What do you think?
Rate this book
Worthy of Love
Adrian Carter is a young mixed-race teen struggling with poor self-image, but he's through with being bullied for his weight. Adrian decides to shed the pounds, no matter what it takes. When he meets and falls for Mel Woods, a confident and sensible girl with a passion for fitness, his motivation to change leads him to take dangerous measures. When Mel confronts Adrian about his methods of weight loss he is left trying to find a balance between the number on the scale and wondering if he'll ever be worthy of love.
- GenresYoung AdultFictionCanada
200 pages, Paperback
Published September 4, 2018
1 person is currently reading
116 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 2, 2018
I am a middle-aged woman, not exactly the target reader for a young adult novel! Nevertheless, this story connected with me. Andre Fenton uses clear language that will connect with his audience. I was taken back to the halls of high school, a time when all of us feel judged and time seems to be hurling us forward into a world of new responsibilities. When my son is old enough, I’ll be passing this book on because, as with all good fiction, he’ll step into the shoes of someone dealing with the usual problems of high school alongside the injustice of racism, toxic societal images of the way we should look, and the minefield of love. Get this for the teen in your life.
September 18, 2023
Julia: I just finished yet another #freebook entitled Worthy of Love by Andre Fenton given to me from @digitally_lit and @formacbooks . Also a huge thank you to @andrefentonauthor for writing this wonderful book!
This book follows Adrian Carter, who is a teen living in the West end of Halifax. He has a lot of issues with how he looks and wants to change so he takes up kickboxing and meets Mel, who has her own issues, but when things change is it for better or worse?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved how the writing felt so real and how I could imagine the characters. I just could not put down this book! Not only is the Author from Nova Scoria but also the setting is set in Halifax which is a part of Nova Scotia. My favourite part was when Mel and Adrian first met up at the coffee shop to exchange the albums Mel wanted!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars
This book follows Adrian Carter, who is a teen living in the West end of Halifax. He has a lot of issues with how he looks and wants to change so he takes up kickboxing and meets Mel, who has her own issues, but when things change is it for better or worse?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved how the writing felt so real and how I could imagine the characters. I just could not put down this book! Not only is the Author from Nova Scoria but also the setting is set in Halifax which is a part of Nova Scotia. My favourite part was when Mel and Adrian first met up at the coffee shop to exchange the albums Mel wanted!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars
November 14, 2018
This was a really good perception of someone struggling with an eating disorder. It proves that men can struggle with self-image too, and the added fact of being mixed race adds to the reality that eating disorders do not discriminate; anyone can be affected and the disease should not be taken lightly.
Added plus, the book takes place in Halifax, and the mention of Yarmouth (where I was born and raised) added extra bonus points to the book for me! :)
Added plus, the book takes place in Halifax, and the mention of Yarmouth (where I was born and raised) added extra bonus points to the book for me! :)
April 10, 2021
cw: eating disorders
Adrian is a mixed kid in grade 10 who is having a hard time. He's regularly picked on for his weight, deals with racism and microaggresions, and struggles with his body image.
I had to stop this book multiple times because I was crying so much.
We have a lot of depictions of young women coping with eating disorders, but frighteningly few of non-cisgirls. I think this is an extremely important book for several reasons, but primarily for the fact that girls are not the only people who develop eating disorders and negative body images.
The author started writing this when he himself was a teenager, and I think that created a wonderfully authentic voice. It feels like a teenager relaying his story, in his words, the way he went through it. This is shown most strongly in the narrative itself. I found the dialogue a little mature for kids in grade 10 though.
One thing I was really hoping for was
At times it felt like the characters were the author's mouthpiece. I didn't agree with every conclusion they came to. For example, .
There were some pretty turns of phrase thoughout the book.
I hope this book picks up traction. I think it's an important read for teens and adults alike. You're allowed to be vulnerable. You're allowed to make mistakes. You're allowed to change. You're allowed to get help.
In addition to the value of Adrian's story, I think it's also important to acknowledge Mel's role. Not her struggles, but how her simple act of reaching out to someone in need transformed his entire life. She made a positive difference just by being kind. I think that's something we all should keep in mind when we see people near us struggling.
