Review : The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round things
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round things by Carolyn Mackler
Pages : 246
Genre : YA
My Rating : 
Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex. She lives on the Web, snarfs junk food, and follows the “Fat Girl Code of Conduct.” Her stuttering best friend has just moved to Walla Walla (of all places). Her new companion, Froggy Welsh the Fourth (real name), has just succeeded in getting his hand up her shirt, and she lives in fear that he’ll look underneath.
Then there are the other Shreves: Mom, the successful psychologist and exercise fiend; Dad, a top executive who ogles thin women on TV; and older siblings Anaïs and rugby god Byron, both of them slim and brilliant. Delete Virginia, and the Shreves would be a picture-perfect family. Or so she’s convinced. And then a shocking phone call changes everything.
Having read both books in a span of two weeks, it’s really hard for me not to compare this one to Artichoke’s Heart. The two have similar subjects, young teens dealing with weight and self-esteem problems. I didn’t fall in love with Mackler’s novel like I did with Artichoke’s Heart, though, but it was still a good read.
My main problem with this one were the characters. There were so few that were likeable that I just couldn’t stand any of them. As for those that could have been likeable, their presence was so small that it made it really hard to appreciate their qualities. At the top of my “I don’t like you” characters list for this book were Virginia’s parents and brother, who were mean and obsessed with her looks. It might have played to Virginia’s advantage though, since it was her father’s words that were the first thing to make me really feel sad for Virginia :
You’ve got a great face, Ginny. Think how much prettier you could be if you lost twenty or thirty pounds.
Wow! That might not be enough for him to deserve the “Worst father of the year” award, but can we at least put him up on the short list?
That being said, I did have a good time reading it. The story has a great progression and I felt it was more about Virginia’s happiness with herself than her weight problem. At some point, she has to deal with a serious situation, and it was great to see how, after the shock (and the after shock), she finally picks herself up and uses the event to look at her own life from another angle.
I also ended up liking her mother’s character. While I did not approve of most of her actions and words, I could at least understand why she acted in such way. The author did a great job of writing her in a realistic way. I would think that many mothers (and fathers) would want their child to avoid the difficult situations they have been through. Virginia’s mom is doing it the wrong way, but I could see where she was coming from : it made her less of a “monster”.
In the end, despite a few flaws, I really enjoyed reading this one. It was a quick read, entertaining and nicely written.
I need to read this one for the Printz Project, but it’s one I’m not looking forward to. The title alone turns me off.
I would buy this book for the title alone, so I’m disappointed to read that it’s not any better than it is.
I haven’t read this one even though it has been on my YA list forever. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on it…great review!
I LOVED, LOVED this one! Its actually my favorite by this author. Sorry you did not connect with the characters, but try Mackler’s other books – they are all wonderful.
Love the title and the story does sound interesting. Not sure if I’ll be adding this one to my list, but it’s one I’ll definitely consider. I’m glad that you enjoyed it even though the family did sound annoying – still, sometimes overcoming adversity in your family makes you a much stronger person.
I love the title of this book so much 😀 I mooched a copy just the other day, actually. It definitely sounds worth reading despite its flaws.
Amanda : I don’t know how much you’ll like it, but I don’t think the funny title represents the book’s feel that much. So that can be good news or bad news for you!
Kathy : It wasn’t great, but it’s still a good read. I probably would have liked it more if I hadn’t read Artichoke’s Heart shortly before.
Staci : It has been on my list for a while too! When I stumbled on it at the library, I just knew I had to take my chance and read it!
Nitestar : I will! I still enjoyed the writing, so Mackler is definitely on my list of author I would like to read more of.
Jennifer : I agree, sometimes family does serve such a purpose – and it was the case in this book, I think. What I would have like was to see a little more of the nice characters, like her best friend for instance.
Nymeth : Yes, I think it’s worth it, at least for those who enjoy YA! It reads quickly, so even despite a few things I liked less, it didn’t feel like a long, painful task. I had fun reading it!
I bought this one for my little sister years ago after just seeing the title! It sounded like something funny and sweet we both might like. I’m not sure what she ever did with it, but now I’m tempted to start digging around to see if I can track it down! Despite its flaws, it still sounds like a good read. And I’m definitely going to start Artichoke’s Heart soon — I have it patiently waiting on my shelf! 🙂
I really hope you’ll enjoy Artichoke’s Heart!
I think I would have enjoyed The Earth, My Butt… a lot more if I hadn’t read Artichoke’s Heart just before. They are both good novels with similar problems, but the secondary characters in Artichoke’s really made it feel more “alive” to me!