REVIEW: "45 Pounds" by K.A. Barson

45 Pounds (More or Less)
Author: K.A. Barson
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Issues
Release Date: July 11, 2013
Publisher: Viking Press

Goodreads | Amazon | TBD

Summary:

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother. 

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!

First Sentences: I long for the roof to cave in at Keehn's darpartment store. For a bomb threat. Or even for a simple power outage. Anything to stop the torture of swimsuit shopping with my mother. "What about this one?" Mom holds up a tiny orange polka dot bikini. Skimpy. They are all skimpy.

My Thoughts:

This was a book I definitely needed to read. It's a book EVERYONE needs to read. K.A. Barson does an amazing job educating readers on what it's like to be an overweight teenage girl. We get to see what it's like to be this way and be taunted by weight loss infomercials and fast food ads on a daily basis. The pressure to be 'thin', 'sexy', 'popular'..WANTED. It's taking over the lives of not only women, but men now, too! This novel is a must read, and not just for teenagers. It touches on how not only the media, but our relationships with people we're closest to, can mess with our minds in the worst of ways.

Two-or is it three- drinks later, "Thriller" comes on. Shrill screams from the Knees practically burst my eardrum. Or is that me screaming? I'm not sure. I'm not sure about anything right now, except that I can't feel my nose. It's numb. I keep touching it to see if it's still there. I feel warm all over. And it's amazing how much I don't care about anything. I don't care about the wedding. Or dresses. Or diets. I don't care about Courtney. Or Naomi. Or dickhead dads. I don't care about not caring. I love it. Maybe I'll start drinking every day. Screw the calories. (ebook 63%)

The main characters were very easy to feel for right away, especially Ann. There's something very lovable about her. She's quirky, down-to-earth, and only wants to be accepted. I love how genuine she is. She tries so hard between her father pushing her away and losing her best friend. She tries to fit in, but others just shoot her down. I feel like anyone can relate to her at some point in their life.

This is a great, fast-paced book. It's family. It's friendship. It's love. It's reality. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. Loved it!