveal it, but it made me feel like Erin Lange had possibly become tired of Butter too - that she just wanted their association to be over. The conclusion was believable, but the time frame was very out of whack I thought.

Recommended for ages 14 and up. This is pretty full-on stuff, but totally worth it. I can't stop thinking about it. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 04, 2012 Steph Su rated it it was ok

Shelves: problematic, united-states-of-wonderbreadland, debs12

Oh, but this book had so much potential! Unfortunately, BUTTER’s casual treatment of its characters’ actions and motivations lessened the quality of what could have been a thought-provoking YA contemporary novel on the highly relevant issues of bullying, obesity, and body image.

The main character, Butter, is a likable guy. Any reader, male or female, who has experienced adolescent insecurities in any form will want to reach out to him, to let him know that he is not alone. Deep down he really is Oh, but this book had so much potential! Unfortunately, BUTTER’s casual treatment of its characters’ actions and motivations lessened the quality of what could have been a thought-provoking YA contemporary novel on the highly relevant issues of bullying, obesity, and body image.

The main character, Butter, is a likable guy. Any reader, male or female, who has experienced adolescent insecurities in any form will want to reach out to him, to let him know that he is not alone. Deep down he really is a gentle soul with a heart of gold, one who has unfortunately been the victim of a narrow-minded and apathetic society.

Unfortunately, reader sympathy or empathy for the main character is not enough to pull the story out of the quagmire of shallowness that is BUTTER. The characters in this book are actors playing out the roles assigned to them: concerned but clueless mother, “bromantic” popular guys at school, etc. The dialogue in this book has the hollow ring of artificiality with its high school stereotypes, and this overreliance on stock characters leads to BUTTER’s biggest problem: the unbelievability of events as natural offshoots of characters’ motivations.

Take, for instance, Butter’s newfound popularity in the wake of his announcement that he is going to commit suicide by overeating. I totally get how society would make people who make outrageous statements or do outrageous things famous—or, more likely, infamous. We latch onto celebrity gossip as if we’d die if we don’t know who’s dating who or what hijinks the latest child star-turned-rehab fixture has gotten into. But as much as we’ll read about their exploits, would we really want to be friends with people like Nadya Suleman or Kate Gosselin or Levi What’s-His-Name? Would we even want to call them our acquaintances? While Butter may be seeking attention on a different level than these “celebrities,” there are some similarities to their situations and mindsets. Which is why Butter’s popular schoolmates’ acts of pulling him into their group felt somehow off to me. What was their motivation for befriending him? Is that really how people would act toward an (in)famous “celebrity”?

The more I think about it, the more I suspect that Butter, too, did not escape the novel’s inattention to characters’ motivations. Butter is likable, but I also found it difficult to fully understand the train of logic that took him from lonely and overlooked outsider to posting a dramatic suicide plan on the Internet. Then, as Butter’s overnight fame drew him ever more into his own mess, I continued to have trouble believing his explanations for why he continued to keep the pretense up. Butter’s emotions and actions zigzagged back and forth in dizzyingly quick turns that I found difficult to keep up with. Eventually, I kind of just sat back and skimmed the rest of the book, resigned to the fact that I would never fully understand Butter and thus be unable to ever fully empathize with him. And when the conclusion finally came, rushed and ambiguous and contrived, I was left confused, astonished at how cleanly things were realized and tied up with a pretty little bow. There was so much potential in the number of complex layers this book could have explored, but instead, it decided to flatten it into the shape of a typical YA tale, of mistakes and poor decisions made and cleanly resolved at the end.

