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Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy
Carlos Duarte knows that he's fabulous. He's got a better sense of style than half the fashionistas in New York City, and he can definitely apply makeup like nobody's business. He may only be in high school, but when he lands the job of his dreams--makeup artist at the FeatureFace counter in Macy's--he's sure that he's finally on his way to great things.
But the makeup artist world is competitive and cutthroat, and for Carlos to reach his dreams, he'll have to believe in himself more than ever.
But the makeup artist world is competitive and cutthroat, and for Carlos to reach his dreams, he'll have to believe in himself more than ever.
219 pages, Hardcover
First published July 26, 2011
22 people are currently reading
1654 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
May 21, 2011
Here's the thing: My friends circle consists almost entirely of LGBTQ people. And I adore them. So when I set out to write a gay romance a couple of months ago, I naturally patterned my MC on the gay people I know most intimately - my best friends. Now a large part of my friends' circle consists of people who are the flamboyantly gay type. You know the type I mean, the ones who wear tight skinny jeans and jewellery (and sometimes, very embarrassingly, feather boas!) and air-kiss and call everyone 'Dahling'. They are practically a walking stereotype, but it doesn't make them any less real.
When I did write my story, my friend Cory pointed out to me that she felt my MC sounded like a girl. But I knew that as I was writing, the picture I had very clearly in my head was that of my slightly effeminate, fashion-loving, mani-and-pedi-ed best friend. Who was very definitely a guy, but also gay in the very classic style. And I realized that a lot of people are so busy trying to overthrow the stereotype that they don't realize that the stereotype does, in fact, exist, and is tragically being marginalized in our efforts to prove that we can write non-stereotyped LGBT characters.
Don't get me wrong. Every gay boy I know is not a flamboyant, occasionally cross-dressing fashionista. As with everyone else on the planet, they express their inner selves in different ways. But since mass media focuses so strongly on the caricature of the flamboyant gay man, most LGBT literature seems to fight a rear-guard action against that portrayal by writing about 'regular', 'normal' teens, just like you and me. And in the process, we are becoming just as guilty of ignoring the diversity in gay culture as mainstream media is. The stereotype exists for a reason. It's because there are a lot of people out there who fit into those particular parameters. And apart from a support role as the token best friend, they almost never have a voice in mainstream or LGBT literature. When was the last time you read a book about a fiercely, flamboyantly gay boy who fit the stereotype exactly, but still had a voice and an identity?
And this is precisely the reason why I loved Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy. Carlos Duarte has been fascinated by make-up his whole life. He's a 'big' but not FAT make-up artist who gets the weekend job of his dreams working for a top cosmetics company in Macy's. However, things aren't perfect in Carlos' life. His mother has lost her job, his sister is going out with an abusive, thieving loser who hits her and harasses Carlos, he has a crush on a possibly straight boy and his boss has been forced to hire him under duress and hates his guts.
Carlos is gloriously, unashamedly gay. If there's one thing he never struggles with, it's his sexuality. He loves his job too, he's a fabulous make-up artist with a flair for both using and selling cosmetics. He's also kind of adorable, so it's not surprising when he soon becomes a favourite with the customers at the FeatureFace counter, not to mention the company's star customer, Shirlena Day, the anchor of Smokin' Friday Nights.
This book is pure fluff. It's the kind of book you want to kick back with after a long day at work, with a fruity cocktail and a long, hot soak in the bathtub. It's fun and fresh and Carlos is the perfect MC to steal your heart. He's far from perfect, he tends to do stupid things even when he knows they're stupid, he's a little self-absorbed and a little bit of a coward when it comes to confronting the bullies. But he's a great make-up artist, and one of my favourite fluff scenes in the book is when he manages to make a success of a guest visit to a very slow-moving mall counter in New Jersey.
