I’ve recently read a number of YA books and after my brother recommended it, I decided to read “Butter”. I found the concept quite interesting but felt like it could easily become very clichéd. However, I felt that it really worked and was gripped by the story. Lange’s writing style was easily accessible and I read the whole thing in just 2 days!
Essentially, the book is about an extremely overweight schoolboy who decides that he has had enough of dealing with his weight issues. However, a disturbing twist sees him making the decision to eat himself to an early grave, as opposed to trying to lose weight. The book deals with a number of themes, including: relationships with food, body image, bullying and the differences between online and real-life personas.
I thought that the decision to make the main character male was a refreshing choice and it was an interesting take on the theme of weight issues. The plot went a number of different ways and you were never 100% sure what the main character, Butter, was going to do next. For the most part, he was a relatable character and the issues he was dealing with (mainly how he is perceived by his peers) are accessible to everyone, even if you aren’t excessively overweight.
I also really liked the inclusion of online personas and found it interesting the ways in which Butter hid behind his screen. It was also an interesting exploration of how the real world differs so much from the digital world and again reinforces how easy it is to be deceived online.
On the whole I really enjoyed this book. It’s probably not for everyone but I thought it was an accessible and interesting read. It presents very serious issues with a weirdly comic slant and I found the character of Butter to be mostly likeable and I was rooting for him throughout the book.
PS. My song choice for this post is another one from my birthday albums. It’s a track called ‘Arrow’ by Rag ‘n’ Bone Man. I like the effects in the song & I think it’s a hidden jam of his debut album. Hope you enjoy it too!
