Fifteen-year-old Esme is a talented dancer who loves flying on stage, practicing and stretching with her dance teammates. Told in verse, Top Heavy is a coming-of-age story about the oversexualization of young women and the struggles of friendship. Sadly I didn’t feel a strong connection to the main character and this might have been because of the writing style. Although Esme's struggles are clearly explained on the page, I couldn't feel her emotions. I really enjoyed the third act of the novel, the experience of the sexual assault was deeply moving and sadly relatable, but the resolution came too quickly and I wish we could have seen more of the aftermath from Esme's perspective.

The title, the cover, the writing, the lead voice, the characters, the theme - everything is PERFECT!

One of the best reads of 2025!

The blurb says it all. The raw emotions in the writing inside out made me think, laugh and cry throughout.

The pull of body shaming, self doubt and acceptance is portrayed perfectly in the writing.

When you have a mom this amazing, you will fight the world!

The first love. The first kiss… well, I love it!

Trigger warning for assault (well mentioned in the blurb).

I feel that the voice of the main character is raw and real. The honesty in the writing is what made me give the book a perfect rating!

Highly recommended.

Thank you, Holiday House, for the advance reader copy.

Esme is a dancer, a high school sophomore, and a girl who desperately wishes she looked differently. Her large chest makes dancing and dressing difficult and causes undue attention and bullying by boys and girls alike. I like how while this the focal point more than once, Esme’s life was still fully fleshed out and things such as passion, friendships, first love, and family are also highlighted. Esme is a wonderful character, and I found myself tearing up more than once as she dealt with being 15, with learning to accept her body even as others try to define it, and learning to gain confidence in herself and her talent.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

top heavy was a beautifully impactful and heavy novel in verse — i have so much respect for authors that write in verse because, if done well, they can say so much in such few words. dechambeau does just that, and it resonated to me just as strongly as poet x did when i read it back around 2020.

top heavy tackles multiple different topics such as being a child from a low income family with a parent that has medical issues/bills, bullies, assault, and perhaps at the center, being a young woman with a body that society thinks they have the right to touch or comment on.

despite all of the depressing aspects highlighted in this verse novel, there are also plenty of good things: having a strong family unit, good friends, new friends found through your passion, and young love.

overall, top heavy deserves its spot right next to the poet x on the shelf, and will strongly resonate for with young female readers who struggle with their bodies, but learn to appreciate their beauty.

What a strong debut!

This story tackles many complex and emotional topics with grace and fluidity. Esme is such a loveable narrator. DeChambeau gives us some of the most authentic depictions of female friendships I've seen in YA for a long time.

Top Heavy radiates warmth and so many kinds of love. I can't wait to share this with our patrons!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This story is from the heart of any girl who developed quickly and largely. Esme just wants to dance. It is all she has ever wanted. Her and her best friend finally make the elite dance team only to be met with judgement and bullying from the other girls. Esme has to work through this, as well as being uncomfortable in her own body because of how large her breasts are.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and the way that it was written in verse. The one thing that didn’t really click with me is the pacing of the plot, or at least with the way that some things are sold by the blurb. The reader gets the opportunity to really sit with Esme’s struggles as a dancer and as a friend who struggles with her body image for most of the book, but transparently the sexual assault plot element ended up feeling rushed for something that’s mentioned in the tagline of the book. I’m not asking for the reader to have to read in depth about a 15 year old being sexually assaulted, but it feels very rushed in a way that the rest of the book doesn’t. At the end of the day, I think this is definitely still worth the read though!

I think the blurb is pretty misleading when it comes to the actual story--that hasn't impacted my rating, but it seems like a thing people might want to know. I went in expecting something more akin to "SPEAK" than it turned out to be. It was reminiscent of "Every Body Looking" by Candace Iloh, and addresses issues of financial disparity, the hypersexualization of girls who mature early (and/are super curvy), and toxic competition.

The pacing on this really threw me. The assault mentioned in the blurb (possible spoiler: this is not a graphic moment, it's a public groping... which I say not to minimize it, but to clarify reader expectations) happens quite late in the book, and Esme's response seems kind of strange in terms of how quickly she processes what happened. There were several places, actually, where it felt like things got resolved because they had to be, not because the resolution was organic to the narrative.