BUTTER took a great concept and made it a victim of amateur writing and a seeming lack of understanding of human motivations. It left a minimal impression on me, and its mixed messages will probably be forgotten completely in a few weeks, quickly collecting dust. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

May 18, 2016 Lizy rated it did not like it

Shelves: mount-vancouver-reading-challenge, library, why, read-in-2016, dark

I've been dying to read this book ever since I saw it recommended to me on Goodreads a few months ago. It has all of these things I thought would be interesting to read about: a 400+ lb main character, binge eating, a threat of suicide, people cheering on unhealthy habits. To be a little bit TMI, as someone who's dabbled in NSFW commissioned writing, binge eating / weight gain has been one of the topics I've had to write about. So I *had* to read this book. I had to see how it could be covered i ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Jenni Arndt rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-ebook

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Butter was a book that I knew I had to read. As someone who has had eating disorders around her all her life I am always intrigued to see how an author handles the subject. Now, we get to read about anorexia and bulimia all the time, but I have never come across a book that tackles the other end of the eating disorder spectrum. That's right, we finally have a novel about obesity You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Butter was a book that I knew I had to read. As someone who has had eating disorders around her all her life I am always intrigued to see how an author handles the subject. Now, we get to read about anorexia and bulimia all the time, but I have never come across a book that tackles the other end of the eating disorder spectrum. That's right, we finally have a novel about obesity & compulsive/emotional eating and it really hits the nail on the head as to how you can be addicted to food, just as you can be addicted to drugs or alcohol. I walked away from this novel very impressed with how Erin Jade Lange tackled the multitude of emotions connected with a disorder such as this.

Butter was a character that I felt for, he was unhappy in his own skin and he had just given up on trying to get better. He felt that he had passed the point of no return and was wallowing in what could have been. I totally understood his helplessness, once you tip the scales at 423 lbs it's not exactly easy to lose it. While I of course didn't agree with where he decided to go with it, I at least understood his motives, and with a very over the top plot such as this, that's saying something. I've personally had people who suffer from both ends of this spectrum in my life and I thought the little things were handled perfectly; Butter's mothers attempts to appease him through food and the vicious cycle that creates is something that I have seen every day.

A complaint that I do have about the novel though is that at times I found myself being reminded by instances that the students were in high school and not junior high. The coddling the Butter receives at home as well as the reactions of the kids at his school felt quite juvenile to me, then they would hop in their cars, or have a drink, and I would think "Oh yeah, these guys are in high school." While there was some dissent among the students I do feel that it wouldn't have been swept under the rug quite as it was after the first night that the website went up. Especially in this day and age with suicide topping the headlines, but alas, this is a novel, a fiction novel at that.

Overall, I was very happy with the novel and it took me on a rollercoaster of emotions that I wasn't sure the subject matter would allow it too. Lang clearly did her research on the health issues at hand and it really showed in the execution of the plot. If you're looking for a contemporary read that is definitely different from the pack, then I would say Butter is for you. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 Anjana rated it it was ok

JP/Butter is an obese boy in high school with a love for the saxophone and quite obviously, food. Butter's high school life involves him pretty much being ignored by everyone as he's way past the weight to be bullied as the fat kid; most of his classmates just feel sorry for him now.
He's also crushing on a girl from his school called Anna, but she'd never talk to him if she knew who he really was so he uses fake online identity called JP, claiming to be a boy from a nearby high school, and gets JP/Butter is an obese boy in high school with a love for the saxophone and quite obviously, food. Butter's high school life involves him pretty much being ignored by everyone as he's way past the weight to be bullied as the fat kid; most of his classmates just feel sorry for him now.
He's also crushing on a girl from his school called Anna, but she'd never talk to him if she knew who he really was so he uses fake online identity called JP, claiming to be a boy from a nearby high school, and gets into an online relationship with her.

I've mixed feelings about this book. As soon as I read the blurb, I wanted to get my hands on Butter. I expected a powerful, emotional novel and I'll admit, the writing's actually pretty good but sadly, the protagonist, Butter, pissed me off. I'm not sure how I can love a book when I don't like the main guy in it.
Being overweight is a painful, mind-f**king ride for an obese person, or so I'd think but Butter's attitude in general was too cocky and arrogant for my taste. I tried to appreciate that he was strong despite being the fat guy who was stared at and mocked but I didn't even feel like he was a good person; his personality disturbed me and that's my main issue with this book. Most of the time, I just couldn't feel sorry for him or even support him.