Basically, this book is the literary version of a chick flick, except with a gay boy as the protagonist. The tone of the book is generally upbeat and empowering, and it's a shitload of fun. I did get a little annoyed with Carlos from time to time, especially when he decides to 'borrow' a pair of three hundred dollar boots, because you just know something bad is going to happen round the corner. Too obvious. Also, I felt like the characters of his friends could have been fleshed out a little more. I really liked his sort-of love interest, though; All in all, this is definitely a stand-out book amidst the serious, serious issue books that dominate LGBTQ literature. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for an easy, fun read.
When I did write my story, my friend Cory pointed out to me that she felt my MC sounded like a girl. But I knew that as I was writing, the picture I had very clearly in my head was that of my slightly effeminate, fashion-loving, mani-and-pedi-ed best friend. Who was very definitely a guy, but also gay in the very classic style. And I realized that a lot of people are so busy trying to overthrow the stereotype that they don't realize that the stereotype does, in fact, exist, and is tragically being marginalized in our efforts to prove that we can write non-stereotyped LGBT characters.
Don't get me wrong. Every gay boy I know is not a flamboyant, occasionally cross-dressing fashionista. As with everyone else on the planet, they express their inner selves in different ways. But since mass media focuses so strongly on the caricature of the flamboyant gay man, most LGBT literature seems to fight a rear-guard action against that portrayal by writing about 'regular', 'normal' teens, just like you and me. And in the process, we are becoming just as guilty of ignoring the diversity in gay culture as mainstream media is. The stereotype exists for a reason. It's because there are a lot of people out there who fit into those particular parameters. And apart from a support role as the token best friend, they almost never have a voice in mainstream or LGBT literature. When was the last time you read a book about a fiercely, flamboyantly gay boy who fit the stereotype exactly, but still had a voice and an identity?
And this is precisely the reason why I loved Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy. Carlos Duarte has been fascinated by make-up his whole life. He's a 'big' but not FAT make-up artist who gets the weekend job of his dreams working for a top cosmetics company in Macy's. However, things aren't perfect in Carlos' life. His mother has lost her job, his sister is going out with an abusive, thieving loser who hits her and harasses Carlos, he has a crush on a possibly straight boy and his boss has been forced to hire him under duress and hates his guts.
Carlos is gloriously, unashamedly gay. If there's one thing he never struggles with, it's his sexuality. He loves his job too, he's a fabulous make-up artist with a flair for both using and selling cosmetics. He's also kind of adorable, so it's not surprising when he soon becomes a favourite with the customers at the FeatureFace counter, not to mention the company's star customer, Shirlena Day, the anchor of Smokin' Friday Nights.
This book is pure fluff. It's the kind of book you want to kick back with after a long day at work, with a fruity cocktail and a long, hot soak in the bathtub. It's fun and fresh and Carlos is the perfect MC to steal your heart. He's far from perfect, he tends to do stupid things even when he knows they're stupid, he's a little self-absorbed and a little bit of a coward when it comes to confronting the bullies. But he's a great make-up artist, and one of my favourite fluff scenes in the book is when he manages to make a success of a guest visit to a very slow-moving mall counter in New Jersey.
Basically, this book is the literary version of a chick flick, except with a gay boy as the protagonist. The tone of the book is generally upbeat and empowering, and it's a shitload of fun. I did get a little annoyed with Carlos from time to time, especially when he decides to 'borrow' a pair of three hundred dollar boots, because you just know something bad is going to happen round the corner. Too obvious. Also, I felt like the characters of his friends could have been fleshed out a little more. I really liked his sort-of love interest, though; All in all, this is definitely a stand-out book amidst the serious, serious issue books that dominate LGBTQ literature. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for an easy, fun read.
March 2, 2020
There wasn't much of a plot. Characters get swept under the rug. No sense of urgency, no character development.
Also, I am all for self love and confidence.... But not at the expense of putting others down. He judges a lot of people for their clothing, hair, nails, food choices. It's kinda condescending. And I cannot like a character that essentially manipulates someone into doing something that could **cause them to lose their job** for their own personal goals.
