Rate:
3/5
Goodreads Description:
Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for every possibility life has to offer. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.
Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone.
Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.
Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone.
Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.
Review:
I am conflicted on this book. It wasn't a bad book, far from it but I am not 100% sure how it made me feel. It was cruel, characters where cruel to them, to Libby really and Jack for liking Libby.
Instead of cruel, you COULD say that the characters were brutally honest. Libby had a good self esteem which I feel like in her situation is something to be admired, considering that in today's day and age teenage girls with more weight than is considered "attractive" by society, have serious self esteem issues, and even if they DO fit the standards, it is never thin enough. But not Libby, she owns herself, she will call herself out on herself before anyone else. Almost in a if you can't beat them join them matter. I wouldn't go ahead and call it self destructive cuz that almost feels wrong butttt... I mean.. she did kinda beat herself down in the process is having a strong self esteem.
Now, what with Jack having prosopagnosia, THAT was incredibly frustrating, not in a bad way but in a good way, creating empathy for the character and this disorder that his has, like, I simply would not be able to deal properly if I wasn't able to recognize people. Personally I am a very paranoid person so to have to think that my roommates coming into the house or my mother, and that I wouldn't know them, I would be freaking out most of the time.
I had no idea that this even existed, so yay for THAT awareness.
I feel like the characters were good ones, that even though the book wasnt something that I was dying over that it is still very much worth while as we do see a solid and realistic change in the characters and that is something that is seriously appreciated on my shelf.
Recommend it?
Yeah I do.
