In Big Boned, Jo Watson introduced readers to Lori. Lori is an artist, a sister, a daughter, and dealing with some internal and external bullies. The book touches on themes of fat phobia, growing up too fast, betrayal, love and heartbreak and so much more. This book is a good read but it’s not without its flaws. There are some parts of the book that feel decidedly body positive and others that feel like they perpetuate fat phobia and stereotypes that a makeover is the only way to make a fat girl confident, pretty, and successful.

The strongest message to get out of this book is its emphasis on body positivity and loving yourself for everything you are, flaws and all. I was in tears at the end of the book, as Lori learns to love herself for the person she is. ALSO, JAKE?!?!! HE IS A DREAM. A TOTAL HUNK, THAT'S FOR SURE. The way he teaches Lori to love herself for who she is makes my heart swoon. I think my favourite characters from this book are Zac and Lisa. They are some of the most adorable children you will ever meet. I love how Jake and Lori connect through their siblings; their friendship is a strong and powerful one, that's for sure. The book ended perfectly, and I love how the author emphasized society's obsession with constantly being perfect all the time. We need more people like Lori who are not afraid to speak their mind, whether its verbally or through their art. A MUST READ FOR SURE!

4 stars

Big Boned is a heartfelt coming of age story about Lori, a young artist whose life was turned upside down several years ago when her parents got divorced, and she is still struggling with the fallout of it during her senior year of high school. Uprooted from the comfortable school life she had built at her art school with her small, tight-knit group of friends, Lori finds herself dropped into a world of glitz and glam and perfection which she feels very much out of place in. All her life, Lori has dealt with body image and self-esteem issues as a “big boned” girl, and when the most popular, good looking guy at her new school starts showing interest in her, she finds herself confused and in denial, because how could he possibly find someone like her interesting and attractive?

As a coming of age, young adult romance, this book does include many of your typical high school drama cliches, yet there is depth to the plot that was refreshing for the genre. I have to admit that I usually stay away from high school romances since I am not part of the targeted demographic and often am unable to completely relate to the circumstances and mindsets of the characters. Lori’s insecurities and negative perceptions of herself were often hard for me to read because they seemed so naive and somewhat ridiculous, but then once I forced myself to step back into the shoes of high school Miel, I felt less disconnected.

Overall, I really enjoyed Lori’s relationship with her autistic younger brother, and the slow-burn relationship that she formed with Jake. I also liked the social justice aspects of the story as well. I feel the writing is very strong and the descriptions of places in the book made me want to pack up and travel to South Africa!

TWs: Bullying, fat shaming, discussions of gender-based violence, suicidal ideations, anxiety/panic episodes

This was very enjoyable and a cute rom-com that is clear throughout in what it’s intending to do – allow a fat girl to be the main character in a rom-com and more than deserving of a happy ending.

I can’t speak to the accuracy of the representation but the author has included fat and autistic rep (two different characters), as well as mental illness and anxiety rep, and it all feels that it really humanizes this YA story. Heads up for some content warnings related to these: self-body shaming, trauma, flashbacks of childhood bullying.

This is a cutesy story and it’s meant to be and it fully hit the ‘rom-com’ brief. It feels very much like a typical teen movie in book form. I enjoyed the relationship and especially the portrayal of the younger siblings and how the characters could bond over their role as eldest. The inclusion of therapy was also wonderful and so great to see the character’s progression in handling their trauma.

My only complaint was that the narration felt really over the top in the way it almost seemed to reflect someone’s diary (lots of OMGs and cringing reactions). It was very clearly an author writing a character so it was difficult to immerse myself in the story when the main character didn’t feel real.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "Big Boned" by Jo Watson focuses on the life of the main character, Lori Palmer, who has just moved to Cape Town, alongside her mother, who has lost any idea of how to be a mother and does not seem to be bothered by it, and Zac, her autistic brother. The book is set in South Africa, I am very happy to find and read books with a non-US setting. I would like to take some time and discuss the fat representation in this book, as a fellow plus-sized woman. While I partially did feel seen and many people most probably related to Lori entirely, one of the things that truly did not sit right with me is having a fat character who is first and foremost fat. There is so much more to Lori - she is a true artist, an awesome sister, incredibly compassionate and intelligent. Unfortunately, in the book Lori is all these things in spite of being fat. I really want to see a plus-sized character who is capable of being more than their body and the insecurities they may have because of it. Her love-interest, the "popular sports guy" Jake, also was an absolute sweetheart, to the point that he was so sweet, unproblematic and overall perfect, it started to seem a little unrealistic. The whole love story seems a little flat to me, as if it was written only to prove that the fat girl can actually get the handsome popular boy. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this happening, but it all happened so easily and also quite fast, it looks a bit utopian. Moving forward, I feel like autism truly was not represented in the best way, in the book it is mentioned a few times that Zac does not handle affection/physical touch very well unless he initiates it, yet twice, I believe. Lori happens to "steal" a hug from him. I am left with the impression that a little bit more research on this topic or maybe a sensitivity reader would have been pretty helpful. The writing style was not particularly my taste, there was so much effort put into making Lori relatable and the story believable, to the point that neither of those goals where achieved. The trigger warnings include bullying, divorce, alcoholism, fat shaming, neurodivergence, infidelity, panic attacks, anxiety, mentions of people gone missing and abusive behaviours, etc. While "Big Boned" is a rather quick read and has a nice concept, it is my firm belief that the execution could have been much better.

ok ok okkkkkkk we love this!