Also, I am all for self love and confidence.... But not at the expense of putting others down. He judges a lot of people for their clothing, hair, nails, food choices. It's kinda condescending. And I cannot like a character that essentially manipulates someone into doing something that could **cause them to lose their job** for their own personal goals.
November 3, 2011
I read this for a committee--definitely a "YA glbt book" but not in the typical, cliched ways. His sexuality is kind of non-issue; it's more about Carlos pursuing his ultimate career dream: to become a professional make-up artist. Light, quick, snappy dialogue--super fast read. A very NYC kind of story...
January 31, 2012
"When I was twelve, I convinced my mother to let me do her makeup for Parents' Night. When I was finished, my sister, Rosalia, who was fifteen, said, 'Ma, aren't ya even gonna say anything?'
Ma said to me, 'All right, so it looks nice, Carlos. But I don't think I should be encouraging something like this. I'm not gonna go to your school and tell your teacher, 'See my face! Isn't it pretty? My son did my makeup. Didn't he do an excellent job?'
Rosalia asked, 'Why not?'
Ma said, 'You know why not! Don't make me say it!'
Rosalia put her hands on her hips. 'You know what, Ma? Carlos is talented, that's what he is. He's probably gonna be famous one day for being so talented, and you should be happy he can do something this good so young!'
Carlos Duarte lives in New York City with his mother and older sister, attending high school, dealing with his friends, and dreaming of one day becoming makeup artist to the stars. When Carlos learns of a part-time job opportunity at the makeup counter in Macy's, he jumps at the chance, and Carlos never does anything half way. He lands the job, and quickly becomes one of the most requested makeup artists in the store, drawing the ire of his jealous boss. On the home front, Carlos must also deal with his mother being laid off, his sister's abusive relationship with Danny, and whether or not the cute boy at school would ever be interested in him. As Carlos moves up the ladder in his professional career, he must also learn what it means to stand up for those he cares about the most.
I *really* wanted to like this one, or at least understand how it won the Stonewall Award for this year, but . . . I couldn't. Especially not after having just read Chris Beam's excellent _I Am J_. Carlos showed so little growth as a character; I didn't need/want him to hit rock bottom and make it back up, but at the same time, I wanted him to show some development. I appreciated that he was proud and secure in himself, but he didn't really go anywhere from there. There were also a lot of plot points that didn't get resolved - Soraya, one of Carlos's best friends, supposedly - gets a small storyline, and then promptly forgotten, and his mother's unemployment is dropped as well. I also found myself way too distracted by all the product placement/fashion labeling in the book - I get that Carlos is up on all of these trends, but it was just too much. Obviously the book found an audience, or the Stonewall committee wouldn't have given it the top honor; it just didn't work at all for me.
Ma said to me, 'All right, so it looks nice, Carlos. But I don't think I should be encouraging something like this. I'm not gonna go to your school and tell your teacher, 'See my face! Isn't it pretty? My son did my makeup. Didn't he do an excellent job?'
Rosalia asked, 'Why not?'
Ma said, 'You know why not! Don't make me say it!'
Rosalia put her hands on her hips. 'You know what, Ma? Carlos is talented, that's what he is. He's probably gonna be famous one day for being so talented, and you should be happy he can do something this good so young!'
Carlos Duarte lives in New York City with his mother and older sister, attending high school, dealing with his friends, and dreaming of one day becoming makeup artist to the stars. When Carlos learns of a part-time job opportunity at the makeup counter in Macy's, he jumps at the chance, and Carlos never does anything half way. He lands the job, and quickly becomes one of the most requested makeup artists in the store, drawing the ire of his jealous boss. On the home front, Carlos must also deal with his mother being laid off, his sister's abusive relationship with Danny, and whether or not the cute boy at school would ever be interested in him. As Carlos moves up the ladder in his professional career, he must also learn what it means to stand up for those he cares about the most.
