I wasn’t keen on this at all and I usually enjoy a protagonist on a journey of self love, sadly I just found this fullof so much hate at the start, herself, and others, but then she's also thinks better than everyone else too it’s not realistic , I wanted to love this being a big girl myself but this isn’t the book for me, there’s plenty of other good YA rep for body positivity but this isn’t it, it’s a sad one for me too as I love Jo Watson adult books.

This was a quick and emotional read. I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would, but a still a good book.

I had to DNF this book as I really struggled to engage with the character or the story. Not for me, unfortunately. :(

I simply think I am no longer the target audience for a book like 'Big Boned' and that is okay. This book is about two characters in high school and them dealing with the troubles of life and also finding themselves.
It was simply an okay book and I think it will definitely be a book that will have a big impact on someone who really needs this book but that simply was not me and therefore this book was not my favourite.

This did take me a while to get into and put down briefly. However, after giving it a second chance, I fell in love with this story and the characters. As Jo Watson is my favourite adult romance author, I was looking forward to seeing her first dip into YA. This felt like such an empowering story and I loved the development we saw in Lori and decided to give this 4 stars.

This was a really enjoyable read and I loved the central character, Lori. This is a story about school, belonging, and family, and it deals with these things with realism and depth.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I had tried this one a couple of times and just couldn't get into it, however, I believe this will reach so many people who need to hear this story and I really hope it gets to them and they carry it with them.

I have tried to read this book three times now as I really wanted to love it given the fact that I really want to champion plus size rep in books however I found this to be so hard to read. The writing style was just so full of clichés and I just didn't want to pick it up.

Lori has just moved to a new school that seems like a stereotype of every American High school where girls are thin and pretty with glossy hair and OTT school spirit and the boys are impossibly handsome, sporty and have six packs. Will a big girl who likes art ever fit in?

I applaud what the author is trying to do here, and it’s amazing to read about a girl who doesn’t fit into certain stereotypes succeeding in a world where once upon a time she wouldn’t. However, I can’t get past all the clichéd coincidences that just seem to happen and some unbelievable plot points that would never occur in real life.

I think representation is important, so I think for many teenagers, it will be nice to be able to pick up a book and see a part of themselves in Lori. However, it was all just too fantastical and clearly not grounded in reality, which is a huge shame.

The book does promote some really positive messages but it lacked any real depth. I wanted her to dig under the surface but it just didn’t come. The plot was also incredibly thin on the ground and Lori became irritating and maddening at times.

I don’t know, I was somewhat disappointed.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Lori Palmer is a plus sized artist hoping to attend a prestigious art school. But after her parents divorce, a big move and looking after her autistic brother her voice seems to be lost. ⁣
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Starting her new school does not get off to a good start. Sweaty and nervous she definitely makes a first impression but probably not the one she'd have liked!
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For me Lori was a very relatable character. Being a bigger girl and struggling with weight really spoke to me. Although her lack of confidence is where we differ. ⁣
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The first 30% of this book took some time to warm up. I wasn't sure if I was going to carry on. It was very high school drama and that's just not a subject I tend to read about. But that's just down to personal taste not the books content. However after the initial hump I really got into the book!!!⁣
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It wasn't a classic 'big girl loses weight and gets hot' kinda book. Lori worked with a therapist to learn to love the body she's in which was really refreshing! Some of the advice given in the book was amazing and anyone struggling with their self identity I'd urge you to read this! ⁣
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Not only did she learn to love herself she also found a way to confront her parents about their break up and talk to about how it effected her. Something I can imagine is very difficult! ⁣
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She also used her paintings to spark a movement on some very important subjects. Which was thought provoking and very positive. ⁣
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Overall a very uplifting book with a fabulous set of characters ☺️

3.5 stars

Lori is the newest student at Bay Water High and she feels like she doesn’t belong. A talented artist, with her worth being judged on her skills and accomplishments in her last school, this new world of perfect images doesn’t seem to have room for her plus size body.

