Food, Girls and Other Things I Can’t Have

By Zoe Jacobson, Age 14, Literary Editor of TweenTribune

Andrew Zansky is the second fattest kid in the class. Weighing in at 307 lbs,, he is constantly worried about what others think of him. He doesn’t really understand much about popularity and how the connections work but he sure does understand that there are winners and losers.

At first, this is the classic fat-boy-meets- beautiful-new-girl story, but it twists when they both want the same thing: to be "in." Andrew tries out for football. At first no one will even acknowledge him but that quickly turns as he starts to learn the game. He is suddenly thrust into the world of football jerseys and partying. But is this what he really wanted?

I was really surprised by this story – a kid who’s fat and everyone picks on him? That isn’t very original. But as I continued I realized that this was an amazing book with many dynamic characters and a humorous plot. I also really liked the short chapters even though this wasn’t a particularly short book. It went by fast and let me take a break between events.

I have to say I really didn’t like the ending. I've found that the last paragraph of a book is one of the most important parts because it is what you walk away remembering most. Those last few lines have the power to make the book.

This book was really wonderful but the last chapter left me feeling annoyed. It left no strings left untied. No one’s life is like that – it was just too unrealistic to enjoy. Don’t get me wrong though, I loved this book and really encourage everyone to read it. A great use of my time, just skip the last chapter.

2 thumbs up!

Reading level: Middle school& up - Posted on August 16, 2009