I *really* wanted to like this one, or at least understand how it won the Stonewall Award for this year, but . . . I couldn't. Especially not after having just read Chris Beam's excellent _I Am J_. Carlos showed so little growth as a character; I didn't need/want him to hit rock bottom and make it back up, but at the same time, I wanted him to show some development. I appreciated that he was proud and secure in himself, but he didn't really go anywhere from there. There were also a lot of plot points that didn't get resolved - Soraya, one of Carlos's best friends, supposedly - gets a small storyline, and then promptly forgotten, and his mother's unemployment is dropped as well. I also found myself way too distracted by all the product placement/fashion labeling in the book - I get that Carlos is up on all of these trends, but it was just too much. Obviously the book found an audience, or the Stonewall committee wouldn't have given it the top honor; it just didn't work at all for me.
December 16, 2024
I don’t think I’d be friends with Carlos. For someone who’s very hypocritical, both in calling out someone’s eating habits and not liking superficial friends but turning around and being superficial himself, a likable character it does not make. I also realized for the title, there’s not a lot about his weight, which I understand it’s not a pivotal plot point like in other books I’ve read, it’s just a little odd. I will say I’ve met people like him and the things he goes through is very commendable, so it is very well written. I will say it is good…ish.
August 2, 2013
I enjoyed it. I have read a considerable amount of teen fiction, but none from the perspective of a gay teen boy. Purchased it for my elementary libraries, but it it is too mature for even a 5th grader. Great middle school read.
February 7, 2022
I soooo wanted to support this book, but I couldn’t even finish it. The way the main character, Carlos, speaks of his friend Angie is appealing. It was extremely uncomfortable to read his fat phobic comments about his friend. Authors need to do better!
September 19, 2017
The book was interesting enough for me to finish it but it wasn't an enjoyable read. The main character, Carlos, is a boy who does makeup and as a reader, one would expect the typical backlash and want to know how he's going to combat that. The book didn't really have any serious conflict though. Sure, Carlos was met with questioning looks from people who weren't accustomed to seeing what could be summed up as "a pretty boy" and when he was younger his mom wasn't sure if this would emasculate him, but him being a boy who does makeup doesn't have a very upfront conflict. There's nothing for Carlos to lose a boy who likes makeup, one would think he'd fear being less masculine but this isn't on his list of priorities and is left unconfrontational which left me wanting an escalation of some type in the story.
The title also mentions his weight, and from what I gather he isn't a fat boy currently in the story, but was a little chubby as a kid. As someone who was and still is plus size I thought this may affect his self-esteem, maybe he feels like there's no point in working in beauty when the beauty industry doesn't always favor plus size people, or maybe he's met with barriers for being someone who works in beauty because people feel like someone "like him" couldn't be a beauty expert. Instead, the book mentions him liking fatty foods about twice, one being an offhanded "pun" (if you can call it that) in the beginning and the other being about how he stopped eating fried food to avoid pimply skin. Carlos also references calling himself a fat boy when he was younger and how he felt pretty in makeup despite being chubby, but once again it's in a short sentence that holds no weight to the story. Carlos being chubby or having been chubby has no effect on the story whatsoever even though it's in the title. If he had been thin as a child he could have still talked about cutting back on skin-ruining foods and there'd simply be a few jokes missing in the book.
When I saw there aren't any major conflicts in the story, there are conflicts but they don't get the story going anywhere, they're simply there. Carlos' sister, Rosalita has an abusive (ex)boyfriend who Carlos stands up to in the end, but Carlos winds up getting basically nothing out of it except the satisfaction of standing up for his sister. and maybe decreasing the chances she'll ever be a victim again. It's nice that he did that, but what was the point of this storyline? Rosalita's abuse never had an impact on Carlos. It brought a little fight, her ex, Danny, called Carlos out for being gay once and would laugh at him behind his back, but the main story wouldn't change if Danny wasn't included.
