Sugar

Gr 10 Up—Mercy Bella "Sugar" Legowski-Gracia is fat. Food is her comfort and her haven, especially sweets. Of course, she has a lot to seek refuge from, since her mother hurt her ankle the previous spring and took to her bed. Since then, Sugar has done everything around the house. She's looking forward to school starting to get away from Mama's relentless demands, except then she'll have to put up with the bullying from her classmates. The first five chapters of this novel are dark and depressing. Then Sugar meets Even, and things begin to change. Even seems to like Sugar the way she is, and her life begins to brighten, but she still has to live with Mama, who doesn't seem to value Sugar's happiness. Riordan Hall has created a believable protagonist, and the novel deals well with the themes of differences and bullying. There are some instances of verbal and physical abuse, which may be problematic for sensitive teens.