By Jarrett Lerner

Will Chamber’s life is profoundly changed by an episode of bullying in a 4th grade hallway where he is publicly humiliated by Nick Fisher who loudly calls him FAT. Over the next 3 years, he internalizes the label & is more a bully to himself than any continued taunting by anyone else. He comes to hate himself and believe he is unlovable and that no one would want to be his friend. He quickly alienates the 3 friends he’s always had and becomes a loner in baggy clothes. Much of the book takes place when he decides he has to change his habits with food and quickly develops some very unhealthy food and mental behaviors during 7th grade. This verse novel is very accessible to middle school readers – even the reluctant ones. Few words on the page, paired with scribbled sketches like one might put in notebooks, pull you into Will’s self-destructive world. The addition of a skateboarding character who moves school frequently is a pivotal moment in the book. Will meets Markus during lunchtime behind the auditorium where Will hides during lunch and Markus just wants to skateboard. Markus begins to help him after a sad scene where he hits rock bottom. He finally gets help from his parents, his new friend, a doctor and a therapist. I liked that the book is about a boy with an eating disorder. We don’t see many books that help us see that it’s not just a problem girls face. There are resources for help at the back of the book to help anyone who sees themselves struggling in a similar situation. For anyone who feels “less than” the book shines a light on the possibility of hope in being, not perfect, but rather a work in progress. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and know it will do well in my middle school library.