Then there's Carlos' friend Soraya. He borrows boots from her, this connects back to the Danny story because he promises he'll return them unblemished and only wear them for a job interview, Danny attacks Carlos while he's wearing the boots when he shouldn't be, Carlos and Soraya's friendship is ruined. Carlos got to wear cute boots to an interview and in the process ruined his relationship with a close friend. He feels bad about it but it doesn't hold a significant impact on Carlos' life. I suppose he's supposed to have learned responsibility from this but not really because later he "steals" makeup from the company he works at to help a somewhat reliable celebrity. Only then does he realize the consequences of his actions and that's only because he's afraid of going to jail.
The biggest conflict Carlos' faces are his single mother being laid off her job and Carlos needing to step up as "the man" of the house and help financially (on his own accord, however, so, point for him.) Carlos needs the makeup job at the mall and has to work a second job. OK, that must be a struggle for a high schooler. Not really. He works his job like usual, and gets the job pretty easily and manages to quickly get a job working for a celebrity. The money issues aren't brought up again after his mom get's laid off and is offered a job later (though this isn't cleared up either, she's offered a job from the brother of her original employer, and she says she's going to see if it pays as much as her last job before taking it but the story leaves it at that.)
After the fact that there is a lack of substantial conflict that leaves the reader rooting for Carlos, there's the romance issue. Carlos has a crush on a boy, boy is straight and puts up a cool guy front in front of his peers, Carlos has hopes to love boy, says a little line about marriage equality, then realizes boy is waste of his time, and boy's girlfriend realizes Carlos may be after her man so makes boy kindly tell Carlos he sees them as friends. The story tries to pull the reader along as if the romance is a big deal, but honestly it's a surface-deep love, infatuation even. Carlos seems to like the other boy, Gleason, mostly for his looks. Gleason's artistic too, so they do have something in common, but not really. If Gleason was unattractive, I doubt Carlos would have been as interested as he was. They spoke a little, Gleason helped photograph some of Carlos' makeup looks, but they didn't form any in-depth relationship, they didn't share hopes, dreams, talk about family life or any of that. It was a surface level friendship laced with one-sided infatuation.
The only reason I kept reading was that I wanted to see Carlos bump into a wall, fall into complete despair, be left broken and forced to build himself up. Instead, he achieved his dreams in a surprisingly short amount of time for an inexperienced young artist with the expected resistance from his poorly guided decisions and the doubt people had about a young boy who could do makeup.
The title also mentions his weight, and from what I gather he isn't a fat boy currently in the story, but was a little chubby as a kid. As someone who was and still is plus size I thought this may affect his self-esteem, maybe he feels like there's no point in working in beauty when the beauty industry doesn't always favor plus size people, or maybe he's met with barriers for being someone who works in beauty because people feel like someone "like him" couldn't be a beauty expert. Instead, the book mentions him liking fatty foods about twice, one being an offhanded "pun" (if you can call it that) in the beginning and the other being about how he stopped eating fried food to avoid pimply skin. Carlos also references calling himself a fat boy when he was younger and how he felt pretty in makeup despite being chubby, but once again it's in a short sentence that holds no weight to the story. Carlos being chubby or having been chubby has no effect on the story whatsoever even though it's in the title. If he had been thin as a child he could have still talked about cutting back on skin-ruining foods and there'd simply be a few jokes missing in the book.
When I saw there aren't any major conflicts in the story, there are conflicts but they don't get the story going anywhere, they're simply there. Carlos' sister, Rosalita has an abusive (ex)boyfriend who Carlos stands up to in the end, but Carlos winds up getting basically nothing out of it except the satisfaction of standing up for his sister. and maybe decreasing the chances she'll ever be a victim again. It's nice that he did that, but what was the point of this storyline? Rosalita's abuse never had an impact on Carlos. It brought a little fight, her ex, Danny, called Carlos out for being gay once and would laugh at him behind his back, but the main story wouldn't change if Danny wasn't included.
