Colby is the ugly duckling in her family, with even her mother calling her a ‘big fat disaster.’ Feeling unloved and tired of life she commits to ending her life, but instead her cousin dies instead while saving her life….
Title: Big Fat Disaster
Author: Beth Fehlbaum
ISBN: 1440570485 (ISBN13: 9781440570483)
Genre: Contemporary
Series: No
Reading Level/Interest Level: 9th grade +
Publisher: Simon Pulse
First Publication Date: March 18, 2014 (288 pages)
Available Formats on Amazon: e-book, paperback, hardback
Synopsis:
Colby looks nothing like her beauty pageant winning mother or look-a-like sisters, but look more like her father, a former linebacker. Her mother emotionally abuses her about her weight, trying to get her to lose weight any way possible. It is after a fight with her older sister, when Colby stumbles upon something that changes her family forever. Now, she is also blamed for ruining her family life. Her mother, younger sister, and her are now living in a small trailer in an even smaller town where her cousin is disliked and Colby is bullied for her weight.
After an embarrassing video of her posted and her mother blames her for it, Colby can no longer take it. Her mother doesn’t seem to care about her, so she gives into the desire to end her life, but it all goes wrong. The next thing she knows, Colby is on the side of the road and her cousin is the one dead while she is known as a would-be hero.
Colby must decide how she we will live her life now: confess to the misunderstanding, keep going with the lie, find a way to live, or try to commit suicide again.
Evaluation:
What an emotional book. This is a book that can be so difficult to read because of the content. Those with a sensitive heart maybe not be able to get through this one, or at least not without crying. The emotional abuse from Colby’s mother is not really addressed, but it is something that should be brought up in discussion as well, but I understand why it wasn’t mentioned much because of all that was going on in Colby’s life.
I found the characters to be quite one dimensional. Everyone has their role to play in this novel, so while they may have different personalities, everyone almost feels like game NPCs (non player characters). They move the story forward to get the main character where they need to go.
While I found the plot to be well written and flushed out, to me, some of the writing or sections of the book seemed awkward. Now, I’m pretty sure this is intentional, as a way to make the reader feel the emotions of the main character. The writing was very well done, bringing the reader in Colby’s position and understanding her position. I thought the scenes flowed decently well.
The tone is very bleak and as I mentioned before, this book can be difficult to read. There were times I cried while reading or even skipped a paragraph or so because I knew I didn’t want to be a part of the conversation/ situation that was about to go down.
Author Information from their website:
In addition to writing Young Adult Contemporary Fiction, Beth Fehlbaum is a high school English-Language Arts teacher who frequently draws on her experience as an educator to write her books. She has a B.A. in English, Minor in Secondary Education, and an M.Ed. in Reading.
Beth is a featured author on the 2015-2016 Spirit of Texas Reading List- High School for the Kirkus Starred Reviewed Big Fat Disaster(Merit Press/F+W Media, March 2014) and The Patience Trilogy (Courage, Hope, & Truth) (Steady On Books, April 2016).
Curriculum Ties:
- Health Ed (eating disorders)
- Psychology (emotional abuse)
Booktalking Ideas:
- I would probably preface this booktalk with a trigger warning, just in case. This is a sensitive issue and one I feel needs to be talked about, but also warned about in case people are not ready to hear about it.
- This is a character-driven book, so I would focus on Colby: who she is, how she is bombarded with horrible words, and what leads her to wanting to commit suicide.
Challenge Issues:
- Inappropriate topics/language for age group
Challenge Defense!
- Active listening
- Library Selection Policy
- Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
- Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
- Awards
- 2015-2016 Spirit of Texas-High School Reading List!
- National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
- Positive and negative reviews: Novelist (expert reviews), Goodreads, Amazon
- ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
- ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
Why this book:
I think this one brings up heavy topics that need to be addressed. While I do wish there was more body positivity brought up, I think this book will prompt needed discussion.
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