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 … 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?
Because it’s time people did.
A sensitive, funny, and painfully honest 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.
A New England Book Award Winner
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year
An NPR ‘Book We Love!’
more
I have to say, Fat Chance, Charlie Vegas by Crystal Maldonado is a book I was not expecting.
It is a good thing too. The voice in this book is unlike any other book I have read recently. Maldonado wrote this book upholding such a vivid voice with Charlie that I could not get her out of my head. I could feel her emotions, and most importantly, her struggles.
See more on my site: http://www.heyitscarlyrae.comCrystal Maldonado
I was very excited to read this book, not only is the cover absolutely gorgeous but the story seems so relatable and Charlie was such a breath of fresh air. A nice, fun and (once again) relatable teenage. Of course, Charlie is self-conscious, this is due to her fitness and health obsessed mother who is constantly drawing attention to the food Charlie is eating and her weight. Charlie is also comparing herself to her best friend Amelia a very pretty, athletic girl who is constantly being chased by boys (including Charlie’s crush). Plus, Charlie has never had a boyfriend much less never been kissed.
What I loved about this story was that the romance was cute, but Maldonado gave equal time to Charlie’s friendship and focused, also, on the relationship with her mother. I love when authors are able to balance their characters and plot well. Maldonado’s writing is fun and easy, although I really did not like the argument between Amelia and Charlie which was the reason why Charlie had strife with Brian. Also, I felt we didn’t get too much in the way of closure with Charlie and her mother.
Overall, a very delightful coming-of-age story.
Guys! My heart turned into a gooey mess reading this book. Yes it’s YA, and it’s about a 17 year old, but I felt all the feels. I didn’t ever feel like this was too teeny-boppery (it’s a word!) and highly recommend it to everyone who it looking for an easy to read, coming of age story that will pull at your heart strings.
The synopsis of this book doesn’t do the story justice. An incredibly relatable story with an open, friendly & honest voice. This tore my heart to shreds, my heart went out to Charlie again and again, praying the awkward heartbreaks on the horizon weren’t coming. Also, I do not have words for how much I dislike Charlie’s mom, literally cannot with her awfulness. This is the kind of book that I wish had been around when I was a teen, watching Charlie grow and learn and advocate and still struggle with her fatness, in an ultimately positive way, is a story that would have meant so much to me at that age (And honestly even as an adult it still chipped away at some of my own still lingering self doubt). And a shoutout for happy queer secondary characters.
As a fat girl I feel like this book reached into the depths of my soul and put words to the feelings and fears I have had my whole life. Seriously, this book absolutely blew me away, and I don’t say that lightly. I am not a huge reader of YA contemporary or romance, but this book has sky rocketed to the top of my list this year. Because this books isn’t about romance, not really. Sure most of the book centers around Charlie searching for a love that she deserves, but what I enjoyed and what will stick with me long after putting the book down is the exploration of fat acceptance and the value of self empowerment. Crystal Maldonado tells the riveting story of a young Fat brown girl who just wants to be empowered and loved in a world that seems to value the size of one’s body more than anything.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is funny, and charming, but it is also raw and real. I felt Charlie’s pain as she fights for her mothers acceptance, and her disappointment as she constantly feels inferior to her best friend in every way. I related to the way that coming of age is hard for anyone and sometimes much harder coming to age in a larger body.
This book is an easy 5/5 for me and will have a spot on my shelves for years to come. The only thing I do have to say is that I am glad I didn’t read the description before reading as it spoils a plot point that doesn’t happen until 3/4ths of the way into the book. However I will recommend this to each of my friends without hesitation.
Ok so I’m not a huge YA reader, but every now and then I’ll pick it up for a change of pace. I really enjoyed this book! 4.5 for me!
Charlie is 16 going on 17, she’s an overweight brown girl living in the white Connecticut suburbs. She lost her father a few years ago, and her mother is all about getting skinny, and they argue all the time. Her best friend Amelia is beautiful and perfect. Amelia is such a great friend to her though.
Charlie is very self conscious about her weight and always feels inferior to her skinnier friends. When Charlie starts talking to Brian, her high school classmate who also works with her, they definitely feel a connection. He’s such a great character, a really sweet guy. Charlie is so happy, but can things possibly go this well for her?! You’ll have to read to find out.
