fat chance, charlie vega by Crystal Maldonado

25th book of 2021

Reading period: Mar 08th 2021 – Mar 20th 2021

Summary

Coming of age as a Fat brown girl in a white Connecticut suburb is hard. 
Harder when your whole life is on fire, though. 

Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it’s hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn’t help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter. 

But there’s one person who’s always in Charlie’s corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing–he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her? UGHHH. Everything is now officially a MESS.

A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tackles our relationships to our parents, our bodies, our cultures, and ourselves.

Rating

No rating

Review

I don’t really know what to think about this book; that’s why there is no rating.

The story is interesting as it gave the voice to a main character who isn’t enough represented in literature. Also, you have other themes reached by this book through the other characters.
However, I think that I am too old for the plot in itself. I feel like reading a book back when I was 14-15 years old (and I am 27).

I found that it was an overwhelming book, first with all the themes reached and then with Charlie’s thoughts. I understand why we needed them, but sometimes it shows that she is just a teenager, and it was hard for me to connect to her or any characters.

The part of the book with which I struggle the most is the ending, as it’s too sugarcoated for me. I understand that Charlie evolves, but I found that it didn’t match with the end.
Also, the book is slow for a good part, and then everything starts to go quickly.

You should read it and make your own opinion or just buy it as the cover is stunning and glossy.

Liz.