I read a fair number of books that grapple with fatphobia and body positivity, but this is a little different than most. I wouldn't categorize Esme's experiences as fatphobia per se, because there's so much focus on her boob specifically, as opposed to other types of fatphobic bullying. Much of the attention she received is disguised as positive attention, by which I mean that most of the compliments made by guys are of the "Just take the compliment" variety than outright insults. Lady-types, you know what I mean. Because of that, I think this book addressed some less common topics, and I appreciate that it exists.

There's some great use of space and form when it comes to the actual writing. While I'm not sure that the majority of the story benefitted from being written in verse, the dance scenes do an excellent job of capturing the movement and justified the use of the form. There were some places where the form, or at least the author's use of it, made me feel like I was missing out on deeper emotions or some connective tissue that would have added more nuance to the characters and events.

Overall, liked it, solid print debut, and I appreciate the subject. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow! This is a beautifully written, emotional novel-in-verse that pulled me in immediately. I’ve only read one other verse novel before, but there’s something about this format that feels so refreshing—every word feels more purposeful, every line resonating even more deeply. Rhonda’s writing is captivating and full of raw honesty and it made it easy to connect with Esmé and her journey.

Esmé’s story took me back to being fifteen, struggling with body image, friendships, bullying, and quiet financial challenges at home. The way the author captured the intensity of these years in Esmé’s voice was incredibly real. There’s a vulnerability in her that felt both familiar and profound, and I could feel her pain when she reflected on her body—particularly her chest. She wrestles with how others see her, how she sees herself, how that shapes her identity and all of the emotions that come with it.

But the heart of this story isn’t just in the struggles—it’s in the transformation. Esmé’s journey from shame to pride, from silence to finding her voice, is powerful. There’s a pivotal moment that leaves her consumed with fear and self-blame. But in a deeply moving scene, she claims her power back. The emotional weight of this moment stayed with me long after I finished reading.

“There is only me. Only me deciding what to let go of and what to keep. I let the cocky eyes and the gleaming smirk evaporate. I replace them with Zoe’s fiery eyes instead, I feel Todd’s arms around me, I hear Mom telling me to trust my heart, Dad calling me pumpkin from the dog chair, Grammy Jean looking at me like I am a work of art…”

That moment of reclamation was a turning point in the book—and in Esmé’s life. She doesn’t erase the trauma; instead, she takes back control over her narrative.

Her support system is another powerful part of this story. Her parents, Grammy Jean, and even her boyfriend Todd gave her the love and strength she needed to grow. Todd, in particular, reminded me of the beauty of first love—pure, steady, and filled with tenderness. Even the fallout with her best friend Mia felt real, as Esmé grapples with how people change and how sometimes we outgrow those we thought would always be by our side. And that’s okay.

I loved her quiet but profound growth. It wasn’t a loud or dramatic transformation, but one that felt so natural and earned. By the end of the book, she learns to carry the parts of herself she once wanted to hide with pride.

“If they are the first things that people see when they see me, and it seems like they always are, maybe I should carry them with pride. Maybe that is the best revenge. Maybe that is what TALL is all about.”

And perhaps the most powerful realization of all:

“I decide how hard I work. So I work hard. For me.”

Top Heavy may have a simple plot, but its emotional depth is anything but. It’s a raw, honest coming-of-age story that will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever struggled with self-image, body acceptance, or finding their voice in the face of fear. This book is something special, and it’s one that I truly believe should be in every school and library.

A heartfelt, tender, and powerful novel in verse of a girl finding the strength in her body.

Esme's experience and relationship with her body is like my own. I felt so SEEN in Esme. I also grappled with having a bigger bust when I was a teen - with being overly sexualized, and trying so hard to shrink myself just to fit in. Esme was painfully relatable as she is grappling physically and mentally with her breasts that are affecting her dancing, clothes, and other's perception of her.

I really liked how the author navigated this subject with care for girls who are in a similar space as Esme or for others to know intimately what girls like Esme go through. I also loved the range of relationships portrayed in this novel, highlighting the many people that love and support Esme like Mia, Todd, Zoe, and her family. These relationships are tenderly built, slowly and strong. By the end, you are captivated by Esme's strength and power as she dances freely, soaring anew.

CWs: bullying, sexual assault

This worked well with the dancing element and was engaged with what was going on with the description. I was hooked from everything that I was looking for and enjoyed getting to know Esme and the characters in this world. Rhonda Dechambeau was able to create a strong story and characters and I'm glad I got to read this.

