The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

ISBN: 0763620912
ISBN-13: 9780763620912

Grade: A-

This title just spoke to me, whispering to come live in my bookcase.  I had never heard of Carolyn Mackler prior to this and aside from Harry Potter books, have not read a YA book in a long time.  What a fun book this was to read.  A little background on me...I was a fat kid, and have graduated into a fat adult, which is probably why this book called out to me.  In terms of identifying with the main character, I think anyone who has been an outsider, a misfit, or just gone through the typical teenage self esteem ups and downs can identify with this book and its main character Virginia Shreves.  Virginia is a chubby chick with a completely dysfunctional family (aren't all families dysfunctional) . Virginia is the youngest  and oddball of a family full of skinny brunettes.  She attends a school that's a bit on the yuppie snobby side where one is ostracized if one isn't pretty and popular or a jock. I devoured this book for a few reasons, 1- because it's a young adult book and rather short at 244 pages, and 2- because it was a fantastic read and I lost myself within its pages. Carolyn Mackler writes as if she was a chubby teen, even though she was not (maybe a chubby girl in a previous life), with such grace that you can instantly identify with Virginia even if your teen years are long behind you.  The ending was a pleasant surprise as well, reaffirming my faith that not all YA books have to end predictably.


There's a website that I belong to called GoodReads and they have a book swapping program that I have fallen in love with.  People can list books that they own and are willing to part with and other people can request these books.  It's a great way to get a cheap book and clean out your bookshelves.  Normally a book that I loved like this would not get swapped...ever.  I had a long internal debate with myself about this book and decided that the universe wanted me to share.  Of all the books that I've swapped, this was the hardest to let go, but I think it went to a good home and hopefully will be loved.