However, setting that aside, I'll say it again, the writing is really good and holds your interest. The author manages to evoke all these emotions in you (trust me, it's going to be different for everyone) and it's obvious Erin has a way with words.
A guy claiming to eat himself to death on the internet? That's a pretty unique idea although at first I felt that it wasn't pulled off very realistically..but then again, teenagers are pretty dumb these days so maybe all the sudden popularity that Butter suddenly received from his classmates is understandable.

Over all, I would've liked this book more if it took a different direction with Butter's personality but there may be some people who actually like Butter just the way he is.

...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 20, 2012 Roxanne marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-get-books

First off:
Kid eating himself to death?
Really?...
I love the idea... but on the internet?
Not so sure anymore.
Second off:
Kid gets encouragement?
Really?
Is he that unpopular they want to see him die in front of a webcam?
How cruel and Sadistic...
This sounds like a kind of bully story that I'll love.
Now I sound like the sadistic one.
But hey if it's about teen angst or something of the sort.
You got me wanting it.
Conclusion:
I want this book. And Butter... I hope you don't want 'fame' that mu ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 26, 2011 Cory marked it as to-read

Recommends it for: Fans of Fat Kid Rules the World

I read the unedited first chapter on AW. I think this will be awesome and I eagerly anticipate it.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2017 Yani rated it it was ok · review of another edition

For starters, it's not a bad book, however, it isn't really my kind of book either. I feel like I'm about 5-10 years to old for it. The style is quite direct and easy; not very special. The plot is quite simple, but worked out logically. Just not my type.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 29, 2015 Alicia Siekierski rated it liked it · review of another edition

3,5 stars**

This book was incredibly well written and the structure was great overall. Even though the pace was really fast, for some reason I didn't get as involved in the story as I wished but I think that maybe if I read this story in the past when I was having thoughts similar to Butter's, I would have given this book 5 stars.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 13, 2015 Rebecca marked it as did-not-finish · review of another edition

Shelves: mental-health-sociology, body-image, library-books, young-adult-fiction, standalone-novel, contemporary-realistic, sighhhhhhh

Maybe I'll have better luck another time but for now, this isn't really working for me. I liked the representation of binging, obesity, etc. and starting to address important issues, but I struggled with the characters and tone. I was already fed up with the romance.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 28, 2018 Shawnda M. rated it really liked it

This book was about an obese teenager who decided to take his own life, and created a website so people could watch him eat himself to death!!! Wow I don't even know how to begin to describe how I felt about this book. It cut deep into my heart and soul as I read it. To know that some people out there struggle with this issue everyday and feel like they have no other choice, no alternative but to take their own life because they feel so trapped in the body they are stuck in. I really did sympat ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 10, 2017 Zach M rated it it was amazing

In my English class, we are required to read at least one book each month, and for the month of November I read "Butter" by Erin Jade Lange. The books cover initially intrigued me, the simplistic abstract design. The simple title, the substance of the title. All of it made me curious as to just what this book was all about.
The book is about an obese high school student named Marshall; or as he's more commonly referred to as, "Butter". Due to his weight problems and awkward nature, Butter is a In my English class, we are required to read at least one book each month, and for the month of November I read "Butter" by Erin Jade Lange. The books cover initially intrigued me, the simplistic abstract design. The simple title, the substance of the title. All of it made me curious as to just what this book was all about.
The book is about an obese high school student named Marshall; or as he's more commonly referred to as, "Butter". Due to his weight problems and awkward nature, Butter is a social outcast. He sit's alone at lunch and binge eats all day. His family life isn't much better, with an under caring mom and emotionally distant father. One night after reading some particularly rude comments online, Butter gets the idea to eat himself to death and live stream the whole video. The idea spreads like wild and Butter is an overnight sensation. Will he be able to go through with it, or will he disappoint all his new fans.
The book had a great grasp on the idea of teen suicide and high school popularity. The idea that many teens think they're at the point in their life where there is no solution, but as we see with Butter throughout the story, when given enough time to think it over, most people realize they could never actually do it. Butter's struggle really displayed how it felt to be a teenage outcast. Being an overweight and socially awkward teen, it's easy to relate to Butter, but in the end I'm glad things work out for them the way they do. The idea of flailing popularity is also nailed in the story. The mentality of flavors of the week and needing to stay relevant, it was all displayed so well.
What I found myself disliking in the story is the fact that they constantly refer to his new found friends as not truly being his friend, but aside from encouraging him to go through with his decision, they are all legitimately nice and supportive to him as a person. We're never truly given a reason to hate them, we're just told we're supposed to. Overall, I'd give this story a 4/5 due to it's excellent portrayal of modern high school, but also it's weak antagonists and it's open ended conclusion. The ending has too many "probablys" and "maybes", in a story like this the reader wants "definitelys" ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Chantelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: amazing, reviewed, favorites, life-lessons, dark, on-my-shelf, panacea-2013

