I have a love/hate relationship with this book. While I'll admit I enjoyed reading it, and do recommend it, I spent much of the story either rolling my eyes or shaking my head at Jesobel's choices. Why? Because much of the events in the story were easy to guess, and yet she would walk blindly into situations that could have been avoided. Yes, I know this is a YA book about a teen girl, and they don't always make the best choices, adults don't either for that matter. But the part I loved about Jesobel's character was the very thing she spends most of the book trying to change. No, not her looks, but her sense of self-worth and take charge attitude. When she starts listening to everyone else, I feel that for a while, she looses an important part of herself, trying to change for someone other than herself. Plus, changing yourself to gain someone else's approval is not likely to get you the result and happiness you crave. Be true to yourself, and attract the people who will accept you for you!

That said, there were things I enjoyed about this book. For one I loved Jesobel's personality when she isn't trying to change herself. She is comfortable in her own skin, and is okay with being different if it means she gets to be herself. She has supportive friends who like her for her! Hannah and Izzy of course, but also Alex, Fred, and Dom. While the guys might not be her best friends, they accept her, and that's a big part of this story. So many voices telling her to change who she is, and yet here is the group of people who don't care that she enjoys eating and doesn't have as slim a figure as the more popular girls.

The hardest part about reading this book, is that it seemed to stigmatize eating and being fat. I know people who hardly eat, and are over weight, while others eat all the time, and are still super thin. No one should feel that they need to starve, or work out until they pass out, just to stay thin and popular. It's not natural to eat only things that are good for you, but that lack all flavor. Yes, healthy is good, but food is meant to be enjoyed, even in small portions. To think that flavor equals fat, is an unhealthy way of thinking, and just because someone starves doesn't mean they are happy by the results.

This is a cute book, but I'm hard pressed to say I really enjoyed it. There's nothing wrong with the book, Jesobel Jones is a great narrator and her journey is realistic, inspiring, and heartbreaking. But what really killed Rebel with a Cupcake for me, was the humor. It was just so juvenile and so out of touch that it bogged down an otherwise serviceable story. There's a scene maybe two pages in where Jess laments on her favorit jeans she's had for two years and goes "OMG they've been washed don't worry that would be gross" and it was such a lame and immature joke for someone's inner monologue to make it ended up setting the tone for the rest of the story. Which, again, is a shame because this could have been a great body positive book akin to Fat Girl on a Plane or Dumplin, but as it is, the humor just turned this into a story that just wasn't for me.

When Jess gets called fat by the school mean girl, Zara on Own Clothes Day after a freak clothing ripping accident, she starts to doubt herself and her attitude towards her life choices such as her cupcake making and eating habit for one.



Hannah and Izzie her beat friends assure her it's not all bad as she's gained the attention of her secret crush, Matt and been asked by him to his party! But is he the boy of her dreams after all?



Her older sister Cat has suffered with an eating disorder it's hinted at, her mum encourages her to lose weight and so Jess begins questioning what she eats, when and why as well as taking up some exercise and eating less in general. But, she meets her blogger idol and gets asks to write a piece for her site after a chance meeting at her dads gig and so she swaps numbers with her idol and new friend quite possibly, Imogen and go shopping together.



The book deals with the issues of bullying and name calling in school, it can really effect peoples psyche and so is a key factor especially around the subject of weight as it could have sent Jess spiralling completely but eventually she owned her weight and who it makes her, A Rebel With A Cupcake as she calls herself online and good for her too!



A great book about not letting the bullies get you down, or at least not for long!



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!