Book Review: Big Fat Disaster by Beth Fehlbaum

Summary:

Insecure, shy, and way overweight, Colby hates the limelight as much as her pageant-pretty mom and sisters love it. It's her life: Dad's a superstar, running for office on a family values platform. Then suddenly, he ditches his marriage for a younger woman and gets caught stealing money from the campaign. Everyone hates Colby for finding out and blowing the whistle on him. From a mansion, they end up in a poor relative's trailer, where her mom's contempt swells right along with Colby's supersized jeans. Then, a cruel video of Colby half-dressed, made by her cousin Ryan, finds its way onto the internet. Colby plans her own death. A tragic family accident intervenes, and Colby's role in it seems to paint her as a hero, but she's only a fraud. Finally, threatened with exposure, Colby must face facts about her selfish mother and her own shame. Harrowing and hopeful, proof that the truth that saves us can come with a fierce and terrible price, Big Fat Disaster is that rare thing, a story that is authentically new.

Release Date: April 18, 2013

Age Group: YA
Source: Review copy from publisher
Reviewed by: Madi B

Review:

I’m not usually one for the troubled darker reads. What can I say, I prefer comedy to tragedy. Even so, this was my favorite book sent to me from Merit Press thus far! I found myself growing attached to Colby and really feeling for her! Colby sucked me into her world and wanted to step into the book and give her a hug. My favorite aspects were…

1.     I think the author (Yes, I’m talking to you, Beth) did a great job getting the readers to feel empathy. (Maybe not purposefully but either way it worked). I wanted to help Colby. I wanted to slap her family for her. I genuinely wanted to step into her story not because it would be fun but because I felt for Colby.

2.      I liked the rawness of the whole story. Colby held nothing back in her narration and I think that contributed to #1.  Colby narrated this story with complete honesty and it gives this novel an authenticity that may not have been there otherwise.

3.     Character development. Like most dark troubled protagonists, Colby had some SERIOUS character developing to do in this book. I would have preferred it to go a tad faster (I’m a teenager! Therefore I’m impatient!) but it was delivered.

I really liked this book but it wasn’t intended for me. This is a book that, given to the right audience, could change a person’s life. Some stuff I didn’t like…

1.      The balance of the book was off. When you have a plot as heavy as this one, you need to lighten up with something. A love story, a funny friend, a hobby any of these would have worked. I was never that excited to pick up the book and continue reading the book because I had nothing to look foreword to. Needless to say I felt like I HAD to pick up the book because it wouldn’t be fair to Colby otherwise. (I’m telling ya EMPATHY)

Other than that I didn’t have any complaints! Big Fat Disaster was a deep, heartfelt story that overall I’m glad I read.