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Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy

Bil Wright

3.48 · Rating details · 967 ratings · 201 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 219 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

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· 967 ratings · 201 reviews

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May 17, 2011 Vinaya rated it it was amazing

Shelves: speshul-snowflake, favorites, arc-galley, fluff-fluffy-fluffest, fluffy-5-stars, ya-fiction, surprised-me, books-i-loved

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 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; (view spoiler) 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. ...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Zeke rated it really liked it

Shelves: glbtq, ya, favorites

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...

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Oct 01, 2011 Cecilia rated it liked it

Shelves: blue-covers

I thought the title too irresistable to give this book a chance – and I will have to say that it was a rather delightful sort of read. Imagine if Marc St. James from Ugly Betty gave his own backstory – and I think you will be able to picture Carlos perfectly! He was sassy, confident, and just a perfect blend of ambitious and niceness to make for a likeable main character.

I am not a makeup fiend (…well, maybe I dabble in eyeshadows like a regular Bob Ross), but the enthusiasm that exudes from ...more

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Jul 29, 2013 Joanne Palin rated it really liked it

Shelves: juvenile-young-adult

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.

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Sep 05, 2017 Jake rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtqia, ya, realistic-fiction, diverse-books, poc-lead

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.

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Sep 11, 2017 Doug Upchurch rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fun-fiction

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.

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May 24, 2018 Dania❤️ rated it liked it

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.

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Jan 29, 2012 Mark rated it it was ok

Shelves: glbtq, coming-of-age, humor, abusive-relationships, sibling-relationships, stonewall

"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! "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. ...more

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May 17, 2011 L_manning rated it really liked it

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 ...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Rebecca Ann rated it liked it

Shelves: teen-contemporary, teen-glbt

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 ...more

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Sep 19, 2017 Freshmengal72 rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 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. ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Tess Anderson rated it really liked it

Shelves: wjhs, funny, romance, ficton

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.

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Aug 29, 2016 Carolynne Floyd rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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.

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Jun 06, 2013 Inge rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, gay, lgbtq

Finally. An LGBTQ book that's not about a white, middle class gay dude. This is funny and sweet as hell and avoids predictable answers and messages.

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Nov 10, 2019 Casey Jo rated it liked it

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.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Dec 22, 2018 Claire DM rated it liked it

Shelves: ya

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.

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Oct 11, 2019 Axel rated it liked it

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.

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Oct 25, 2019 Sarah rated it liked it

Cute YA book. Not amazing but Carlos has stuck with me.

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Nov 21, 2018 Patrick Ormond rated it really liked it

I would like to see any LGBT child read this book. It is a story line which teens could relate to.

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Apr 14, 2019 Che rated it it was ok

Last quarter of the book was rushed.

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Jul 01, 2017 Galion Public Library Teens rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013

Review by K.S.: "I liked how it showed that anything's possible if you put your mind to it."

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Dec 24, 2019 Karen rated it it was amazing

This book is about a high school gay guy named Carlos. his dream is to be a makeup artist so he's really into makeup stuff. thought out this he prosses trying to get a job or try to found the confidence to keep going to follow his dreams. his friends Rosalia support him but his mom doesn't and when he was 5 his dad was left because he was a drug addict.
This book is so fun to read as I laugh at some pages. if you like makeup or article that kind of stuff you definitely have to read this book.

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Oct 04, 2017 Kaylee Graham rated it it was amazing

it was a great book and i loved it. i would read it again and again but i have other books i need to read for school

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Oct 15, 2016 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013hubchallenge, 16-backlist-bingo, 2016, lgbtq, stonewall, realistic-fiction, popular-paperbacks-2013

3.5. I loved how deep this story went. Even beyond Carlos and his heart's desire to be a makeup artist, he was dealing with a lot of issues and never lost sight of them.

