ARC review, book review, young adult

Big Boned by Jo Watson (ARC Review)

Title: Big Boned
Author: Jo Watson
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary,
Romance
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Date published: September 21, 2021

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

Can she be herself in a one-size-fits-all world?

Lori Palmer is the new girl at Bay Water High, where students prize glossy hair, beach bodies, and school spirit above all else. She misses her old school―where her talent as an artist carried more weight than she does―and longs for her old family life, before her parents got divorced and her mom reinvented herself.

So Lori decides that the only way to survive the rest of the year is to blend into the background, but her plans go awry when she discovers that the most popular (and hottest) guy at Bay Water High, Jake, is a volunteer at her brother’s school. When her brother befriends Jake’s sister, Lori is suddenly thrust into his unfamiliar and exhilarating world of water polo, parties, and stargazing.

But with her relationship with her mother deteriorating, old anxieties resurface and Lori finds a new artistic release that unknowingly ignites a powerful movement. When the authorities start asking questions, Lori realizes that finding her voice might have gotten her into a world of trouble…but sometimes standing up for what you believe in is as important as standing up for yourself.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I believe this might have been my first book I read set in South Africa! So, I have to say that learning about the setting was my favourite part of Big Boned. I spent a bit of time looking up the city the book was set in so that I could orient myself.

I definitely also connected with the main character of Big Boned and the pain of starting school somewhere new, having moved around quite a bit when I was younger. For a good chink of my life as a student, I started at a new school ever two years—yikes! 

Speaking of the main character—I was happy to see the development that took place. And the side characters developed quite naturally as well, which was nice to see. The plot developed quite naturally, which helped keep me immersed in the story of Big Boned for sure!

All in all, this was an interesting read featuring an interesting combination of elements. There were cute moments, cringe moments, and heartfelt moments. The author also touched on some serious topics as well, integrating them into the story quite seamlessly. I enjoyed Big Boned!

⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻

⤖ Let's Chat ⬻

Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!

Leave a Comment