SIGNED COPY OF BUTTER UP FOR GRABS!!!! FROM MAY 13-19 I AM HOLDING A GIVEAWAY ON MY BLOG!(US only)

The full review can be found here.

Butter was utterly captivating; from the cover, to the blurb, to the first paragraph through to the last. I honestly can't remember ever being so enamoured by one book, which unfortunately makes writing a comprehensive review a lot harder! However, if I could only use one word to describe this novel, it would probably be 'morbid', but let me explain.

"Butter" is a t SIGNED COPY OF BUTTER UP FOR GRABS!!!! FROM MAY 13-19 I AM HOLDING A GIVEAWAY ON MY BLOG!(US only)

The full review can be found here.

Butter was utterly captivating; from the cover, to the blurb, to the first paragraph through to the last. I honestly can't remember ever being so enamoured by one book, which unfortunately makes writing a comprehensive review a lot harder! However, if I could only use one word to describe this novel, it would probably be 'morbid', but let me explain.

"Butter" is a teenage boy, and to make life even harder, he's morbidly obese. At such a sensitive and pivotal stage in life, Butter's battles with self-worth, identity, romance and popularity are a lot more complicated than most. These themes are relevant to every single teenager, but throw in the often cruelty of kids or the indifference of adults and you get angst that has the ability to deeply touch every single person who reads this novel - whether they experience it everyday acutely, or witness it's effect on someone else. Erin Lange writes a disturbingly honest portrayal of a boy stuck in a vicious cycle so bleak, that he decides to take his own life, and no one stops him because no one believes he'll follow through. Bringing her story to the 21st century, Butter does this online through a haunting promise to eat himself to death.

I fell in love with Butter in so many different ways. It did what every book should do; it surprised me, it made me laugh, it made me think, it made me feel. You know a book is important to you when you genuinely feel like a different person by the time you've turned that last page. As someone who's grown up with a sister who has struggled with weight issues all her life, I've seen how extensive and long-lasting the effects of low self-esteem can be, I've seen how bullying comes in so many forms, whether that be self-inflicted, from peers, or from adults who think calling impressionable kids "fatty" is harmless. Although Butter's situation took almost fantastical heights, the juxtaposition of his hope and imminent death created a sick thrill that thoroughly engaged me through both it's plot and moral repercussions. The only people who aren't swept away on his journey are those too insular and narrow-minded to realise that it's not as simple as 'they eat a lot, it's their own fault they're fat'. I don't think that Lange is saying that obesity is okay, I think she's trying to get people to think about why people are the way they are, why they struggle, why they're different and that it's never simple; and that this is applicable to anyone who gets bullied or is a bully. I didn't find the psychology of Butter or his sensitivities exaggerated. I relished that Lange was voicing an issue that is so relevant to today's first world societies. Lange creates a rich suburbia where there is this constant issue of entertainment, it's almost like a trap of privilege. Butter resorts to food; others the internet, parties or drinking. Do they have too much freedom? Is there a greater need for guidance or discipline. Butter just wanted one person to stop him, one person to reassure him of his existential value. Butter is an appeal to young adults to listen to those individuals who don't feel heard.

