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A review by starryorbit12
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
Did not finish book. Stopped at 59%.
Charlie has a huge victim complex and never seems to take responsibility for any of her problems. They all were caused by other people to her, and she could never acknowledge her own problematic thoughts and action. The people around here constantly had to tell her that she was not at fault as well.
This is clear with Cal. Everyone around her has to tell her that he lead her on and that she not at fault when he literally told her that he wanted her to bring Amelia. She was the one who didn't listen when he spelled out what he wanted. Is it kind of shitty to try a get someone not interested to come with you through their best friend? Yeah, but it's not leading someone on when you told them exactly what you wanted. He not terrible for getting upset that Amelia wasn't there when Charlie agreed and then later sought him out to tell him she was excited though. In fact, he was also clear in the fact he liked Amelia from the beginning. He a jerk, but he was a honest jerk who was clear in his intention. Charlie has too have her mom, Amelia, and Brian all tell her it wasn't her fault and he was leading her on though.
Her victim attitude is clearer with the way she treats Amelia. Charlie consistently vilified Amelia for being physically smaller than her. She would constantly make snide comments in her mind and take out unfounded anger on someone who is supposed to be here best friend. Amelia never does anything besides be skinner and more outgoing then her. Amelia is constantly a good friend to her while Charlie takes out her self-esteem issues on her. The things is that Charlie is aware that what she doing is unfounded, which makes her behavior worse. She is constantly thinking or doing shitty things to Amelia, acknowledging that it's unfounded, and then continuing the behavior insecurity suddenly justify it.
Thoughts and social issues are shallow and flawed. For example, Amelia is a dark skinned, queer black girl in predominantly white school.
While Amelia does experience thin privilege, there is no intersectional. Charlie is fat, but she is also a light skinned straight half Puerto Rican. Being dark skinned, black, queer, and afab comes with a lot of oppression that the Charlie herself would never experience would not experience. Fatphobia is terrible, but it's not doesn't care the same death threats that homophobia and racism does. She is envious that Amelia can shop anywhere while Amelia cares the possibility of being the victim of hate crime for her skin and sexuality. Not to mention the scene with her cousins. She actually says that she use to think she was better than her cousins because she spoke better English and went to a "better" (whiter) school despite the fact they were angle and she never even attempted to learn Spanish. Knowledge is this thought is internalized racism but doesn't reflect on it at all and goes on to continue to judge cousins through the rest of the scene because she jealous of Amelia "fitting in" better. Really, she just complains that Amelia fits in better na dis more popular when in reality she just doesn't bother to engage with those around her.
Charlie portrayed like she is supposed to progressive, she really isn't. Charlie glosses over her best friend's race and sexuality in favor of thinness. Brian, the love interest, is Korean American IVF child of two queer moms. The racism he experience end up being one of things her mentions, Charlie feels bad about, and then are never mentioned again. Frankly all of the deeper issues are glossed over or discussed in a superficial manner. Any social justice talked about it spoonfed to the reader in takes that feel reminiscent of 2012 Tumblr. Fatphobia is the only thing that is discusses with any depth, and Charlie thoughts typically only center on the Body Positive Movement. It ends up feeling hollow because Charlie constantly body shames Amelia and never bothers to fix her behavior even when she acknowledges that it's wrong. Body positivity is supposed to be accepting bodies as they come. Instead, she is constantly thinking toxic things about her friends body because she is unable to to apply her Fat Positivity to her own. She is very much a performative activist.
Outside Charlie's characterization, all the other characters lack depth. Amelia is nice but "prettier and popular" best friend. Brian is the love interest. Cal is the jerk jock. Her mom is toxic fitness mom. They don't really have any depth to them, and nothing about them is memorable.
The plot is also non-existent. It's basically just Charlie reacting to things because she doesn't really actively much to engage with the plot. Things just happen to her rather than her actively propelling some sort of plot forward. The things that do happen are usually petty.
The relationship with her mom is really the only thing of substance that happens to her, and her mom just a disordered eating fitness nut that projects her warped beauty standards from her weight loss on her daughter. Her mom projects, Charlie gets sad or mad, and her mom punishes her when she lashes out. Everytime it seems like we are going to learn more about why she changed when she lost weight, it just goes back to the same cycle. Her mom is just like Charlie, she doesn't really develop or change no matter how many conflicts they have had so far. She just continues her toxic thought cycle.
