Another one from my recent trip to the library.  I remember seeing/hearing about this book a few years ago.  Now I know why: everyone was busy praising it to the heavens.  And with good reason.


On a whim, I went on Rachel Cohn's website and I saw this author's name on her blogroll.  Isn't it great that good YA authors love each other? (Note: neither Alyson Noel or our friend Meg made the list.)

Virginia Shreve was born into a perfect family.  They all look perfect, are perfectly smart, and perfectly happy with their successful lives.  Virginia, however, is acutely aware of her many imperfections, namely her large figure (and the fact that, unlike the rest of the Shreves, she can't speak fluent French).  It doesn't help that her father is insensitive to her weight issues, her mother is expecting her to start getting into shape, and her older siblings - mainly BMoC Byron, whom she worships - don't really seem to acknowledge her.  Oh, and Virginia's been macking with a cute nerd, Froggy Welsh the Fourth, and he doesn't seem to want to acknowledge that in public.  Facing a year without her BFF Shannon, who has moved to Walla Walla, Virginia feels lost at school, convinced that she doesn't belong anywhere.  Her mother, a teen therapist who ought to know how to deal with her daughter's weight in a healthy way, takes her to a doctor and has her start on a huge diet.  Things start looking better as the pounds start to disappear, but then Byron is suddenly suspended from school, having been accused of date raped.  Virginia has lost her sense of direction, but before she can really hit rock bottom, she decides to take a chance and start acting out, since pleasing her family hasn't really worked so far.

I love Virginia!  And I love this book.  Reading about her struggles was gripping and realistic - watching her grow from dutiful daughter who hid how she felt into a strong, more outgoing person who took initiative with others was an incredible journey.  Slowly she realizes that she can do some things for herself, and they don't have to fit in with her mother's expectations.  I especially liked a later scene where Virginia shows how sorry she feels for the girl her brother date-raped.  Mackler has also perfectly captured the atmosphere of a high school, complete with the popularity caste system, weird and rude teachers, and the loneliness an outsider feels.  I like the relationship that develops between Virginia and the head Mean Girl, Brie - subtle, almost a sidenote to the drama at large, but reflecting Virginia's changing outlook on high school and its many inhabitants.  I only wish Ms. Crowley, as an overweight English teacher who reaches out to Virginia, was used more (however, she does give Virginia a real-life book called Body Outlaws, which is now on my list for Books To Watch Out For).  Also, I liked how frank Virginia is about her sexuality - not that she mentions it often - but the fact that she likes kissing and is curious about sex.

As for the family members, Byron and Mrs. Shreve top my list for Least-Liked Characters.  Virginia goes into how she and Byron used to be close, and it's heartbreaking how he treats her now.  Mrs. Shreve is even worse - as a therapist, she really should know that she's not exactly fostering a positive and warm environment for Virginia, passively-aggressively scheduling her doctor appointments, choosing her wardrobe for her, and basically just waiting for Virginia to slim down.  But I love that, as the book goes on, Virginia's worries about her weight subside, and she makes the decision to concentrate on what makes her happy, regardless if it results in her losing weight or not.

Rating: 4.5 Walla Walla sweatshirts out of 5.