The characters were confronting. You have Butter, who for goodness' sake refers to himself as Butter! That's not his real name, people! And yet he's endearing, he's still a teenage boy who wants the same things as any other. You have his mother who just wants him to be happy but has no idea how to help. You have doctors, and teachers, and classmates who are so conscious of bullying that they're indifferent and just ignore him. These are carefully constructed, thought out honest characters who everyone will be able to connect with in some way.

Throughout the novel, there is this constant tug of war between self-perception and reality. Butter's journey to me, wasn't one of derogatory humiliation, it was one of self discovery and growing up. And after reading this book, the insight is truly one that I want to share with others, I can not recommend this book highly enough! And coming from me, who usually can't handle a plot unless it's championed by an epic romance, it says a lot. However, I don't want all you readers thinking that this book is too 'heavy' or 'serious' to read TODAY. It's still uplifting, it's still funny and it's still heart-warming, and I guarantee that it will be one of your favourite reads this year. That is why I think this book is morbid, it touches on such dark, uncomfortable issues and yet it affected me so immensely, that I'm just in awe of it.

For more reviews, visit my blog Looking for the Panacea. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2012 Sarah {Literary Meanderings} rated it really liked it

Shelves: x-read-in-2012, singles-fic

♥ Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah

- - -

16-year-old “Butter” pretty much hates his life. He's tipping the scale at over 400 pounds. His only joys in life are food and playing the saxophone. His mother tries to make him feel better by giving him even more food. His father hasn't spoken to him in a very long time. The kids at school treat him as if he's invisible.

Butter's loneliness and pain escalate when an incident at school pushes him to the edge. This is when he decides to ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2017 Larry Sedrick rated it it was amazing

An amazing trip i just took!!!!!!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 30, 2014 Melissa rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: high-hopes-fell-flat, read-in-2014, pub-bloomsbury

I was expecting this book to be disturbing and heart-breaking and all around an incredible read, but it was a total letdown.

Butter is 423 pounds. He's always isolated himself because of his size, never pursuing his interests in fear of persecution and laughter. And he's fed up with it. If everyone is already going to look at him, to watch him eat, he decides to really give them something to look at. So he creates a website--ButtersLastMeal.com--and he's going to eat himself to death while his li I was expecting this book to be disturbing and heart-breaking and all around an incredible read, but it was a total letdown.

Butter is 423 pounds. He's always isolated himself because of his size, never pursuing his interests in fear of persecution and laughter. And he's fed up with it. If everyone is already going to look at him, to watch him eat, he decides to really give them something to look at. So he creates a website--ButtersLastMeal.com--and he's going to eat himself to death while his life long tormentors watch.

What starts off as a plan for his suicide, turns him...popular. All of his tormentors are suddenly cheerleaders, looking forward to and egging on his death. And the attention feels good to Butter, so good that it makes him want to back out. But will he be able to live with the consequences of not following through with the plan, or will he choose to end it all?

I read the description of this book when it first came out, and I almost bought it. It sounded so morbid, but like an incredibly interesting platform for discussing bullying and obesity. For whatever reason, I didn't buy the book--and now I am so glad I didn't. This book was the definition of underwhelming. Everything from the writing to the characters to the plot progression were just...not good. Absolutely disappointing.

I almost DNF this book about 50 pages into it when Butter was retelling the story of how he got his nickname. I won't bore you with the details, but basically Butter unintentionally insults this guy Jeremy and Jeremy decides to grab him and force him to apologize--and then forces him to eat a stick of butter. But my biggest issue was how Jeremy kept asking him for an apology. That just wouldn't happen; it's so unrealistic. A kid wouldn't force to eat a stick of butter just because he wouldn't apologize. They weren't in third grade--apologies don't really matter to high school bullies. I know it's a small detail, but it really annoyed me.

It was obvious by the narration that the author had never been overweight, and so all of it sounded really forced and unrealistic. The author obviously just researched cyber-bullying and obesity and thought she could write a book about it from an overweight person's perspective. And I understand that people write about situations that they have no personal experience with, but Lange was blatantly unsuccessful.

I really didn't like Butter as a character, either, and it wasn't just because of the inadequate writing. He was mean. He lashed out at everyone, even people that truly cared about him. And understand that being as obese as he was can have psychological symptoms like depression, but that doesn't mean he's has the right to be an asshole. He just wasn't a very nice guy.