Then there's Carlos' friend Soraya. He borrows boots from her, this connects back to the Danny story because he promises he'll return them unblemished and only wear them for a job interview, Danny attacks Carlos while he's wearing the boots when he shouldn't be, Carlos and Soraya's friendship is ruined. Carlos got to wear cute boots to an interview and in the process ruined his relationship with a close friend. He feels bad about it but it doesn't hold a significant impact on Carlos' life. I suppose he's supposed to have learned responsibility from this but not really because later he "steals" makeup from the company he works at to help a somewhat reliable celebrity. Only then does he realize the consequences of his actions and that's only because he's afraid of going to jail.
The biggest conflict Carlos' faces are his single mother being laid off her job and Carlos needing to step up as "the man" of the house and help financially (on his own accord, however, so, point for him.) Carlos needs the makeup job at the mall and has to work a second job. OK, that must be a struggle for a high schooler. Not really. He works his job like usual, and gets the job pretty easily and manages to quickly get a job working for a celebrity. The money issues aren't brought up again after his mom get's laid off and is offered a job later (though this isn't cleared up either, she's offered a job from the brother of her original employer, and she says she's going to see if it pays as much as her last job before taking it but the story leaves it at that.)
After the fact that there is a lack of substantial conflict that leaves the reader rooting for Carlos, there's the romance issue. Carlos has a crush on a boy, boy is straight and puts up a cool guy front in front of his peers, Carlos has hopes to love boy, says a little line about marriage equality, then realizes boy is waste of his time, and boy's girlfriend realizes Carlos may be after her man so makes boy kindly tell Carlos he sees them as friends. The story tries to pull the reader along as if the romance is a big deal, but honestly it's a surface-deep love, infatuation even. Carlos seems to like the other boy, Gleason, mostly for his looks. Gleason's artistic too, so they do have something in common, but not really. If Gleason was unattractive, I doubt Carlos would have been as interested as he was. They spoke a little, Gleason helped photograph some of Carlos' makeup looks, but they didn't form any in-depth relationship, they didn't share hopes, dreams, talk about family life or any of that. It was a surface level friendship laced with one-sided infatuation.
The only reason I kept reading was that I wanted to see Carlos bump into a wall, fall into complete despair, be left broken and forced to build himself up. Instead, he achieved his dreams in a surprisingly short amount of time for an inexperienced young artist with the expected resistance from his poorly guided decisions and the doubt people had about a young boy who could do makeup.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2017
Fluffy, easy to read, but definitely entertaining. Carlos Duarte is a makeup prodigy and young gay high schooler who makes plenty of mistakes, but at least he owns up to most of them. He's a hard worker (in some aspects of his life), and not always a great friend, but you can't help but love him. By no means a perfect YA novel, but definitely a good one to recommend to middle schoolers.
September 11, 2017
Another great YA read with LGBT themes. I would love to see this move to the screen. A really well-written character piece that is less about a kid finding his confidence and more about him finding his heart. Really worth reading if you like these types of books.
May 24, 2018
this is a good book but i did it fell that it makes sense because all that carlos know is that he is famous well he thinks that.
July 28, 2011
Carlos Duarte knows exactly who he is and what he wants from life. When he hears about a chance to apply at Macy's to work at one of their make-up counters, he knows this is going to open the doors to his dreams of becoming a famous make-up artist. Carlos soon learns that this may prove to be more difficult than he had first though. Throw in problems with his sisters, a crush, and dealing with severe homophobia , and Carlos soon has more on his plate than he thought he'd have to deal with.
Carlos is a fun person! He is so sure of himself, and you can't help but feel positive while reading about him. I have no doubt that he would be everything he wants to be in life. He had a lot of things to deal with in this book, and he did it all with a fabulous sense of grace. I had two small complaints. One was that Carlos could seem a little bit too much like a stereotype. It just seemed to pull me out of the story and didn't really fit who I felt Carlos was. The other has to do with the homophobia directed at him. He just seemed a little too passive about it for me. I really didn't feel a reaction about it one way or the other from him. I just wanted a little more there.