Let me say, this book is a very light, contemporary YA. It’s an easy read! It’s a good book to just escape to, kinda brings you back to those younger days! I thought the friendships and relationships were pretty realistic, and I liked seeing Charlie grow throughout the book!
This was hard to read at times. It dealt with difficult issues in beautiful ways. My biggest pet peeve in YA romances is when blame isn’t shared around, it’s all dumped on one person (looking at you, Melody Mcintyre, looking at you) and was so happy this didn’t have that! The apologies, forgiveness, and hard lessons applied to everyone and every character dealt with them in real ways.
A story that all need to read especially teenagers. While I have not personally heard some of these phrases, I have had other messages given to me that have made my self-confidence waver and put a lot of self- doubt in me. I hope through reading these stories, it helps me in raising and supporting strong girls as they grow into their own.
A multi-layered story about a fat, brown girl, making her way through high school, who desperately wants to come first with her family, friends, and a first boyfriend. A smart, real, and entertaining view of her journey to self-discovery, as she navigates relationships, old and new. Loved the hand-holding scene . . . truly brought back memories of what first experiences feel like.
This book feels like your best friend giving you a hug — it’s warm and sweet and healing.
A sweet and cheerful debut, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega moves with rom-com energy and a whole lot of awkward, goofy, chubby-girl-with-a-crush-on-a-boy vibes.
Charlie is learning to love herself, which is a hard task when she feels like she can’t measure up to her best friend, Amelia. Her mother is constantly pressuring her to lose weight, not only by unhealthy means such as pyramid scheme supplement shakes but by shaming her as well. There is so much pressure in high school to fit in, and Charlie has so much going on, she’s not sure of her place in the world. But she’s slowly finding her niche.
Charlie has such a good heart. She’s strong and caring, has an incredible sense of fashion, and if she could see herself through other’s eyes, she would realize just how amazing she truly is. Her anxiety makes her relatable, and she has good coping skills. Maldonado did an outstanding job bringing the characters and issues within to life. I loved her friendship with Amelia because it wasn’t perfect, which made it incredibly real. Overall, a super fun read.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, is an impressive debut novel with a strong voice and powerful message about loving your body and yourself.
Go, Charlie Vega!
What was so incredible about this novel was Charlie Vega. Charlie is a character any reader can connect to because she is so incredibly written.
Charlie is fat, and she owns it, and it sends a powerful message about loving your body. She struggles with a perfect friend in every way she is not, but that is the point; Charlie is perfect in her way. It is realistic, this idea that our bodies have to look a certain way, but Maldonado challenges that. It is a beautiful concept to bring to life and essential for young girls and boys to learn that there is no specific way to look and that we should love ourselves just as we are.
What also makes Charlie so great is how creative she is. She is an aspiring writer, and Maldonado tells the story wonderfully through her. The reader gets to connect to Charlie on an emotional level as she struggles to find the love for herself she should have, as she deals with boys and romance, and a stressful relationship with her mother. Her emotions fly off the pages and connect to the reader, and her use of language is precise and emotional, giving Fat Chance, Charlie Vega the depth it needs to flow.
Realistic
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tells a story about a girl in a wonderfully realistic way. Maldonado is terrific in her storytelling because this is one any girl can connect to no matter their shape. Her stressful relationship with her mother obsessed with body image is impressive. Here, a woman was so unhappy with the way she looked that she tries to force her unhappiness onto her daughter. There is much tug and pull between them as they try to understand one another, but there is also growth.
Her mother does not see that it is possible to be happy with one’s shape, and Charlie tells her how she is. She shows her and the reader how it is possible to love yourself.
There is also her relationship with her friends and boyfriend. Charlie’s struggle with loving herself bleeds into her relationships. The reader sees how she reacts, how she thinks, and empathizes with her. It makes for a thoughtful and realistic journey for the reader, allowing a genuine connection between Charlie and the reader.
Final Thoughts
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, is an incredible and thoughtful story that shows and connects with readers on an emotional level and shows them how important it is to love yourself and your body.