Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this is pretty clean fare. Vee does kiss her boss, who later becomes her boyfriend. She also auditions with a very, er, hands-on director, who it turns out is making porn.
Families can talk about Vee's experience as a plus-sized actress. What do you think about Hollywood's expectations of women actors -- and how do their skinny bodies impact the rest of us? What could we do to combat these unrealistic expectations? Vee walks out of one audition because she thinks the fat girl role is demeaning. Would you have had the nerve to do the same?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kate Pavao
This is a story with a good heart. Readers will be drawn to funny, talented Vee, and they will empathize with the plus-sized actress who faces harsh scrutiny by Hollywood casting agents -- and even the owner of the coffee shop where she works. The author is to be applauded for bringing these important body image issues to the forefront -- and for creating a big girl protagonist who stands up for herself (and even though she is much bigger than her skinny friend, Big Vee still gets the guy).
What the author doesn't do as well is paint a vivid world around Vee. The other storylines -- such as her scheming best friend who throws Vee's headshots in the garbage, or her father, who is so heartbroken about her mother's death many years ago that he keeps her a mystery from his daughter -- fail to seem as real, or as captivating, as the criticism Vee faces at her casting calls. In the end, this is a book that readers will value more for the topics it tackles than for its literary merit.
From The Book
Donna sighed and gave her a friendly grimace as she leaned back against the edge of her desk. "I'm afraid you're not right for the role," she said.
Veronica's mouth dropped open. "But I haven't said anything yet!"
"You're much larger than we thought," the woman said with an exaggerated un-smiley face. "Thank you for coming." She returned to her chair, dismissing Veronica.
"But...this is for a diet product," Veronica protested weakly.
"Yes, but we need people who are TV fat, not really fat." Donna frowned as if she had accidentally swallowed a bug. "Real fat people are much too large."
Plot Summary:
Veronica -- known as Vee to her friends -- moves to Hollywood with big acting dreams. She's also hoping to connect with the mother she barely remembers, whom she recently learned also pursued stardom. But, once in California, Veronica finds that her plus-sized figure is all people see, not her natural ability or her pretty face. Can Vee catch a break -- or will she have to return to Arizona defeated?
Related Books:
More Books about Body Image:
Pretty Face by Mary Hogan
Fix by Leslie Margolis
Perfect by Natasha Friend
Dr. Susan's Girls-Only Weight Loss Guide by Dr. Susan Bartell
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Sexual ContentVee kissed her boss, who later becomes her boyfriend. She also reads for an audition that she realizes is for a porn film. |
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CommercialismJust a few like BMW and Coffee Bean. |
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