Adrian is a mixed kid in grade 10 who is having a hard time. He's regularly picked on for his weight, deals with racism and microaggresions, and struggles with his body image.
I had to stop this book multiple times because I was crying so much.
We have a lot of depictions of young women coping with eating disorders, but frighteningly few of non-cisgirls. I think this is an extremely important book for several reasons, but primarily for the fact that girls are not the only people who develop eating disorders and negative body images.
The author started writing this when he himself was a teenager, and I think that created a wonderfully authentic voice. It feels like a teenager relaying his story, in his words, the way he went through it. This is shown most strongly in the narrative itself. I found the dialogue a little mature for kids in grade 10 though.
One thing I was really hoping for was
At times it felt like the characters were the author's mouthpiece. I didn't agree with every conclusion they came to. For example, .
There were some pretty turns of phrase thoughout the book.
I hope this book picks up traction. I think it's an important read for teens and adults alike. You're allowed to be vulnerable. You're allowed to make mistakes. You're allowed to change. You're allowed to get help.
In addition to the value of Adrian's story, I think it's also important to acknowledge Mel's role. Not her struggles, but how her simple act of reaching out to someone in need transformed his entire life. She made a positive difference just by being kind. I think that's something we all should keep in mind when we see people near us struggling.
February 4, 2021
*2.5-3*
This book was okay. I wasn't expecting anything out of this world, so I can't say I was disappointed. I found the story to be a bit juvenile in regards to the portrayal of eating disorders, but then again, I would say this book is meant for people ages 12-16. I would have liked it if Adrian learned to love himself for himself, not because Melody told him to. That would have added more depth to the story, I think. Melody reminded me of that weird Tumblr phase in 2014 of #girlboss and I can't say that I appreciated that. The whole "rebellious teenage girl that wants to turn the patriarchy into a matriarchy" is something that I've seen a lot of. I think what people don't understand is that you can have a badass female character without her having internal misogyny. Moving on, I know that Scarlett was supposed to be the tough love character, but many of the things she said came off as insensitive and overall rude. She never really acknowledged Adrian's eating disorder and instead focused on how he was treating Melody (not to say that what he did was excusable, I just found it not as important). I also found it weird that Adrian's parents were never really mentioned at all except when talking about race. Race made some brief appearances that I thought were kind of pointless to the story, but it wasn't horrible.
This book was okay. I wasn't expecting anything out of this world, so I can't say I was disappointed. I found the story to be a bit juvenile in regards to the portrayal of eating disorders, but then again, I would say this book is meant for people ages 12-16. I would have liked it if Adrian learned to love himself for himself, not because Melody told him to. That would have added more depth to the story, I think. Melody reminded me of that weird Tumblr phase in 2014 of #girlboss and I can't say that I appreciated that. The whole "rebellious teenage girl that wants to turn the patriarchy into a matriarchy" is something that I've seen a lot of. I think what people don't understand is that you can have a badass female character without her having internal misogyny. Moving on, I know that Scarlett was supposed to be the tough love character, but many of the things she said came off as insensitive and overall rude. She never really acknowledged Adrian's eating disorder and instead focused on how he was treating Melody (not to say that what he did was excusable, I just found it not as important). I also found it weird that Adrian's parents were never really mentioned at all except when talking about race. Race made some brief appearances that I thought were kind of pointless to the story, but it wasn't horrible.
May 20, 2019
Title provided via netgalley for an honest review
I really enjoyed this. It's very hard to find YA/Teen books with substance. People are so scared to talk and write about real things in a fictional context that they avoid it all together. This tackles some very usual topics - eating disorders for men. What? That's a chick-only thing....isn't it? NOPE! I am so proud that there is this kind of book out there because book diversity isn't only about culture. It also includes soci-economic and gender diversity too. I think this book came out at a great time in the whole #fragilemasculinty thing so the timing was really well done.
