Big Girl
Author :
Hema
Blog :TELL A STORY - MY WAY
Date: 7/19/2012 2:41:00 PM
Summary:
A chubby little girl with ordinary looks, Victoria Dawson has always felt out of place in her family, especially in body-conscious L.A. While her parents and sister can eat anything and not gain an ounce, Victoria must watch everything she eats, as well as endure her father’s belittling comments about her body and see her academic achievements go unacknowledged. Ice cream and oversized helpings of all the wrong foods give her comfort, but only briefly. The one thing she knows is that she has to get away from home, and after college in Chicago, she moves to New York City.
Landing her dream job as a high school teacher, Victoria loves working with her students and wages war on her weight at the gym. Despite tension with her parents, Victoria remains close to her younger sister, Grace. Though they couldn’t be more different in looks, they love each other unconditionally. So when Grace announces her engagement to a man who is an exact replica of their narcissistic father, Victoria worries about her sister’s future happiness, and with no man of her own, she feels like a failure once again. As the wedding draws near, a chance encounter, a deeply upsetting betrayal, and a family confrontation lead to a turning point.
Behind Victoria is a lifetime of hurt and neglect she has tried to forget. Ahead is a challenge and a risk: to accept herself as she is, celebrate it, and claim the victories she has fought so hard for and deserves. Big girl or not, she is terrific and discovers that herself.
Review:
The cover and the summary were very attractive promising a good chick lit. It was definitely uplifting and inspiring, but the only problem was the story should have been even shorter. It has been established that Victoria is being belittled by her family and she seeks solace in comfort foods and ice cream. Yet the author keeps dragging it and making it a big deal all till the last chapter. It was tiresome. I think it was a bit exaggerated. I know there are parents who are hard to deal with, but children rebel too. I mean at least we try to defend our own self esteem, especially if the parents are wrong. She never talks back or gets angry with them, but when it comes to her little sister, she arguments with her parents, on her behalf.
The author portrays Victoria to be very independent and clear minded, yet she cannot come to a resolution about her weight problems. The author tries to explain the reason behind it with a psychiatrist when her friends, Harlan and John, could have discussed about it and given such a sensible solution. In spite of having such a loving, caring and understanding boy friend, Victoria could not believe that she deserved it. It was a bit of a drag. I was also expecting Grace to stop the wedding and come in terms with her sister. The ending was not completely satisfactory. The author's writing was very lucid, she has kept the prose very simple. It was a quick read with a taste of the real world.