This was like watching a romcom but in the best way. It scratches that itch. Now, I really really really enjoyed this and here are my reasons why:
- non-western setting
-wonderful mental health rep (for Lori anyways)
-therapy in a book *chefs kiss*
-Fat representation that made me feel seen and soothed my younger self's soul
-Getting to be the main character in your own story
-Different levels of family dynamics (its giving me range)
- the atmophere was just lovely
-ooey gooey cinnamon roll for a love-interest

Things that I would be remissed to mention is that I am a fat white lady, so in terms of dealing with that rep, YES, STUNNING, we love to see it handled well. The other bits of representation, such as the neurodiversity, race, different family dynamics, those bits of representation are outside my purview. But I do think that the more poignant issues are handled with care and nothing I read really gave me pause. (Although you can see that I do have privelege so although it does not excuse my blind spots, they can be there). The only thing that I can see some people saying is that it might lean a little white savior-y, because there is a certain amount of privelege the main character does have for being white, but it is addressed at one point so at least it's mentioned,

I haven't read any of Jo Watson's other works, but I'm defintely going to be checking out more. This was a chicken soup for my soul and I would have felt so seen as a teenager if I had this in my hands at the time. So vibes are on point. Going to run off and find myself a copy now....

This book is super cute! You can’t help but love Lori, Zac and Jake. Lori struggled a lot and I loved how supportive Jake was especially with her brother Zac. This book made me laugh and blush. Ugh! I just really liked the story!

I am loving all of the books like this one that spread the message of body positivity. Where were these books when I was in school? So many people can relate to Lori's struggles, and it's nice to see a YA book take these topics on. I can relate to main character's problems with anxiety, and I think many readers will learn a lot about autism based on Lori's interactions with her brother.

I actually wasn't too sure what to expect when I requested this book but the summary sounded interesting to me. Lori has just been forced to move from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Her autistic brother needs to school better suited for his needs and her parents have just had a messy divorce. She's her brothers biggest fan and knows that this is truly what is best for him. But on her first day of school, she knows this school is not for her. No one looks like her, everyone seems as if they should be walking the red carpet, and sports is what this school thrives. This is completely different than her last school of artist, dancers, and all things artistic. Lori is the only overweight person in school and instantly makes a enemy out of the most popular girl in school. After seeing the most popular guy in school, Jake, volunteering at her brother's school, he takes a sudden interest in Lori. Lori struggles to love herself, find her voice, and realize her artistic talent. I absolutely loved this book! I think this is a book that the world needs. More real body positivity. More talk about how autism isn't a curse. More talk of how helpful therapy can be. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I would easily rate this a 4 out of 5 star read!

*Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review*

Thank you Wattpad Books & NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

‘Big Boned’ follows our protagonist Lori Palmer following her parents divorce, as her mother uproots their life in the city and transplants them into a seemingly idyllic beach life paradise… if Lori fit the Malibu Barbie mold; which she most certainly does not. Cue a ‘coming of age’ exploration as Lori learns how to find her own voice and accept herself for herself despite her surroundings—ingredients include: a sibling on the spectrum, absentee parents, bullying, anxiety, an incredible therapist, plus a dash of accidental activism, adolescent rebellion and first love, all for good measure.

So… Part of me loved this book! And part of me wanted just a little bit more—or arguably less actually? As I almost felt like the author tried to tackle too many threads in this narrative and ultimately proved unable to do all of them justice. Plus it felt like the ‘ending’ of the book went on far too long; with seemingly every single thread receiving its own chapter so absolutely every little piece could be tied up in a perfect little bow.

That all said? I loved the relationship between Lori and her little brother Zac, and how his unique needs and consequent diagnosis on the spectrum impacted their family. And I loved Lori’s personal journey—attending therapy, overcoming her own past trauma, learning to see herself as beautiful, and build connections with friends who see her and love her for herself. I truly appreciated so many little moments and the complexity of Lori as a character and all her feelings about herself, her life, her future, her family, her friends—that felt quite realistic to me as a reader. Even if the ending felt a little too neat and tidy.

All together? 🌟🌟🌟💫

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this title!

3.5 stars

This was a wonderful book. I liked seeing Lori grow as a character and see the world through her artistic eye. I’ll admit, while I completely understand the negative feelings she has towards her body and her body image, at times I found the negativity to be overwhelming and I’d have to step away from reading and return when I felt up to doing so again.

Her relationship with her brother was so sweet and made my heart swell at how apparent it was that they both care so much about one another. Her relationship with her parents are complicated and I really appreciated how the author wasn’t shy about showing the ups and downs one can experience when it comes to seeing your parents in a different light.

I really loved the parts where Lori and her therapist were having conversations; I found myself really taking them in and seeing that I related to what Lori was going through a lot.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book and I’m curious what the author is working on next!

I really wanted to ~love~ this book, but it was overall just okay for me. To start with the positives, I enjoyed reading a book that took place in South Africa. It's a setting I haven't really read before, so I appreciated getting some glimpses into the culture and surroundings. I really enjoyed Vicki, the therapist, and pretty much all the scenes with her, and how open the book was about discussing mental health without stigma. Jake was a sweetheart and I appreciated how he was portrayed as respectful, always being mindful of Lori's boundaries. I also loved Lori's friends from Johannesburg and wish they'd gotten some more on-page time. On the less positive side, I had mixed feelings about the portrayal of Zac's autism. I think it's definitely important to discuss the impact someone's autism can have on their loved ones, but I wish Zac had more agency and that his own boundaries had been more consistently respected. For example, Lori mentions Zac not liking physical touch/affection unless he initiates it, but then she later hugs him and is overjoyed she has "stolen" a hug. I have no idea if the author is herself autistic or if a close relative is, but there were just a few times I think a sensitivity reader might have been useful. The other main issue I had was plot pacing. The beginning felt rather slow, but once Lori starts her street art, everything seemingly happens so fast and then the book is over. Overall, I think it's a solid book and I would recommend people give it a try if they're interested.

DNF. I found the way that autism was spoken about in the very first chapter to be reprehensible, inexcusable, and offensive to the point I could not continue.

i honestly was hoping to see this book about a happy fat girl, but it honestly sucked so much. like, i feel like the biggest issue with this is that we had most of the book were we had this whole book were she just hates herself so much. like, we says over and over again about how she hates her body, both inside and out, and also how she is plus size so she hates how she looks and that she doesn't think that she is beautiful at all. and if it couldn't get any worst, she hates herself and every other person that comes close to her, and she judges every single person she met. and it also annoyed the life out of me that when some skinny guy came in and that he had a low self esteem, and she just brushed it off because he was skinny so he couldn't have any issues.

and i also think that there was way to much happening in this book, which i really hated. but, i also think it was just so annoying to read about it all. like, i feel like they started to bring up her dad, which they never talked about at all. and then her mom, who she hated, her issue with what she looks like, her relationship with jake and vicki, and then her friendship with guy and andile and thembi, and how she wanted to paint or whatever happened with it. and i feel like so much was missing and i think that i could neve get myself invested about it all. and i feel like guy and andile had zero part in here, and i think they should have really added more of them in here, and i think they needed to have them have a biggest plot with them or at least see them in here more, as they are all best friends. and this was just so much, that i literally hated it all.

but, the one thing i really liked was zac. like, i think seeing him was just so cool and i honestly really liked seeing all the talk about her brother about how he had autism and how everyone was very protective over him, and i think it was just so cool. and i feel like he was written in away that was very realistic and i felt that he was the only character in here that we could actually relate to and like.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

This book deals with alot of issues and somehow made it clear cut and not confusing to follow. I will say there were times when my attention drifted and I got a little bored other than that it's a good story. And a really good read. Brava to the Author!

And as always Happy Reading 📚.

I have a soft spot for bigger female leads in any type of story. This book was wonderful with its representation of all its characters not just the main. The story itself is lacking a little but it was not that far out there and I enjoyed it. My other thing was it took me picking this up three times before I could really get into it and finish it. I felt that the story was a little slow and some may not be hooked easily.

I wish stories like this had been around when I was a teen - we need more YA writers like Jo Watson.

Lori's life is upended when her mother moves her from Johannesburg to Cape Town to get her brother into a special school and to launch her retail brand. She is torn from art school and thrown back into a regular school with the cliques and bullying she had been avoiding, where she meets people who challenge the way she thinks.

This young adult novel deals with challenging topics, like bullying, trauma, broken families. I found parts of the novel uplifting, but other parts around her "brother with autism" were jarring. It had a ring of autism mums and the toxic pieces of awareness groups like autism speaks. That said, the novel outside that was an enjoyable read with elements of self worth, romance and coming of age.

I liked this book so much. As a person in a larger body, I often feel empowered when I see positive fat representation in books. I love how real and relatable the main character is—her problems and triumphs feel like mine.

One of my favorite things about this book is the mental health/neuro divergence topics. Sometimes books fail to portray these sensitive topics with accuracy and tactfulness, but thankfully, this book paints a realistic picture.