Overall it's a great book for teens, but I really am tired of the "popular girls are bitches" trope and "guy secretly really likes you" trend. I enjoyed seeing Virginia Shreve come into her own, but it would have been nice to just see her on her own. Not all YA female protagonists need a boyfriend.Still, it's good to see a YA book with an overweight protagonist wanting to focus on her HEALTH, not necessarily her weight. Some people are built bigger and that's fine (I'm one of them - I'm a curvy Latina and that's just how it is), but that's my problem with the "fat pride" movement; it's one thing to say "I'm built a certain way and I will never be skinny, but I'm healthy and happy with how I look", but I am not okay with eschewing health goals in exchange for "freedom" to eat crap, never exercise, and basically lesson one's lifespan.Anyway, I digress. Overall it's a good book, with interesting plot twists and character development, and I did root for Virginia. But yes, I still ache for YA fiction that doesn't have the aforementioned cliches.