In response, Lori tries to fade into the background.

Then her brother becomes friends with Jake, the hottest guy at school. Jake isn’t only hot, he is also popular and the star of the school water polo team. He also seems to, inexplicably, like spending time with Lori.

This brings out Lori’s anxiety, which she responds to with a public art piece that starts a movement she had not intended to start. No one knows it was Lori and when the opportunity comes to speak out with more public art, Lori has to decide if speaking up for herself (and others) is worth possibly getting thrust into the public eye and getting into trouble.

I enjoyed this body positive read. I believe it is an important topic that belongs on the shelves of most libraries – private and public.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Children’s UK and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my impartial review. All opinions are my own.

Big Boned by Jo Watson is now available.

Lori is so relatable and without a doubt everyone will find something that calls to them. A YA novel with so much meaning and a great coming of age story!

I DNF’d this book at 45%

The story was fine although I didn’t feel like it had all that much direction. But mostly I just didn’t like the way it was written. The pacing felt weird and I just couldn’t get into it. The main character was fine but again it’s nothing to write home about. Overall, I just wasn’t very invested and didn’t want to waste anymore time on it if I wasn’t enjoying it

I couldn’t finish this book. I really really wanted to love it but I can’t explain why, it just didn’t connect with me.

“I’ve long suspected that mirrors were invented by some gorgeously, stick thin, yet completely sinister creature just to torment girls like me”

Lori is a funny, sassy (yet she-doesn’t-know), overweight teenager who moves to a different city where everyone is skinny and perfect. Needles to say she doesn’t think she belongs there and has difficulties in accepting herself.
I really liked the book, which was clearly aimed at YA, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The story covered some heavy topics, which were dealt with in a lighter way. I know it was the theme of the book, but I felt like there was way too much body shaming in there, a little over the top in my opinion.
Despite the recurring heavy themes, the story was a bit cheesy at points, but I wasn’t really expecting anything different for a YA.

I really liked the MC, but it was very hard to read how she felt towards her body at the beginning, but the change that she made by the end is just incredible. She finally understands that everyone has insecurities, even the beautiful and skinny.
I wish more people – teenagers and grownups alike – would learn how to appreciate their bodies, because we are all different and it is important that we don’t all look like a copy of each other.
I didn’t give 5 stars, only because the ending was disappointing to me, but literally only the last paragraph. I was very content with how everything was going, and then the author put in that last paragraph that made me cringe and think “NO, just no”.

I haven’t seen this book on IG at all, but I wish it was read more for the messages it contains.
It was my first book ever with a South African setting – Cape Town to be more precise – and I really enjoyed seeing the perspective of a new country.

Trigger warning: suicide, body shaming, panic attacks

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for approving this e-ARC

A must-read coming of age story tackling issues of fatphobia, self-esteem, and learning to love yourself. The protagonist was compelling and I became fully invested in her story.

I love these type of books.
They are real and what life is like at school when you do not fit the mold.
Lori is a lovely character she is warm, bubbly and down to earth. Things change after her parents divorce so Lori has to get used to the changes, its not good when all the girls look like Barbie and have a rich social life.
While taking her brother to school she meets Jake who happens to be really popular.
I really enjoyed reading this book, I read this quite quickly as i really wanted to find out about Lori and how things ended up for her.

Despite being (a lot) older than the target audience, I found Big Boned to be an really empowering read. I was surprised of how much of what Lori learns and what is said by her therapist were things that I really need to hear myself.

Reading partly as an internal monologue, you get a real insight into Lori’s character. I found her to be incredibly relatable and I particularly liked that her journey to happiness wasn’t an easy one or an overnight success story. This made her experiences feel all the more real.

In a world where absolute perfection seems to be the order of the day, I think this is a really important book for all teenagers to read to help them learn to accept themselves and their individuality.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me for arc

I really wanted to enjoy this one but it was just a little bit too young for me so it fell short in that sense but i think it is a really good book for the target demographic and think many young people will find comfort in this book.