Fat Angie (Fat Angie, #1) in Mock Printz 2026

May 12, 2014 Carol Royce Owen rated it liked it

I think I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a teen version of the book She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Angie is a high school age girl who is torn up inside because her older sister, a girl who could have gone on to be anybody, and had been offered multiple sports scholarships, turned her back on them all and went off to fight in Iraq. Now she is missing in action, and despite all kinds of national press, a phone call from the president of I think I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a teen version of the book She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Angie is a high school age girl who is torn up inside because her older sister, a girl who could have gone on to be anybody, and had been offered multiple sports scholarships, turned her back on them all and went off to fight in Iraq. Now she is missing in action, and despite all kinds of national press, a phone call from the president of the US, and videos of torture, Angie refuses to believe she is dead. Since then her life has been a living hell as she has turned to junk food to fill the hole and has also attempted suicide, slashing her wrists at a basketball game, and then running out onto the court in a frenzy. Now she's the laughingstock of the school, the butt of jokes, bullying, and name calling. With every fight she is in at school, her mother gets angrier and angrier at Angie, demanding she stop drawing attention to herself and stop making their family even more embarrassed. This isn't helped any by her adopted brother, Wang, who makes sure their mom knows about every act of rebellion and who has issues enough himself to keep many counselors busy.

When a new, brassy, hard core girl comes to town, K.C. Romance, Angie is shocked when she takes an interest in her. But KC has issues herself that you learn of quickly - she's a cutter and her father refuses to accept that she's a lesbian. But KC helps Angie to believe in herself and even though nothing has been said between the two of them about it, Angie gets it in her head to train for the Varsity basketball team, to carry out her sister's name and honor.

Why did I not care for this book? I guess because I just didn't feel any of the characters were all that likable. Although Angie reminded me of someone I know, I felt things were too black or white with her, and therefore unbelievable. Her transformation from Fat Angie to super jock just seemed too sudden as did her sudden ability to speak up for herself (although it seemed it was a long time coming). The only decent adult was the gym teacher who cared for Angie, although she tended to ignore the blatant bullying that went on in the locker room. This all comes to a head one day when Angie's biggest tormenter drags her into the showers and attempts to strip her down and KC intervenes, demanding that the gym teacher do something. Angie's one advocate before KC arrives on the scene, is a neighbor boy and super cute jock, Jake - kind of the Finn Hudson (of Glee) nice guy, but I wanted more from his character. You get a hint that maybe there was something going on between he and Angie's sister, but there's never a big reveal to truly know what that was all about. KC was ok, but with so many issues of her own, I felt like she was a walking time bomb. Worst of all the characters is the mom. Think the lady who played Lorelei's mom on the Gilmore Girls, and take away any semblance of heart or soul, and you have this lady. Hateful, hateful, hateful.

So, I don't hate the book, but this will be one that I won't be buying a hard copy of to share.
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Mar 02, 2016 Christina Getrost rated it really liked it

Shelves: realisticfiction, sports, lgbtq-ya, audiobooks

A good realistic novel about self-esteem, denial, grieving, bullying, perseverance, family, and friendship. And some basketball thrown in there too. Angie is an overweight freshman who tried to commit suicide in a very public way--in the bathroom during a school pep rally--and is desperately hoping and believing that her older sister, missing for many months from her tour of duty in Iraq, will be found alive. The rest of her family and the whole town thinks her sister is dead by now, and it is t ...more

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Jun 08, 2015 Wendy rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult

Unlike many reviewers, I didn't really object to the "ALL the issues!" aspect of this novel. Sometimes life gets like that. In the past two weeks my little family has dealt with pinworms, depression, anxiety, a mysterious rash and a heart attack. Life just piles it all up on people. I always struggle with the Carrie-level meanness, because while I was bullied in middle school and early high school, it was never like that, and I never saw anyone else being treated with that level of organized hat ...more

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Feb 11, 2014 Jan rated it really liked it

Shelves: teenbooks, contemporary, lgbt

The ending was a bit meh, but I did love this story about Fat Angie, whose sister is MIA overseas and whose dysfunctional family is making her crazy. Little Miss Debbie snack cakes to the rescue, until Angie meets a new girl at school, KC, who, to Angie's disbelief, actually likes her. Add a sensitive guy neighbor named Jake and maybe, just maybe, Angie has a chance at happiness. Angie has a truly original voice and that is the best part of this novel about coming to terms with grief and a confu ...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Sarah rated it liked it

While I liked the Angie character very much, and found her voice authentic, I found the book as a whole to be very uneven. There were so many threads at once that as a whole it was a bit unbelievable for me. And I thought the KC was a bit of a caricature.
I think teens would like Fat Angie, and I can see it as a film (the book trailer was very good), but there were too many issues at once: bullying, suicide, cutting, gay teens, teens with relatives serving in the Gulf, sports, divorce, etc. It w ...more

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Jun 08, 2014 Brooke rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, queer, realistic-fiction, bullying, war

"Fat Angie" (as everyone calls her and as she thinks of herself) is struggling. Her mom is on her about her weight. Her older sister, who understood her, has been missing in the middle east for about a year (and everyone presumes she is dead), and her adopted brother, Wang never has her back (and even gets her into trouble). Angie has no real friends and is picked on at school a lot. One day out of the blue this beautiful quirky goth girl, KC Romance, befriends her. HER?! Of all people! Everyone ...more

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