Honestly, I'm surprised that I was able to finish it. I just morbidly needed to know how the story was going to end. But in the end, it was a boring book with stupid plot progression. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 03, 2012 Angie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, read-2015, library-overdrive

I've been wanting to read Butter forever, and I'm so glad that I finally did. It's heartbreaking, funny, disturbing, cute, and eye-opening. Butter is sixteen and weighs 423 pounds. He eats, and eats, and eats some more despite being told he needs to lose wait. He believes he's a lost cause, so why even bother? It's not like he's picked on at school. He's mostly just ignored, although the kids only ever call him by his nickname. But one day, that changes. He puts himself out there, only to have f I've been wanting to read Butter forever, and I'm so glad that I finally did. It's heartbreaking, funny, disturbing, cute, and eye-opening. Butter is sixteen and weighs 423 pounds. He eats, and eats, and eats some more despite being told he needs to lose wait. He believes he's a lost cause, so why even bother? It's not like he's picked on at school. He's mostly just ignored, although the kids only ever call him by his nickname. But one day, that changes. He puts himself out there, only to have food thrown at him. Then Butter gets this idea. He doesn't want to live anymore, but he wants to go out with a bang. He decides that he's going to eat himself to death live on the internet on New Year's Eve.

Butter is a wonderful narrator. He's snarky and sarcastic, but there's also times when he lets us see how he's really feeling. He doesn't fit in anywhere, except in the world of music. But even then, he only plays his saxophone in the privacy of his own room. It's so easy to get caught up in his story, even when it took a turn for the worse. And the worst is when he starts getting excited about his "last meal" after the popular guys at school invite him into their fold. He's getting encouragement, he doesn't have to eat lunch alone, and he goes out to hang with kids from school. It's actually pretty sick how Butter only manages to make "friends" when they're waiting for him to kill himself.

Butter definitely broke my heart in places. Butter doesn't even realize that he's not a lost cause, and that it's up to him to make changes in his life. He blames his genetics--which is part of the problem--and his mom for feeding him all the time. He blames the kids at school for ignoring him and him having to fill the friendship hole with food. He even blame his friend Tucker from fat camp, who lost a lot of weight and is now leaving him behind. It took all of this fake friendship and a suicide attempt to make him see that he can make friends on his own (without being a sideshow) and he can lose the weight if he tries. It's all up to him.

I really enjoyed Butter. It's a sad subject, but it's told with a kind of lightness that it made it less depressing. I still think the way these kids react to Butter's declaration is totally sick and disturbing, but I also believed that they didn't think he'd go through with it. That he was just putting on a show, and they wanted to be part of it. I also liked that the author never got preachy about weight and obesity. Of course, she makes it clear that Butter's weight is not healthy and that it's causing him many health problems, but this story also didn't glamorize weightloss and being skinny. It was more about being physically and mentally healthy.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2018 Shannon C rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sophomore-year-reading-challenge

It all starts out with Butter telling you his plan. To eat such a large amount of food that he’ll kill himself on New Year’s Eve. At first he thinks this will be a great idea, he’ll go out with a bang and nobody will care, but his plan quickly starts to spread. Butter rapidly goes from the overweight outcast to hanging out with the most popular kids in school. He never thought that this is what was going to come of the plan. He also becomes friends with his crush through this… his crush that he It all starts out with Butter telling you his plan. To eat such a large amount of food that he’ll kill himself on New Year’s Eve. At first he thinks this will be a great idea, he’ll go out with a bang and nobody will care, but his plan quickly starts to spread. Butter rapidly goes from the overweight outcast to hanging out with the most popular kids in school. He never thought that this is what was going to come of the plan. He also becomes friends with his crush through this… his crush that he dates online under a fake profile. With all of this happening, Butter starts to realize that life isn’t too bad, but he knows he will lose everything if he does not go through with the plan. His new friends won’t want to hang out to him, his crush will never talk to him again, and he will go back to being the social outcast he once was before. Will he go through with the original plan, or will he lose everything he has gained in the past month?

