- Home
- Childrens & Young Adults
- Teenage Waistland Reviewed By Amy Lignor of Bookpleasures.com
Teenage Waistland Reviewed By Amy Lignor of Bookpleasures.com
- By Amy Lignor
- Published December 1, 2010
- Childrens & Young Adults
Amy Lignor
Reviewer Amy Lignor: Amy is the author of a historical fiction novel entitled The Heart of a Legend, and Mind Made, a work of science fiction. Presently, she is writing an adventure series set in the New York Public Library, as well as a teen fiction series, The Angel Chronicles. She is an avid traveler and has been fortunate to have journeyed across the USA, where she has met the most amazing people, who truly bring life and soul to her books. She lives in the Land of Enchantment (for now) with her gorgeous daughter, Shelby, her wonderful Mom, Mary, and the greatest friend and critic in the entire world - her dog, Reuben
View all articles by Amy Lignor
Author: Lynn Biederman & Lisa Pazer
ISBN:
978-0-385-73921-4
Click Here To Purchase Teenage Waistland
Where do I begin? This is one of
those stories that hit so many nerves in me, that there’s not
nearly enough room to write about everything it made me feel.
These two authors have done an absolutely fantastic job of telling a
story that focuses on a subject touching so many lives – teenage
obesity. This review is coming to you from a girl who had to
battle this particular atrocity during high school; a girl who, when
she ran down the hall because she was late for class, inevitably saw
someone standing there making elephant noises and pretending that the
floor was shaking from the earthquake that was me. So, I must
say, I was absolutely thrilled when this book came to me, and I saw
that the authors had made sure this particular subject matter was
treated with kindness, sincerity, honesty, love, redemption, and
friendship.
We begin with Marci. Marci is sixteen
and weighs two hundred and eighty-eight pounds. Once upon a
time Marci loved her life, when she and her mom and dad were all
together as a family, and she was looking forward to the Ivy League
in her future. Unfortunately, her mother decided to leave Dad,
and they ended up in New Jersey living in a McMansion where Marci
inherited a young step-father and a ‘twit-orexic’ stepsister –
whose only goals in life are to make fun of Marci and work hard to
hone her cheerleading skills. Marci’s best friend Jennifer
already went over the border to Mexico to get the Lap-Band surgery
done on herself, and she’s been losing weight like crazy ever
since. She begs Marci to get the surgery done so that they can
both go out and get those hot, hot guys.
Marci and her
mother are sitting in the Midtown Sheridan on Park Avenue listening
to his miracle-worker doctor talk about this fantastic surgery for
teenagers. He’s sponsoring a clinical trial and is accepting
a very few teenagers to try this surgery out on. Most of the
conversation makes Marci sick. You see, Marci is one of the few
overweight teens who actually likes herself and thinks the surgery is
dangerous; even though her mother and best friend are constantly
putting her down she still likes the fact that she has a
brain.
Also in this clinical trial is a young girl named
East. East lives with only her Mom – who is overweight and
never gets off the couch anymore. Not a big surprise,
considering that East found her Dad’s body one day after he’d
committed suicide and her brother moved away and never speaks to them
anymore. East wants so badly to be accepted into this clinical
trial. She doesn’t want to end up like her Mom and
practically begs the doctor to let her in. East’s best friend
is named Char, who is absolutely beautiful. Yes, she’s
overweight, but stunningly gorgeous and is so excited about this
clinical trial that she’s eating like crazy in celebration of
losing all of the excess weight very soon.
Bobby is the
final main character in this touching tale. (It is so nice for
the authors to include a male figure in this book and treat him with
such wonderful kid-gloves). Bobby comes from a long line of
popular football players. Nicknamed the Refrigerator, he is
heralded by many fans in his school, his father, and his coaches, for
being a fantastically large, unstoppable player. Unfortunately,
for the rest of the world, Bobby doesn’t want to be a huge football
player; he wants more than anything to drop his three hundred and
thirty-five pound frame so that he can find a career he likes, and
also find a girl who will truly love him.
Each and
every character’s story is so different, but the authors all weave
their tales together like a perfect quilt. As the four teens
become closer and closer, secrets are uncovered, painful memories are
unleashed, and friendships – as well as romances – are born as
they get to know one another in therapy with Betsy Glass, the petite,
slightly annoying, psychiatrist.
This story is anything
but schmaltzy, and in an industry that seems to be producing largely
vampire stories, it was so refreshing to not only identify with these
teenagers, but really grow fond of each and every one. This is
a story that teaches strength, courage, and honesty. Most of
all, the amount of heart that these two authors have injected into
this tale, is far more overwhelming than anything I’ve read in a
very long time. Anyone out there who has ever looked in the
mirror and hated what they’ve seen should run out and get this
book. You’ll learn the most amazing lessons that will have
you feeling like a million bucks. A loud ‘Bravo’ to these
wonderful authors!
Click Here To Purchase Teenage Waistland