A moving look at what it's like to struggle against your own body. Dechambeau did an excellent job of balancing the real struggles of having your body make something harder with body positivity in this young adult novel in verse. While I would have liked to see more follow-up on the surgery conversations, as for some this is something they decide they want even more and for others its something they decide against, I also appreciated that it was left open for readers to interpret. A recommendation for teens and tweens looking for some nuance in their body positivity.

I couldn't get into a novel in verse. Did not rate as a result. I couldn't get into a novel in verse. Did not rate as a result.

I really enjoyed this book, and thought the topics / themes covered were done VERY well! Love that the parents at NO point were body shaming Esme and that most of the conflict we see directly here is internal. The harassment and bullying sucks but I’m glad it was done in the way it was.

Learning to love yourself and not be afraid of change is so good ❤️❤️❤️

As someone new to novels in verse, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Top Heavy—but I absolutely loved it. This beautifully written story follows Esme, a fifteen-year-old dancer navigating the many struggles that young performers face: friendships, bullying, financial challenges, and most importantly, body image.

Esme’s struggle with her “top heavy” physique resonated deeply with me. As someone who was once told I “didn’t have a ballerina’s chest,” reading this felt like stepping into the diary of my 12-year-old self. Dechambeau captures the unspoken pressures of dance culture and the way young girls are often judged for their bodies, not just their talent. One line in particular struck me:

"How they judge me even though they don’t know me…
As though having this chest makes me a sexual thing.
As though having this chest was a choice I made instead of something I live with."

While the plot is simple and doesn’t revolve around major turning points, the emotional impact of Top Heavy is undeniable. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours, completely swept up in Esme’s journey. This is the kind of story I wish I had when I was 15, and I have no doubt it will resonate with so many young readers today.

I found this book difficult to read. While it deals with a not often talked about topic, the direction of the book was not suitable for a YA audience.

I received an arc from netgalley<3
it's not my usual genre, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!! I liked the character's journey and development.

I love love love a novel in verse. This scratched an itch I've had since reading The Poet X years ago. This didn't quite reach as high as that book, but it's a good one- something I definitely see myself recommending.

Thank you to NetGalley, Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink, and Rhonda DeChambeau for the opportunity to read Top Heavy in exchange for an honest review.

Top Heavy is a HiLo novel-in-verse, written in a poetic verse style. This novel is a double-edged sword, as it explores the idea of one's beauty as they are, but also sometimes how we are causes physical problems, leading to thoughts of alterations.

Esme loves nothing more than to dance. It is her ultimate passion. The only problem is, as she has gotten older, puberty and maturity has graced her with a very large chest, of which causes physical problems such as neck and back pain, as well as sores from her bra. She is often looked at by others because of her physicality, and she also has a hard time with finding clothes that fit well, especially when it comes to matching outfits for her dance recitals. She wants nothing more than to look into breast reduction surgery with the idea that her joy of dancing and other aspects of life will be better, though she is afraid to ask her parents. Her dad was in a bad accident and needs surgery of his own, and money is scarce with him out of work.

Esme has her grandma, her best friend, and a newfound boyfriend to advocate for her, all of whom like her for who she is and not what she has. While she sees her physical feature as frustrating, seeking advice from a medical professional actually gets her to make some changes that don't involve altering the body, to see if that helps alleviate her physical pains. While it may not remove bullying and wandering eyes, Esme's loved ones help her with advice to which she can manage the anger and rage she feels at those circumstances into something positive.

This novel focuses on the idea that how we are made is an integral aspect of who we are and part of what makes us unique. While sometimes our physical features offer challenges in the world, such as bullying or unwanted groping (and I can relate, as I was bullied for physical features myself when I was in high school, though different than Esme's circumstance), there are more positives than negatives in the joys we can ultimately find in who we are.

I love the novel-in-verse style. DeChambeau offers a fun dance with the words themselves that tie into Esme's own rhythm and movement that make the verse format unique and articulate to the given topic. This is a great way to address self-image in a way that draws readers in and keeps their attention. This quickly-moving novel is perfect for a female teen audience, though anyone can enjoy and learn some life lessons from this gem of a book.

Written in verse, Top Heavy follows our dancer Esme struggling to feel comfortable in her own body. The story told is unfortunately universal and relatable. I was emotional and tearing up when reading the assault scene and found a strange solace afterwards.

An important read for readers of all ages as well as an important reminder to have grace with ourselves.