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Feb 04, 2012 Madison rated it liked it

Shelves: chapter-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy is a culturally-relevant account of one boy’s struggle to follow his dreams in an unaccepting social climate. Carlos Duarte is a high school student who lives with his single mom, victim of domestic violence, and his sister. Carlos is the quintessential gay man, complete with the desire to become a professional make-up artist and a love for high-heeled boots. Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy addresses several important issues that young adult readers may be facing Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy is a culturally-relevant account of one boy’s struggle to follow his dreams in an unaccepting social climate. Carlos Duarte is a high school student who lives with his single mom, victim of domestic violence, and his sister. Carlos is the quintessential gay man, complete with the desire to become a professional make-up artist and a love for high-heeled boots. Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy addresses several important issues that young adult readers may be facing such as domestic violence, bullying, homophobia, gender roles, interpersonal relationships and trouble at home.
While this novel covers extremely important themes that are not frequently dealt with in young adult literature, there are a few flaws that I could not overlook. I enjoyed the plotline and the idea of the book, as I have a nephew who is very similar to Carlos. However, Carlos is written as a stereotypical gay teen. He is flamboyant, effeminate, and uses terms like “hon” and “darling”. I think that this is a common misconception that is very damaging to homosexual teens who do not behave in the way that is expected of them. I feel that the character of Carlos could have been more meaningful had the author created more depth outside of the typical gay man. A few of the other characters were also the victim of stereotypes, such as Ro and Danny. Perhaps there are young adult readers who feel connections to these types of characters, but I personally felt that they were flat.
Another issue I had with Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy was the voice in which it was written. The style of writing the author employed to give a teen voice to Carlos’s narration seemed juvenile and inappropriate. I would have preferred grammatically correct English over writing about how Carlos was “sooooooooooooo excited!!!!!!” One thing that I did appreciate was that the author did not translate or provide translations for the insults that Danny and the other workers used. As I know Spanish, when I read the word maricón I felt my heart sink because I knew exactly what that meant and the weight that word caries in Hispanic culture. Translating that word would have detracted from its effect, and the reader can guess what it means in context or do the research on his or her own time.
All that being said, Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy is a good book with a solid plotline. If the aforementioned flaws did not exist, or my taste in writing were slightly different, I would definitely reread this book. I did not put this novel down until after I had completed it and felt emotional attachment to Carlos as a character. Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy made me feel, which is what I consider to be the characteristic of a good story.
...more

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Feb 27, 2017 Malvika Puranik rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017

very interesting , kept me hooked till the end

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Apr 07, 2013 Holly Lewis rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-own, gender-sexuality-ya-fiction, ya-obesity-books

Putting Makeup on the Fatboy by Bill Wright is about Carlos, a flamboyantly gay young adult pursuing a career in the make-up industry. Having just secured a job at a make-up counter at Macy's, he's trying to learn to juggle school, friends, home life ( with his emotional mother who lost her job and his older sister who can't find a decent job or a boyfriend who isn't a deadbeat), and work. Most of the story focuses on his job at Macy's and how he learns the ins and outs of competitive business; Putting Makeup on the Fatboy by Bill Wright is about Carlos, a flamboyantly gay young adult pursuing a career in the make-up industry. Having just secured a job at a make-up counter at Macy's, he's trying to learn to juggle school, friends, home life ( with his emotional mother who lost her job and his older sister who can't find a decent job or a boyfriend who isn't a deadbeat), and work. Most of the story focuses on his job at Macy's and how he learns the ins and outs of competitive business; fed up with living under his boss's shadow and earning no credit for the sales he does, he tries to make it to the top by befriending a young actress he meets at the counter. Carlos tries to sell her new products in hopes he hits it big with her and gets offered to be her make-up artist. Carlos soon learns that there are always risks in life, as his decisions begin to put his family relationships and his friendships in jeopardy. He also learns that in some jobs, you have to work from the ground up, and your superiors can walk all over you. Carlos has to learn about how to balance all the aspects of his life and still make strides in his cut-throat job. And as if that's not enough, a gorgeous boy named Gleason has captured what little attention Carlos has left.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; I used it as my LGTBQ novel for the class, and I'm very glad that I did, because it's very innovative in that the main character's struggle isn't about coming out. I appreciate that Carlos is already out to the world and proud of who he is; the story doesn't focus on his sexuality, so much as it focused on the storyline of a budding make-up artist who just happens to also be gay. Carlos was a quirky, fun character, so the story was very easy to get into, and he kept my attention throughout the novel, even when the discussion about make-up got a bit dull. It's not a book I'd probably have picked up on my own, but i'm glad that I read it. I don't know many books like it.

Purely on reading level, I think I'd probably recommend this book to kids13 and older. There wasn't anything questionable about the material in the book that affects how I'd grade it. I'm not entirely sure where to place this book on the basis of who might like it; I liked it, and maybe people who enjoy LGTBQ novels or drama novels might like it, but it's a typical on both accounts (for the genres), so perhaps not. It's a very difficult book to place.
...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Sara Latta rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-for-review

In “Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy” (Simon & Schuster, 2011), author Bil Wright has conjured, in Carlos Duarte, one of the most authentic teen narrators since Holden Caulfield. Sixteen year-old Carlos has a fabulous sense of style, loves makeup, and dreams of becoming “Carrlos, Duarte, makeup artist to the stars!” He imagines “doing Mary J. Blige’s makeup before a concert, or maybe Rihanna’s, or taking a month off from school to go on tour with Janet Jackson because she insisted if she didn’t In “Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy” (Simon & Schuster, 2011), author Bil Wright has conjured, in Carlos Duarte, one of the most authentic teen narrators since Holden Caulfield. Sixteen year-old Carlos has a fabulous sense of style, loves makeup, and dreams of becoming “Carrlos, Duarte, makeup artist to the stars!” He imagines “doing Mary J. Blige’s makeup before a concert, or maybe Rihanna’s, or taking a month off from school to go on tour with Janet Jackson because she insisted if she didn’t have me she couldn’t do the tour.”
When he lands a job as a salesman and makeup artist at the FeatureFace counter in Macy’s he’s sure that he’s on his way to achieving his dream. But Carlos’s life is far from perfect. His sister is dating an abusive loser, his single mother struggles to make ends meet, and his boss feels threatened by his up-and-coming employee’s talent and charm. But he’s determined to do right by his mother and sister, even as he struggles to overcome the hurdles his boss places in his path.
Carlos is flamboyantly and unabashedly gay. He turns heads. “All right, I’m not stupid,” Carlos says. “It was raining hard and I had on my black vinyl slicker and the hat that goes with it. And my mascara may even have been smudged a little from so much rain. So, I didn’t look like any of the yuppies in the stupid place. Or those boys in their dirty uniforms. But I never look like anyone else, and that’s the point. I don’t want to look like anyone else.”
Authors and publishers of LGBT literature have worked hard—and with good reason—to overturn the pervasive stereotypes of queer teens. Not every gay teen loves fashion, makeup, and calls his platonic girl friends “darling.” But some do, and the thing I like about this book is that Carlos’s in-your-face style is just one aspect of his complex and layered character. Despite the fact that Carlos is harassed and attacked by his sister’s homophobic boyfriend and his buddies, this is not a Gay Problem Novel. While “Fat Boy” does address some serious issues, it is mostly an entertaining read about a teen—who just happens to be gay—with a burning desire to be a famous makeup artist.
“Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy” won the 2012 Stonewall Book Award, which is given annually to works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.

This review originally appeared in The News-Gazette, Sunday, February 12, 2012. ...more

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Feb 20, 2014 Leslie rated it did not like it

The book i am reading is Putting Makeup on The Fat Boy by Bil Wright. I rate this book like a 3 stars, its a good book but it is not a really good book that i will put as my favorite and i got confused on if the main character a girl or a boy i think i is a boy. This book is about this kid named Carlos that is in High School and he loves to do make up and he judge to mush about how people do their make up (that is what i think about him), and her friend Angie told him to get a job in Macy's. So ...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Lacey rated it really liked it

Shelves: t-l-307-books, identity-books

Putting Makeup on a Fat Boy follows Carlos Duarte's path to becoming a makeup artist, a virtual life long dream of his. Along this journey, however, Carlos encounters various personal struggles including bullying and homophobia, as well as his sister's struggle with an abusive relationship.
I believe this book strikes a great balance between light-hearted humor and tough, realistic issues. While almost all of the characters, especially Carlos, fit many character stereotypes a little too well, I ...more

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