Additionally, having worked at a bookstore, it's really hard to find stories geared more towards males. I mean, I think boys can read stories with female leads and be fine, but unfortunately there are just those close-minded adults who have kids and they push that ideal on their kids. So hopefully, if a parent loves their son, a book that discusses something this unusual or arguably stigmatized is something they would encourage them to read. Kudos.
4.25 stars.
I really enjoyed this. It's very hard to find YA/Teen books with substance. People are so scared to talk and write about real things in a fictional context that they avoid it all together. This tackles some very usual topics - eating disorders for men. What? That's a chick-only thing....isn't it? NOPE! I am so proud that there is this kind of book out there because book diversity isn't only about culture. It also includes soci-economic and gender diversity too. I think this book came out at a great time in the whole #fragilemasculinty thing so the timing was really well done.
Additionally, having worked at a bookstore, it's really hard to find stories geared more towards males. I mean, I think boys can read stories with female leads and be fine, but unfortunately there are just those close-minded adults who have kids and they push that ideal on their kids. So hopefully, if a parent loves their son, a book that discusses something this unusual or arguably stigmatized is something they would encourage them to read. Kudos.
4.25 stars.
June 12, 2019
I really did enjoy this book! It was an easy book to read through, but yet it was so difficult. I guess the reason why it was so difficult was that it hit so close to home and it was hard to actually see/read your exact emotions. I completely understand the mentality of the main character and his feelings of disgust and frustrations, only because i’ve been in a similar situation as him. I feel like this is an incredibly important book because it touches on eating disorders in men, which is not heavily talked about, and it starts that conversation. Overall, really good book
April 7, 2019
This novel is thought provoking and more emotionally in tune with today’s youth then most novels being marketed in the YA genre. It was a pleasure to be taken on Adrian’s journey, even during the raw moments of despair that the main character faces as Fenton’s writing connects to the inner voices we all have, asking “am I good enough?”. I promise you won’t be able to put this story down!
I look forward to reading his next novel and prominently showcasing this one in my own classroom.
I look forward to reading his next novel and prominently showcasing this one in my own classroom.
September 5, 2019
This book has such a powerful message, and shares a voice and perspective that we don't often see in literature and on film. I think it will help many young boys struggling with self-esteem, bullying, body image and masculinity and let them know they aren't alone in the world. It also teaches accountability and owning your mistakes, and respect for women - so many important life lessons. Well done Andre!
October 5, 2020
Incredible read
I sat in a park with the intention of starting this book with my partner. We read it through in its entirety, handing the book back and fourth taking turns reading each chapter. We fought over who got to read the last chapter! Amazing story, excellent writing which was very readable and captivating. We laughed out loud. We cried. Andre is incredibly talented as an author and I highly recommend reading all his work.
I sat in a park with the intention of starting this book with my partner. We read it through in its entirety, handing the book back and fourth taking turns reading each chapter. We fought over who got to read the last chapter! Amazing story, excellent writing which was very readable and captivating. We laughed out loud. We cried. Andre is incredibly talented as an author and I highly recommend reading all his work.
March 26, 2022
Honestly, I had high hopes but was extremely underwhelmed by this book. I know it’s YA but there are so many ways to write YA that aren’t hammering you over the head with points and life lessons. This just felt so cheesy. Everything was explicitly said, every point and every message. While I appreciate a narrative about eating disorders told from a male perspective, this book didn’t come across as genuine to me and didn’t teach me anything memorable.
December 9, 2018
3.5 Important topic, valuable info and perspective.
January 30, 2019
Andre’s writing is fresh & honest - great new voice!
October 2, 2020
Enjoyed the idea behind this a lot, I think it has a very fresh and important perspective, just wish the actual writing was better! A lot of the tropes came up again and again with the same wording
March 5, 2023
this book was a good idea for awareness but was written very outdated and cringy and was a very un enjoyable book club read
March 14, 2023
Great book, very heartfelt and hard hitting
May 9, 2020
Fenton's intuitive ability to weave crucial topics within raw, and vulnerable characters makes this novel a must read for everyone. I'm hooked and looking forward to his future works.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews