First of all -- Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Big Boned is such a good coming of age story and I loved how this book was so captivating. This is one of those books you can't put down once you pick it up. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read more by Jo Watson.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I thought this was a wonderful coming of age story and I loved how it kept me at the edge of my seat with every page and chapter. The representation in this book is amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

*3.5/5
Overall, I thought this was a genuine and raw coming of age story! I was able to relate to Lori a lot when it comes to her insecurities and her love for art. It was wonderful to see her character grow and discover self-love while also building relationships with people who truly support and care for her. I also really enjoyed reading about all the side characters and the different plot points. The romance between Lori and Jake was especially fun to see play out.

One of my bigger critiques will definitely be the pacing. Unfortunately, it took me a little while to really get into this story but I promise it's worth it. I also caught a few grammar mistakes but other than that, this book is fairly well written.

cw: low self esteem, fat shaming, fat talk, etc.

Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lori’s parents just got divorced, and now her mom is moving them away from her friends and great school to a new city where she’s, you guessed it, the new girl. Lori is sure that no one here is like her—she’s fat, and all her classmates seem perfect. So when the resident hottie, Jake cultivates a friendship with her, she KNOWS it is only for the sake of their siblings who have forged a bond. But maybe he does like her. At least a little bit. As friends? And while all this is happening, she is finally getting to know herself as an artist, developing a voice she didn’t know she had, and growing so much as a person.

To be honest, I did not think I was going to like this one at the beginning. There was a lot of triggering self hate coming from Lori. I struggle with my weight as I’m sure many readers of this book do, and as someone who has actively been trying to stop being so mean to myself, it was hard to get through.

Luckily, Lori finds a great new therapist (yay!) and it became slightly less of a “thing” as the story evolved. She’s not perfect at the end, and neither am I. But it definitely improves and I think the story is probably worth it. Jake is absolutely swoonworthy, and the growth that Lori undergoes is important and well written. If you’re on the fence, I would give it a try. Just be very aware of the cw going in.

4/5 stars

I thought this was a wonderful coming of age story and I loved how it kept me at the edge of my seat with every page and chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I cannot rave enough about this book! The representation is amazing, in places that young adult books are usually lacking, The main character Lori is a plus size girl in a new high school that is just trying to feel comfortable in her own skin. To add to that Lori's brother is autistic, rarely in YA do you get to see the struggles of a sibling of someone that is neurodivergent. The struggles that Lori goes through are some of the most relatable and realistic I have read in a YA book to date. She isn't in a expensive private school worrying about being the most popular girls with the most money, she is going through struggles that are very real to many YA readers. I will be making this on of my books of the week for my students once is comes out in paperback and can't wait for them to meet Lori!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an egalley for review. Wow, Big Boned by Jo Watson is the teen romance that has been missing from my life. Lori is a big a girl and yes, she is bullied terribly for it, but instead of every interaction being about her and her weight, we also get to see her art, her relationship with her parents and her relationship with her brother. Her brother is the neurodiverse character in the story and he is a joy, not a burden, which is also refreshing to read about. Interactions with mental health care providers are nurturing and supportive and the budding romance may or may not continue, but Lori’s healthier relationship with herself definitely will. So much drama, will a satisfying, realistic conclusion.

Disclaimer: I won’t speak on the plus sized or autism representation in this book because I am neither plus sized nor autistic.

Content Warning: body shaming/fat shaming, ableism, anxiety, panic attacks, drowning(flashback), divorce

“I'm just saying that your fears are stopping you from having the things in life that you want and deserve."

Synopsis:
This book is about a 17 year old Lori Palmer’s journey towards self-love. She has recently moved to Cape Town, Suth Africa with her mom and brother. There, she meets Jake, a volunteer at her brother’s school as well as a student at Bay Water High, the local high school. We get to see Lori navigate her relationship with herself, her newly divorced mother, and with Jake.

Characters:
All the characters in this book were very lovable(aside from the antagonist ofc). We get to see Lori grow so much in this book with the help of her friends and she’s truly an inspiring character.
I’m a sucker for nice love interests, so of course I was going to love Jake. He was the ultimate “man written by a woman.” His friendship with Lori feels so true and real and I love how we got to see them grow closer and closer.

Plot:
The plot of this book was definitely not lacking in substance. I love how we get to see Lori’s passion for art transform into something real and have it connect to her journey of self-love. The more and more you read, the more you get to appreciate the depth of the plot. The book does take a while to get into, but after you do, it’s a really quick read.

Conclusion:
I will admit that I have read the author’s other books on Wattpad and now I’m going to have a hard time picking my favorite. Jo Watson is a master of fun rom-coms but she still manages to tread on some heavy topics. I was afraid that this book was going to become a book about male validation but it was far from that. This book has an important message of accepting the love that we deserve and we get to see Lori grow on her own.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review..

This is the story of Lori, a 17-year-old who finds herself living in a completely unknown world with her mother and autistic brother. After being suddenly uprooted from her art school, she moves from her comforting city life to the beaches of cape town in order for her brother to attend a school that will fit his needs. With a new home and new school, friends are hard to come by.... enemies are not. Lori quickly makes an enemy out of the most popular girl in school, Amber.
While picking up her brother from school, she is surprised to see that Jake, "the popular guy" chatting with her brother. Turns out he volunteers there, as well as having a sister that attends the school. This is the story of Lori learning to see herself through new eyes and experience life at its fullest... with a bit of romance and body positivity here and there....

It was a wonderful story about a younger girl stuck in a strange place trying her best to find herself and appreciate her own beauty despite her size. As a woman who has also struggled with her appearance, I hold this book so close to my heart. Its, unlike other 'body positive" books that simply tell the main character that she is beautiful. Lori realizes she's beautiful from herself, and I think that is just perfect. She struggled with herself just like any other girl would, and slowly worked towards healing then loving.
There was this part in the book that really hit me where the therapist, Vickie, asks Lori (don't quote me on this plz) 'who is saying that?" (as in who is saying these terrible things about you.) And Lori realized that no one had.. The hurtful words that she had been telling herself had never actually been said to her, and that was a huge moment of self-reflection (for Lori and me as well.) I realized that this was something I struggled with and I felt like the book was a reflection of my feelings and thoughts.
(Now moving onto the fewer self-reflection bits of the review aha)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It showed the struggled of not being a "body type," along with having a family member with a disability, and a neglectful mother in a simple and respectful way. There were heartful moments as well as humorous ones that made me want to know more and more...

Truly this is a quick read I recommend to everyone, definitely a book I would've wanted to read when I was younger.

Big Boned is the classic story of what it means to "fit in" in a world that may not fit you. The story focuses on Lori Palmer and her adventures as a new student at Bay Water High School. The Bay Water students seem to care more about someone's outward appearance more than their inner self. When Lori starts at Bay Water, she finds herself missing how her life was before, when her parents were still together, and she could let her art speak for her.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a bit harder for me to feel like I related to Lori as I am now, not because her experiences were unfamiliar, but because it's been a hot minute since I was in high school. However, I definitely remember feeling a lot of the same feelings that Lori expresses throughout her experiences. Watson's writing style is very familiar, and I found myself feeling like I had witnessed certain scenes as I read them. Through0ut this book, Jo Watson really drove home the point that it is okay to ask for help, it's totally normal to have a strained relationship with your family members (just because they're your family doesn't mean you won't have moments of frustration with them), and it's okay to love yourself no matter what you look like.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded to 3)

Big Boned will be available for purchase starting September 21st. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Jo Watson's website!

I was lucky enough to be able to read this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book. I thought it was lighthearted, but also made me incredibly emotional. Lori was a great main character and I enjoyed that she was a plus sized girl. It's incredibly important for people to see that representation in books and I resonated a lot with her and what she struggled with. I thought she was witty and so so funny. This was a really cute contemporary focusing on great friendships, healing and loving yourself and learning and understanding your own independence and value. I also thought Jo Watson did a fantastic job, not only with the plus sized representation, but with the mental health and disability rep as well. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who has ever struggled with their confidence and knowing their worth. I think Lori's growth and development throughout the book was magnificent and I can't wait for other people to read her story.

I found this book very strongly written. The fat rep in this is very relatable to me, as a person who has struggled with his weight for years. The author has written a wonderful character that showcases how great the human body is when it is embraced without prejudice. Thank you for the e-arc.

I didn't like the pxf format which is a technical issue. Ioved the cover. I couldn't get into the opener. I wanted toovd the characters but could t get hooked

This book made me think of my own experience when I was in high school being big boned. It was well written, but I did notice some grammar and spelling mistakes.

Big Boned is an Own Voices YA book that has many wonderful messages about loving yourself and your body and embracing who you are. I love the representation of a larger character in YA fiction. The main characters brother also has autism and there is positive representation of those on the spectrum. Overall an uplifting read for all.

Such a sweet book with many amazing messages.

This book is such an inspiration with many inspiring messages about self-love, determination, loving your body and how it's a work of art, being who you are and so much more. It was really nice to read and inspire you from what the character was going through as well. Having a plus size MC is very inspiring to witness, we all want to see someone like us in a book or movie and books like this are the best representation for that. There is also the commentary of autism and people that have autism or are on the autism spectrum. There are so many great messages in this book that I can't even name them all, but seeing them represented in a YA is very amazing to see and I'm glad I read this book.

Also, love the cover!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad books for the earc in return for an honest review.

Big Boned by Jo Watson is a must read!!!! Full of laughter, love and heart ache this book isn’t just for ‘big boned’ girls it’s for anyone who has ever felt different and like they deserved less. I couldn’t put it down and it will be a highly recommended book for me to all women everywhere!

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read an arc version of this book!

Big Boned focuses on Lori Patty Palmer, an artistic 17-year-old who has recently moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town. She misses city life and recognizes that her family is moving to provide a more supportive environment for her 9-year-old brother, Zac (who is on the autism spectrum), and to help her Mom expand her business. As the title suggests, Lori is on the heavier side. Some of the language at the start of the book could be triggering to folks navigating body image (ex. "my pale, flabby thighs that touch, my stomach that oozed..those flappy bits of fat on your arms that jiggle when you wave at people"). However, Lori does grow throughout the book!

There are a lot of humorous moments throughout this book (ex. "...he was stupidly good looking. The kind of good looking that should not be allowed to exist in nature. It was almost unnatural. As if he was the product of some secret CRISPR experiment), and it is ultimately a feel-good, body-positive, therapy-positive book. Some of the writing feels disjointed, and as though one more round of editing could make it feel smoother, but the actual plot and characters -- love it. I would gratefully add a copy to my classroom library.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for a digital advance readers copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions expressed are entirely my own. I really enjoyed this book and even found myself inspired by it! The main character, Lori struggles with anxiety, her body image, and other things life has thrown at her. I felt that she was a very well-developed character that readers will want to root for. Honestly, I felt that all the characters in the book were well-written, lovable, and complex. This book was very character-driven and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I also really loved Lori's relationship with her autistic brother Zac. She is such a great sister and their conversations and interactions in the book were very cute, funny, and heartwarming. The only complaint I have about the book is that the very beginning of the book felt a bit slow to me. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and it was a solid 4 star read for me.

Thank you to NetGallley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I thought this novel was a sweet coming of age story. It wasn't too complicated or drawn out, and it didn't focus on the main character changing to become someone she wasn't or losing weight to fit in. Instead, it was about growth and acceptance.