Customer Reviews

Fat Chance

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Judi Lebowitz always dreamed of being thin. Since she was on the heavy side, she would do almost anything to look like the models on the covers of magazines. Judi tried every diet int he book, but none of them worked. One day in the bathroom at school she heard someone throwing up. It was her classmate and idol Nancy Pratt. Nancy let Judi in on her "dieting" secret. Judi thought that if the most popular girl in the school could throw up and lose weight, why couldn't she. As of that day Judi started to binge and purge. No one knew about it except for Nancy. In a weird way, this started their friendship. Judi hid this from her mom and from her best friend Monica. In school, Judi kept a diary for and English class assignment. In her diary she wrote down all of her feelings and thoughts on subject such as, school, boys, friends, and her body image. One day when Nancy was throwing up after lunch and Judi was guarding the doorway, Judi thought that Nancy was taking longer than usual. When Judi finally got the door open, she found Nancy on the floor passed out. After that incident, Judi swore that she would never throw up again, but she wa unable to keep that promise. The next few days, Nancy was in the hospitals recovering. Read the book to see what happends to Judi and Nancy. I think that Judi was the most interesting character because she took the readers for a journey through her mind. While you read, you feel like you know Judi like a best friend. I would definitely recommends this book. I think that people in their teens could relate to this book. I think that everyone thinkgs that they need to fix their body image, or they find some sort of flaw. I would give this book two outstanding thumbs up!

I read this book about two years ago, a time where I was thinking about my body and if guys would be attracted to me or not. I thought I was fat and there was no way anybody could get that out of my head. Then one day I went to the library to have some time to myself, well... basically that is all i had, I needed to get out of the house. I had no friends, and felt worthless, and outcasted. I wore a long black coat to school, even on the hottest days possible. I went to the library, checked out this book, and within 2 hours I had read the thing all the way through and was reading it again. I think that if it wasn't for this book, I would never have the friends I have now, and honestly be as popular as I am at school. I never thought that it would happen to me, but I actually felt like a somebody and realized that it comes from within for people to like you. Now I'm not scared to talk to guys, in fact one of my best friends is a guy

The book Fat Chance is about a girl Named Judi Liebowitz. She is a normal teenage girl in the 8th grade who is so worried about her body and wants to lose weight and want to become the prettiest girl in school. She has tried every diet in the book and she starts this new diet and she keeps on eating and can't stop. But then one day she goes into the bathroom and hears a person throwing up, and you won't belive who it was. It was the prettiest and most popular girl in school. Her name is Nancy Pratt. She is so skinny and pretty and Judi wants to be friends with her. Nancy told her that is how she is so skinny. Then Judi trys this and that started her new friendship with Nancy Pratt. But then one day when Judi was guarding the door she knew that something was up because Nancy was taking way to long and when she was opening the door she saw the Nancy was sprawled out on the floor and passed out. But now Judi's life is out of control and she is between life and death. You have to read the book to find out what happens. My feelings about this book is very strong. This book is so happy at the begining but them when she is talking about her weight and she is being negative toward herself. I would recommend this book to someone who is struggling with his/her weight. This book isn't just for girls. It can be for anyone who is haiving trouble with their body image. The climax for this story is when Judi finds Nancy Pratt in the bathroom throwing up. You wouldn't think that one day you would find the most popular girl in school who purges her food to lose weight.

This book is terrible for girls on the brink of eating disorders. It literally explains how to purge. It's a good picture of life with an eating disorder but read with caution

Fat Chance by Leslea Newman

Life in middle school is already tough enough when you are an unsatisfied American teen like the main character Judy. Although the constant comments made by Tommy Aristo, a mom who won't even let you wear makeup, and growing up being the "fat girl" in the class doesn't make it much easier. So when Mrs. Roth the English teacher assigns the class to write in a journal periodically, Judy comes up with three goals in life that will supposedly solve all her problems: One, decide what she wants to be when she grows up; Two, get a boyfriend (preferably Richard Weiss); And three, lose weight because "Everyone knows guys like skinny girls, the skinnier the better (p. 3)". So with the help of her best friend Monica, Judy decides to do what she thinks will lead to happiness and popularity by becoming skinny. However while battling the numbers on the scale, she also discovers a risky way to stay thin, even if it that means threatening her health.

