I LOVED this book. I felt like I was reading a book about myself in high school, especially how Virginia felt about guys and relationships. (Disclaimer: I was the chubby friend in high school; and like Virginia I was preoccupied by that). I think what I liked most about this book is that, while there was a satisfying ending, everything wasn’t ‘fixed’ at the end. Virginia does stand up for herself by telling her dad to stop talking about her weight, but her mother and her still don’t agree on most things, especially her size. This rings true to life - people don’t magically stop doing hurtful things, and people like Virginia’s mom will always make the comments that she made. The growth in the book is how Virginia reacts to it. This was an amazing book that shows a girl learning to stand up for herself, realizing her family’s not perfect and discovering her voice. I found this book on the ALA frequently challenged book, which makes me sad - the sex scenes were few and not gratuitous and the few curse words should not keep a girl struggling with her identity and self-esteem from discovering this empowering book.