Cherie Bennett

"If you can dream it, you can achieve it".
Life in the Fat Lane by Cherie Bennett .

2021 Reread. First read a very long time ago. See review below.

Realistic fiction..heartbreaking fiction.

Triggers..Bullying, overdose, attempted suicide, adultery, fat shaming.

OK..This seems to be a love it or hate it. I really enjoyed this book. It was real, gutteral and can easily break your heart. But I can see how it would not be for everyone.

Lara Ardeche is a beauty contest winner, a student in high school, miss popular and stunningly lovely. Has the world by the tail. What could go wrong?

She gains a few pounds..no big deal right. But then she gains another few pounds..and another..

When Lara first starts gaining weight she is not all that concerned. But suddenly her weight skyrockets out of control..the thing is she is not eating anything more then she always did and she is exercising too. What is happening to Lara?

To say this book is well written does not do it justice. I was so touched by this story and all the people in it. Sometimes when reading YA, it is a struggle because the book feels to (for lack of a better term) "teenage" for me. Not this one. Rarely have I been so moved by a YA book.

Some would argue and have argued that Lara is a cold mean person. That is true or at least certain aspects of her are. Nobody is black and white. We all have shades of gray. That is shown here, not just through Lara but through her family, her boyfriend and her friends.

There IS Fat Shaming here and I warn you it is brutal. But I do not think the author meant to insult overweight people. I think she is trying to show the pervasive effect of bullying. And she chose to do it by showcasing the life of a beauty queen who turns into everything she had once made fun of.

If you will think back to your high school years..ANYONE who was different was bullied. I know many a person who was picked on including myself. Among the issues myself and the people I know were picked on for include:

Weight of coarse BUT..

Glasses

Intelligence..being both to smart or not smart enough

Not having designer jeans

being to quiet

being to talkative

looking "dirty"

Reading to much

crying to easily

Anything and everything else one can think of.

Basically, this book is the opposite of Jemima J, a book I LOATHED and found way more offensive than this one.

But I think if someone has a tough time reading about bullying or teasing they may not like this book because alot of that happens here. So proceed with caution. I was impressed by the fact that the author did not neatly wrap things up as things are very rarely perfect and tidy in reality.

I would give this 4.5 stars. I found it to be an absorbing, deeply moving and well written book.… (mer)