The Downside of Being Charlie

Gr 8 Up—Charlie is a former fat kid. Food has always been a source of comfort, and something his mother provided in abundance. At the end of his junior year, he is packed off to "fat camp," where he loses 30 pounds. When his father picks him up, he learns that his mother has disappeared again. She is usually gone for no more than a couple of weeks, but this time she does not return. As weeks pass, Charlie tries to forget anything is wrong and interests a new neighbor, Charlotte, in dating him. To do so, he hides who he really is and that his life is imploding. As he stuffs down more of what he wants to say, he returns to food as a source of comfort. Instead, it becomes another aspect of self-loathing, and he starts bingeing and purging. When his mother returns, things get worse. For a class assignment that could win a scholarship in photography, Charlie tries to explain and understand his family in a series of starkly emotional portraits that help him deal with his mother's suicide attempt and their upcoming family therapy. While it is refreshing to have a book focusing on a young man's struggle with weight and body issues, this one is too simplistic. Although the novel addresses an important topic, it is unlikely to find an appreciative audience.—Suanne Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL