The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

With her best friend in Seattle, Virginia Shreves feels isolated in her sophomore class. At home she compares herself to her thin "perfect" siblings, and her teen psychologist mother has only enough time to highlight her failings. But when her brother is found guilty of date rape, Virginia is forced to reevaluate her family and herself. From confronting her mother to starting kickboxing, Virginia finds strength and self-acceptance. Johanna Parker's tone reflects the right mix for an urban upper-middle-class self-loathing teenager. Listeners will experience Virginia's growth as Parker delivers her challenges, triumphs, and setbacks with clarity and sincerity. J.M.S. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

July 21, 2003
"Chubby" New York City teenager Virginia Shreves is having a hard time: not only is her best friend, Shannon, spending the school year out west, but Virginia's being pressured about her weight by her family—especially her formerly fat mother, a prominent adolescent psychologist. Lonely and insecure, Virginia has even started to hurt herself. When the brother she worships is suspended from college for date rape, the news shocks Virginia into realizing that her "stellar" family isn't as perfect as her mother says it is, and that she doesn't have to conform to her mother's expectations. Mackler (Love and Other Four-Letter Words) occasionally uses a heavy hand when it comes to making her points ("Recently, I've been finding it harder to pretend that everything is A-OK"), and some of the plot elements, such as the overweight teacher who looks out for Virginia, or Virginia's discovery that a popular girl has an eating disorder, seem scripted. The date rape story line, on the other hand, is gutsy; her brother wasn't just accused of date rape, he actually committed the crime. Ultimately, readers will find it easy to relate to Virginia; she loves junk food, gets nervous about finding someone to sit with in the cafeteria and can't believe that Froggy, the boy she has secretly made out with after school, could be interested in her, not just using her. The e-mails she exchanges with Shannon, and the lists she makes (e.g., "The Fat Girl Code of Conduct") add both realism and insight to her character. The heroine's transformation into someone who finds her own style and speaks her own mind is believable—and worthy of applause. Ages 14-up.