Besides the paper thin plot, the pacing is so slow and clunky. Slow isn't bad if the characters and plot are developing. They don't though, and the fact that there really isn't much plot makes it so it's just boring until the next event for Charlie to react to comes along.
This is clear with Cal. Everyone around her has to tell her that he lead her on and that she not at fault when he literally told her that he wanted her to bring Amelia. She was the one who didn't listen when he spelled out what he wanted. Is it kind of shitty to try a get someone not interested to come with you through their best friend? Yeah, but it's not leading someone on when you told them exactly what you wanted. He not terrible for getting upset that Amelia wasn't there when Charlie agreed and then later sought him out to tell him she was excited though. In fact, he was also clear in the fact he liked Amelia from the beginning. He a jerk, but he was a honest jerk who was clear in his intention. Charlie has too have her mom, Amelia, and Brian all tell her it wasn't her fault and he was leading her on though.
Her victim attitude is clearer with the way she treats Amelia. Charlie consistently vilified Amelia for being physically smaller than her. She would constantly make snide comments in her mind and take out unfounded anger on someone who is supposed to be here best friend. Amelia never does anything besides be skinner and more outgoing then her. Amelia is constantly a good friend to her while Charlie takes out her self-esteem issues on her. The things is that Charlie is aware that what she doing is unfounded, which makes her behavior worse. She is constantly thinking or doing shitty things to Amelia, acknowledging that it's unfounded, and then continuing the behavior insecurity suddenly justify it.
Thoughts and social issues are shallow and flawed. For example, Amelia is a dark skinned, queer black girl in predominantly white school.
While Amelia does experience thin privilege, there is no intersectional. Charlie is fat, but she is also a light skinned straight half Puerto Rican. Being dark skinned, black, queer, and afab comes with a lot of oppression that the Charlie herself would never experience would not experience. Fatphobia is terrible, but it's not doesn't care the same death threats that homophobia and racism does. She is envious that Amelia can shop anywhere while Amelia cares the possibility of being the victim of hate crime for her skin and sexuality. Not to mention the scene with her cousins. She actually says that she use to think she was better than her cousins because she spoke better English and went to a "better" (whiter) school despite the fact they were angle and she never even attempted to learn Spanish. Knowledge is this thought is internalized racism but doesn't reflect on it at all and goes on to continue to judge cousins through the rest of the scene because she jealous of Amelia "fitting in" better. Really, she just complains that Amelia fits in better na dis more popular when in reality she just doesn't bother to engage with those around her.
Charlie portrayed like she is supposed to progressive, she really isn't. Charlie glosses over her best friend's race and sexuality in favor of thinness. Brian, the love interest, is Korean American IVF child of two queer moms. The racism he experience end up being one of things her mentions, Charlie feels bad about, and then are never mentioned again. Frankly all of the deeper issues are glossed over or discussed in a superficial manner. Any social justice talked about it spoonfed to the reader in takes that feel reminiscent of 2012 Tumblr. Fatphobia is the only thing that is discusses with any depth, and Charlie thoughts typically only center on the Body Positive Movement. It ends up feeling hollow because Charlie constantly body shames Amelia and never bothers to fix her behavior even when she acknowledges that it's wrong. Body positivity is supposed to be accepting bodies as they come. Instead, she is constantly thinking toxic things about her friends body because she is unable to to apply her Fat Positivity to her own. She is very much a performative activist.
Outside Charlie's characterization, all the other characters lack depth. Amelia is nice but "prettier and popular" best friend. Brian is the love interest. Cal is the jerk jock. Her mom is toxic fitness mom. They don't really have any depth to them, and nothing about them is memorable.
The plot is also non-existent. It's basically just Charlie reacting to things because she doesn't really actively much to engage with the plot. Things just happen to her rather than her actively propelling some sort of plot forward. The things that do happen are usually petty.
The relationship with her mom is really the only thing of substance that happens to her, and her mom just a disordered eating fitness nut that projects her warped beauty standards from her weight loss on her daughter. Her mom projects, Charlie gets sad or mad, and her mom punishes her when she lashes out. Everytime it seems like we are going to learn more about why she changed when she lost weight, it just goes back to the same cycle. Her mom is just like Charlie, she doesn't really develop or change no matter how many conflicts they have had so far. She just continues her toxic thought cycle.
Besides the paper thin plot, the pacing is so slow and clunky. Slow isn't bad if the characters and plot are developing. They don't though, and the fact that there really isn't much plot makes it so it's just boring until the next event for Charlie to react to comes along.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death of parent