Those issues aside, I thought this was a fun book. I think it's great to have a book like this with an out and proud teen. While coming of age type coming out stories have their place, it's awesome to just have a fluffy book. While some serious issues are dealt with, over all this book is just plain fun. It helps to emphasize the "normal-ness" of Carlos. So overall I thought this was an enjoyable book.
Galley provided by publisher for review.
Carlos is a fun person! He is so sure of himself, and you can't help but feel positive while reading about him. I have no doubt that he would be everything he wants to be in life. He had a lot of things to deal with in this book, and he did it all with a fabulous sense of grace. I had two small complaints. One was that Carlos could seem a little bit too much like a stereotype. It just seemed to pull me out of the story and didn't really fit who I felt Carlos was. The other has to do with the homophobia directed at him. He just seemed a little too passive about it for me. I really didn't feel a reaction about it one way or the other from him. I just wanted a little more there.
Those issues aside, I thought this was a fun book. I think it's great to have a book like this with an out and proud teen. While coming of age type coming out stories have their place, it's awesome to just have a fluffy book. While some serious issues are dealt with, over all this book is just plain fun. It helps to emphasize the "normal-ness" of Carlos. So overall I thought this was an enjoyable book.
Galley provided by publisher for review.
April 5, 2012
I really did not find Carlos at all likable. He was obsessed with how people looked and while he was horrified by anyone daring to judge him, he judged everyone else constantly. Even his friends, like Angie who apparently ate a lot when she was stressed. He was constantly mentioning how gross it was, but he describes himself as "big" as well, so this seemed really hypocritical. Anyone whose fashion sense and makeup style didn't match his own was viewed as ridiculous. I actually snorted out loud when he got a black eye and mentioned that he didn't usually consider himself vain. Hopefully it was meant to be ironic. He also took stupid risks and was completely willing to put his friend at risk of losing her job just so he could wear some expensive shoes to an interview.
The writing style is exceptionally well-developed and conversational. Even though I didn't like Carlos and would never want to meet him in real-life, I definitely felt like he was real and I was in his head. There were a few places where he was sympathetic and showed more dimensions, like his pain at not knowing how to be "the man" of the family and protect his sister, or having a crush on someone who could never like him back. Maybe if at the end of the novel I'd felt like he'd learned more, I would have liked this better.
The writing style is exceptionally well-developed and conversational. Even though I didn't like Carlos and would never want to meet him in real-life, I definitely felt like he was real and I was in his head. There were a few places where he was sympathetic and showed more dimensions, like his pain at not knowing how to be "the man" of the family and protect his sister, or having a crush on someone who could never like him back. Maybe if at the end of the novel I'd felt like he'd learned more, I would have liked this better.
November 18, 2014
Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright is one of the Best intriguing books I've read this year. If you like a good Romance that any girl does, a good laugh that makes you laugh out loud, and any real life problems that any male goes through, then I highly suggest you check out Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy today.
August 30, 2016
Cute story.
I loved this little book. The main character, Carlos, truly is a character and one that made me chuckle. He has a great optimism about him and you can't help but hope things go his way.
I loved this little book. The main character, Carlos, truly is a character and one that made me chuckle. He has a great optimism about him and you can't help but hope things go his way.
April 15, 2019
Last quarter of the book was rushed.
August 5, 2022
I think it's a little boring...
But easy to read for someone who isn't a native speaker
But easy to read for someone who isn't a native speaker
November 10, 2019
Caveat: I was recommended this book as fat rep, which ... comes up very little, and is just as often comments that people are eating the "wrong" food as anything else. Oh no, grease! Think of the pores!!!
Carlos is a make up genius. OK, great. But he doesn't learn. The entire plotline revolves around him being extremely skilled with makeup. Which gives an easy out when things get tough. Almost like a chosen one trope, he gets away with shit.
Carlos is a make up genius. OK, great. But he doesn't learn. The entire plotline revolves around him being extremely skilled with makeup. Which gives an easy out when things get tough. Almost like a chosen one trope, he gets away with shit.