I wanted to read this book for a while, but my friend grabbed it off the shelf before I could last month. His review of it was that the book was astounding, which made me want to read it even more. After reading it, I am thoroughly satisfied with the way the book played out.

One thing I especially loved about this book was the way it portrays mental health. I think it was extremely accurate in the characterized the deep mental issues Butter had with eating, along with the way his loneliness led to his eating and his suicidal thoughts. I also think it showed a lot about how great the author, Erin Jade Lange, was. Whether it meant she struggled with the issues herself in the part or if she just did great bouts of research, it shows a lot of depth and emotion in the way she depicted everything.

Honestly, the only thing I believe could have been better about this book was if Lange could have shown more emotions from Butters parents. Another thing I would have enjoyed would have been if there were different perspectives shown. For example, if the thoughts of Butter’s mom after he killed himself could have been written into the story in some way. Other than that, I thought this book was absolutely phenomenal and it was one of the best books I have read in a long time.
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2015 teleri llinos rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone.

Recommended to teleri llinos by: Myself

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Suicide is a hard issue to deal with, it's hard to create a story about a harsh problem that happens so often. Yet Erin Lange took it upon herself and decided to make a story that is heart-warming and sad, and she not only succeeded, she smashed it.

At first, I gagged. The amount 'Butter' could eat in one sitting made me physically repulsed; '"Two Big Mik' burgers, fully loaded, with a double order of sweet potato fries, a chocolate-cherry shaker, and an apple pie pocket."' I mean that's a lot, b Suicide is a hard issue to deal with, it's hard to create a story about a harsh problem that happens so often. Yet Erin Lange took it upon herself and decided to make a story that is heart-warming and sad, and she not only succeeded, she smashed it.

At first, I gagged. The amount 'Butter' could eat in one sitting made me physically repulsed; '"Two Big Mik' burgers, fully loaded, with a double order of sweet potato fries, a chocolate-cherry shaker, and an apple pie pocket."' I mean that's a lot, but he then goes to a taco stand, a chicken joint, and a stir-fry. Jesus. But the longer I read the book, the more I pitied him, but that opinion changed because he started becoming popular-hungry and he stopped doing his homework and playing his Saxophone, and I felt like the guy who was too lazy to turn over the tv channel because it was a couple of steps away was changing, and obviously he was. But something inside of me still pitied him no matter how much of a douche he was to his mother.

I read this book in two days, and I honestly want some sort of sequel. Of his life trying to lose weight (THE HEALTHY WAY!!!!!) whilst at BI. I want to read more of Butter and how his relationship if it does, with Anna goes along. I want more from asshole Jeremy, I want to know his feelings towards Butter's suicide attempt. Did they change because he actually went through with it, did Butter gain his 'respect' for following through of the promise of eating himself to death? Even if he survived. I want to know how the assholes that are Parker and Trent feeling knowing that they encouraged him. There is so much more that could happen, I just don't know what could be used as the "is he or isn't he", the thing that draws you in. I've forgotten the word...Oh God. Plot? No. Screw it, that's what I'm saying it is until I remember the word.

Overall, this book has left me shocked. I loved it. I honestly didn't expect Butter to go through with it, I didn't expect Butter's father to know that, not only does Butter still go to the mountain but so does he. HIS FATHER!!! I cried at that part, as embarrassing as it is. His parents characters were so well developed, although throughout the reading I pictured Aunt Petunia as his mother (which is weird because his mother is a sweet woman but Petunia is cruel, but I don't know). I hated his father, he was such a cold figure and Mr. Turner from Fairly Odd Parents kept coming to mind, but they were so interesting, and normally adults are pictured as boring people but reading the story where they were involved really reeled me in. I love them.

