Big Summer

If they had half stars, I would have given it a 3.5. Like many others, I was non-plussed by the total genre shift if the middle. However, unlike many others, I actually enjoyed the whodunnit more than the overcoming the fat-shaming mean girl narrative.

While there wasn't anything wrong with the Daphne character, there wasn't really anything profound about her journey, either. Or maybe it's because I recently read One to Watch & that book explored the theme so much deeper & more true.

This is the first of Jennifer Weiner's books that I've read, and I liked it. It's a story of a young woman who struggles with her weight and how it impacts her self image and her relationships contrasted to another young woman who appears to have it all. It's a story that needs telling about the power and falsehoods of social media and the world in which young people live in 2020. Themes include body image, family, friendships, forgiveness, acceptance, and appearances. This would be a good book club pick. It's a quick read and there are a lot of topics that could make for a good discussion.