Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution

Gr 8 Up—Angie is surrounded by memories of her sister. Her "can't-understand mother" has made sure their town will never forget Angie's sister's sacrifice in service to her country. Angie faces bullying at school because of her weight, sexuality, and a past suicide attempt. When usually soft-spoken Angie is suspended from school for breaking her tormentor's nose, her mother considers sending her to an inpatient treatment facility. Emboldened by a letter from her late sister, Angie defies her mother and embarks on a journey to fulfill her sister's last wish. Readers hoping for a road trip story may be disappointed, as the fated trip does not begin until halfway through the novel. There are graphic descriptions of Angie's assault by her school tormentors, but Angie remains a fairly flat, nondescript protagonist. With near-constant references to Angie's weight, her internal references to "Fat Angie" chief among them, readers may find this book to be depressing rather than empowering. Give teens Julie Murphy's Dumplin' or Amy Spalding's The Summer of Jordi Perez instead.