November 23, 2021
Three cheers for a strong, independent, secure in who he is, flamboyantly gay male-identifying protagonist. Who is also a teenager. Who wants to be a professional makeup artist.
Carlos knows who he is and who he isn't. When he drifts into fantasy, he's fully aware of it. He refused to let anyone call him Miss. He makes mistakes and wins over friends and strangers alike.
There are several problems Carlos must tackle in this book from homophobic bullies to physically abusive boyfriends (his sister's not his own). He fights for his "career" (and yes, the fact that his career takes off is such a way is pretty unbelievable but just go with it) and he's strong enough not to fight for the boy who's not interested.
The ending leaves many threads dangling, but perhaps that's life. Or perhaps that's how you pave the way for a sequel. In any event, I enjoyed Carlos more than I thought I would and I'm happy to see characters like him in YA literature today.
Carlos knows who he is and who he isn't. When he drifts into fantasy, he's fully aware of it. He refused to let anyone call him Miss. He makes mistakes and wins over friends and strangers alike.
There are several problems Carlos must tackle in this book from homophobic bullies to physically abusive boyfriends (his sister's not his own). He fights for his "career" (and yes, the fact that his career takes off is such a way is pretty unbelievable but just go with it) and he's strong enough not to fight for the boy who's not interested.
The ending leaves many threads dangling, but perhaps that's life. Or perhaps that's how you pave the way for a sequel. In any event, I enjoyed Carlos more than I thought I would and I'm happy to see characters like him in YA literature today.
July 13, 2022
i had to read this book for school and i did not like it.
first of all, i expected this book to break stereotypes, since it‘s a boy loving makeup and not being ashamed of it. but of course carlos had to be gay. stereotypical gay with all the "heyyyy, girl!“ and yeah.
also he was just really annoying. he doesnt give a shit about others, their feelings and thinks everything is about him. sister gets abused by her boyfriend? he doesnt care! all he wants is to get a new makeup job and that just not right.
so yeah, bad book. don‘t read it.
first of all, i expected this book to break stereotypes, since it‘s a boy loving makeup and not being ashamed of it. but of course carlos had to be gay. stereotypical gay with all the "heyyyy, girl!“ and yeah.
also he was just really annoying. he doesnt give a shit about others, their feelings and thinks everything is about him. sister gets abused by her boyfriend? he doesnt care! all he wants is to get a new makeup job and that just not right.
so yeah, bad book. don‘t read it.
April 3, 2020
This book is about a high school boy named Carlos. He was into makeup since he was a little kid. Now that he is into highschool you see his journey through becoming a famous makeup artist. From romance to drama, this book has it all. Will Carlos get his happy ever after, find out by reading this book.
April 16, 2025
I loved this book for the story, but I also thought it was an important work. I hope young people, especially LGBTQIA+ youth, who have dreams like the MC does - to be a make-up artist when that's not acceptable for men of color, to work with glamorous stars, to make their own way when they're told to stay in their lane - find this book. I think they will cherish it.
December 23, 2018
3.5 stars. 3 for sloooow burn before it got good. 4 stars for prose, voicing of the character, representation and story. Glad it's out there! Possibly a niche queer kid read, just because it takes so long for the story (which is just interesting no matter who you are) really gets going.
June 14, 2023
This book was okay. I love queer books, but this one felt a little flat. The main conflict was kind of murky, and the bullies only seemed important sometimes. The romantic subplot seemed kind of forced. I hate writing negative things, but I just didn’t love this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2017
Review by K.S.: "I liked how it showed that anything's possible if you put your mind to it."
November 21, 2018
I would like to see any LGBT child read this book. It is a story line which teens could relate to.
October 11, 2019
It was okay. DNF in the middle for a week just out of disinterest, picked it up again and finished it in an hour. Mostly, it was predictable. Overall, it was enjoyable but forgettable.
October 25, 2019
Cute YA book. Not amazing but Carlos has stuck with me.
December 13, 2023
It's actually very sweet and made me so happy as a queer person
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