Ten out of ten would recommend this book, holy shit. It's so good. I kind of want to read it again! ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2016 Helen Stower rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: All teens

Shelves: american, bullying, death-and-dying, eating-disorder, friendship, fitting-in, love, social-media, young-adult, depression

Butter by Erin Jade Lange is about an obese boy who sets up a website and claims he will eat himself to death on New Year's Eve and everyone is invited to watch. I had this book on my ‘to-read’ list for some time and was prompted by a young friend to read it after he bought it and said that it was really great. I have to agree, this is a compelling story and I felt worried sick for the protagonist (called Butter) as the plot plummets towards New Year’s Eve.

Just like the clichéd ‘car wreck’ that Butter by Erin Jade Lange is about an obese boy who sets up a website and claims he will eat himself to death on New Year's Eve and everyone is invited to watch. I had this book on my ‘to-read’ list for some time and was prompted by a young friend to read it after he bought it and said that it was really great. I have to agree, this is a compelling story and I felt worried sick for the protagonist (called Butter) as the plot plummets towards New Year’s Eve.

Just like the clichéd ‘car wreck’ that we can’t stop ourselves from looking at, I couldn’t put this book down even though I didn’t want to keep reading it. Lange does an amazing job of portraying what life must be like for a morbidly obese kid and how every aspect of their life is affected by their weight. Her portrayal of teens and their need to be accepted and understood is spot on as is her coverage of issues such as popularity, bullying, friendship and online interactions. One of the most interesting observations made is that because of his size, Butter actually becomes invisible. Peers are embarrassed or uncomfortable in his presence and as such ignore him. The attention afforded through his macabre website is so welcomed, that Butter doesn’t even realise he is being bullied. But ultimately it is the plot that drives this book, the tension built about will he or won’t he carry out his plan to take his own life is absolutely addictive.

Characterisation is another real strength in this novel. Told in first person from Butter’s point-of-view, the reader will at times feel empathy for Butter and at other times feel frustrated and angry towards him. At the beginning of the book, Butter is quite sarcastic, superficial and shallow. He refuses to take responsibility for his own actions and is hateful and blaming towards others. However, as the plot draws us toward what may be a fatal ending, Butter’s character is revealed in more depth. As the reader learns about the bullying incident that gave Butter his nickname and witnesses his desperation for friends and life, they are drawn more and more into the crisis and tragedy of the boy and his story. The need to find out what decision he will reach on New Year’s Eve is spellbinding and right up until mid-night, it is not certain what choice he will make.

I recommend this book for teens of any age. Butter is sixteen years old and readers of this age will identify with a lot of the events and feelings in the book. But it is also suitable for younger readers and it was an eleven-year-old friend who recommended it to me. A great read. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Book Review	1	5	Oct 24, 2017 09:50PM
YA Writers and Re...: Butter by Erin Jane Lange ->Start Date: Feb 1st 2014	12	23	Feb 04, 2014 09:39AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Young Adult

328 users

Contemporary

94 users

Realistic Fiction

80 users

Fiction

74 users

Young Adult > Teen

41 users

See top shelves…

About Erin Jade Lange

Erin Jade Lange

242 followers

ERIN JADE LANGE is the author of The Chaos of Now; Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah; Dead Ends; and Butter, an ABC New Voices selection. As a former journalist, she is inspired by current events and real-world issues and uses her writing to explore how those issues impact teenagers. Erin lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
www.erinjadelange.com
@erinjadelange

Books by Erin Jade Lange

More…

Trivia About Butter

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Butter

“If you just stop expecting perfection from everyone and everything, you might see the good stuff outweighs the bad. And then maybe someday you’ll look in the mirror and see the same thing.” — 12 likes

“If you want to stay, I can meet you after the scrimmage. You could come to my house or I could come to yours or we could meet at the library or a coffee shop or..."
Stop talking, asshole.
"Or we could go somewhere with Wi-Fi or somewhere outside or..."
Oh my God, I hate myself right now.” — 6 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — Butter by Erin Jade Lange

Butter

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Erin Jade Lange

Books by Erin Jade Lange

Trivia About Butter

Quotes from Butter

See a Problem?

Preview — Butter by Erin Jade Lange

Butter

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Erin Jade Lange

Books by Erin Jade Lange

Trivia About Butter

Quotes from Butter

new topic
Discuss This Book