Leslea Newman did an excellent job by using realistic details and even some educational facts in this contemporary fiction novel. It has the perfect amount of drama, comedy, and even a bit of romance. She makes it easy to relate to because of the real life scenarios and issues almost all teenage girls go through, without sugar coating it or being too graphic like many other dramatic books do. It is a must read if you also liked books such as Are You There God, It's Me Margaret or Just As Long As We're Together by Judy Bloom. Newman and Bloom have a very similar writing style, however Newman usually provides a bit more detail and is more dramatic in her description. This book may take awhile to get into, but once hooked on Judy's personality and exciting turn of events, it is impossible to put down. I found myself intrigued by Newman's interesting style of simple word usage that really makes you think and feel as though you are there going through everything with Judy. Pre-teens and teenage girls everywhere would enjoy this easy read and should be required to read it in the seventh and eighth grades.

I could really relate to this book, and I know alot of girls can too. It's not just about some girl with an eating disorder, but insecurity, lack of self confidence, and than the journey of overcoming all that to love yourself and be happy with who you are. I liked this book and I think all girls who have insecurities about their bodies should read it, it might help!

I absolutely loved this book! I am 12 and I just started junior high, so I can understand some of the feelings Judi is going through about school and boys and all that. I hate to admit, but I have been known to make fun of people who are overweight. This book taught me that what I've been hearing for such a long time is true- that making fun of someone for their weight is just as bad as teasing them for their religion or race. This is an excellent book, and I'd recomend it to just about anyone that's literate.

I thought that this was a very good book. I am a 12 year old girl, and I now realize how sick some people may feel because they think they are "fat." I am ashamed to say, but in the past, I have made fun of these people sometimes. I don't think that I want to, or have reason to, anymore.

A Review by Randall Hawk
A teenage girl named Judi enters 8th grade and she struggles with friends and fitting in and she struggles with her looks. Judi has to deal with constant criticism from her peers as well as her mother as they try to develop a deeper and closer relationship. Judi is given a diary as an English assignment and this diary becomes a very important part in her life.

This book has a wide variety of characters in it whom all of which are realistic but funny in their own way. I liked Judi because she had to deal with a lot of problems that regular teenage kids deal with today with fitting in at school, dealing with the way she looks and developing relationships. Judi for example, she has problems just like any teenage girl. She wants to have a closer relationship with her mother. And she wants to fit in at school, which becomes a big problem for her based on how she looks. Or at least that's the way she sees it. Like for example, Judi tries to do different things to change the way she looks and this becomes a problem for her as well as her friendship with her best friend Monica. I also liked Nancy Pratt as well. She was the typical cheerleading type girl who everybody likes and she was snobby in a way and she used people like Judi. She got Judi to bring her things and do things for her. And Judi did it because she wanted to fit in and she wanted to be liked. So Nancy was very manipulative. I deffinatley liked the subject matter of this story because it was very realistic and it talks about a common problem with many teenage girls have at this point in time. And it is something that is very serious, but the author told it in a way that was interesting. I like that as well.

I would strongly recommend this book to anybody, but especially young teen girls. It sends a very strong message and it tells that you don't always have to change your look or be somebody's gofer just to fit in at school and be liked.

I chose this book randomely, and ended up reading it in one day. It was a great book. Its about a girl, who thinks she is overweight. So she tries many different ways to get skinny. However, she worries so much about losing weight, that she doesn't realize that it's getting out of hand, and if she doesn't stop, it might cost her her life. This book was really interesting, and I learned how dangerous it could be to diet. So, if you are looking to read a book that is based on a girl's everyday life, then I suggest you read this book.