Blubber by Judy Blume

[iteari]

Comments

[gab]

I'm currently writing one, if it helps any! But I've never been published, so...

:<

[iteari]

Heh. Aw, thanks.

I really wish you luck, especially since I'm hoping to get published myself one day!

[yuri_shoujo]

Aw ): Unfortunate. I think there are a couple out there now?

Name Me Nobody by Lois-Ann Yamanaka has a chubby protagonist if I remember correctly, as does The Misfits by James Howe. Both have happy endings. (:

[iteari]

Thank you!

[gabbygrl]

I thought the Misfits was good when I was in middle school and read it originally. Wonder what I'd think now...

[iteari]

The James Howe novel sounds pretty uplifting. Name Me Nobody sounds promising too, though when I read up on the summary at Amazon, they mention she attempts to lose weight through diet pills...? Yikes.

[dark_roast]

Guardian of the Dead has a protagonist who is both plump and badass. (I'm not finished reading yet, so I don't know if the ending is happy. But I love her.)

[iteari]

Read the excerpt through your link and I'm intrigued. I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks!

[lacelocket]

I've never read this, but from your writeup, it sounds very realistic. I prefer that children's books be realistic rather than idealistic. Sending the message to overweight little girls that they'll be accepted by everyone, never get teased again and live happily ever after would be lying. And depending on what your definition of "fat" is (are we talking a bit chubby or nearly obese?), I really don't ever want a children's book to exist that sends the message that being very overweight is totally fine. Seeing all the grossly overweight children around today makes me want to cry.

[lacelocket]

Also, "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" by Carolyn Mackler has a fat main character and IIRC it ends fairly happily. You might enjoy that one.

[iteari]

It is realistic that it almost hurts to read to be honest, which is why I can sort of appreciate because it would have been laughably awful if was otherwise. Judy Blume is a good writer after all

[iteari]

I hope I'm not sounding like attacking you about body issues. I'm just trying to be upfront that me desiring a plump person as a protagonist is of no way at all me of promoting people harming themselves.

[future_guardian]

Since everyone's suggesting good novels with plump protagonists, I just finished a good book today. It's a horror-ish novel (maybe more like supernatural suspense because there's not much of a commentary on human nature) called Black Creek Crossing. Advanced warning that it does end badly for the main character, but that has nothing to do with her weight and everything with the supernatural aspects

[iteari]

That book sounds really intriguing and am relieved to hear about there no "punishment" for being fat. Thanks!

I hope to find a novel one day where the protagonist is all, "yeah, I'm fat, moving on..."

[future_guardian]

You're welcome! Although there was bullying/making the female lead an outcast (thought I'd mention it while I'm thinking of it) most of the "fat hate" was the main character hating herself. The bullying was more because she was intelligent and more introverted than anything and people didn't feel she lived up to her name (Angel, which interestingly enough plays a role in the novel). I definitely don't want to spoil the good stuff.

[inverarity]

Ugh. I thought Black Creek Crossing was one of the worst books I ever read. Frankly, I never even noticed the protagonist's weight, I was too busy being annoyed that Saul was ripping off Carrie, badly.