#development and complexity and messiness as romance stories get. this definitely delivers on that!

[aroaessidhe]

2025 reads / storygraph

This Love

contemporary fiction, set over a decade

a stubborn butch lesbian who breaks a lot of hearts and wants to do something important with her life, and a pan guy who’s moved from New York with his mother to escape his abusive father and a bad relationship with a professor - meet in their final year of university and quickly become close friends

they both dream of settling down and having kids - and decide that if they don’t find partners (or even if they do), they’ll do it together

over the years they navigate their relationships with their parents, new relationships, diverging life paths and media careers, and while their lives don’t go to plan, an unconventional family develops out of their strong friendship

[richincolor]

Group Discussion: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

*As is usual with our discussions, there may be a few spoilers ahead so beware.*

We were all eager to read something fun as we were getting to the one year mark in this very challenging time. Fat Chance, Charlie Vega seemed like a promising pick - and it proved to be exactly what we were seeking. I'm thankful that author Crystal Maldonado shared Charlie with the world. To find out more about Crystal, hop over to the interview here. It was great to hear directly from her about her writing.

Publisher summary: Coming of age as a Fat brown girl in a white Connecticut suburb is hard. Harder when your whole life is on fire, though.

Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it's hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn't help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter.

But there's one person who's always in Charlie's corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing—he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her?

Because it's time people did.

A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tackles our relationships to our parents, our bodies, our cultures, and ourselves.

Let the discussion begin...

Crystal: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega made me smile just when I needed plenty of smiles. Over the past twelve months, I’ve found myself picking up many more rom-coms than usual. Even with the difficulties that the main character might face, readers still get to hope for at least a partially happy or hopeful ending and that is what I’ve been craving. Stories that deliver some joy can sure make a day brighter and Charlie’s story, totally did that for me.

K. Imani: I so agree. I’ve been doing the same over the past year and I really needed this sweet story. Like you Charlie’s story made me smile so many times. I loved how much she grew in this story and how she had such a loving heart.

Jessica: Ditto! There were so many times I looked up from reading and realized I was actually, physically smiling. I can’t get enough of YA romance right now.

Audrey: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega had some incredibly sweet and genuinely happy moments, and I was really glad we all agreed on this one for our first book discussion this year. That’s not to say there aren’t hard parts in this book--there are some that hit incredibly close to home--but it was so very nice to settle down with a book that had promised us an uplifting ending. I plowed through it in just two days and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Crystal: I found the cover to be simply lovely. Charlie is gorgeous and looks like she’s feeling beautiful in the midst of the flowers and warm colors. And she’s wearing glasses. I’ve worn glasses for most of my life, but when I was young, I thought nobody sophisticated or beautiful wore them if they could help it. Ruse by Cindy Pon, When Dimple Met Rishi (back of cover) and Slay by Brittney Morris are really the only other YA book covers I can think of that feature a main character with glasses. Mei in American Panda references her nearsightedness, but her mother says that “no woman is attractive in glasses” so Mei doesn’t wear them. Maybe there are other books, but there certainly aren’t many so it was fun to see Charlie rocking her glasses.

K. Imani: Fellow glasses wearer here too and I loved that the cover had Charlie wearing her glasses and that throughout the book she would fiddle with her glasses. It was such a small thing, but I loved how Maldonado wrote the little habits glass wearers do that are tied to how we’re feeling, use as a distraction, etc, that our glasses are really an extension of our being.

Jessica: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega definitely was one of my favorite YA covers to come out in recent years. The colors, the character, the font! Everything about the cover was just so gorgeous.

Audrey: I adore the cover. Not just because Charlie is a fat, glasses-wearing Latina like me but also because it reminded me a lot of Charlie’s references to the body positivity and fat fashion movements. The cover could be an Instagram post--Charlie front and center, looking right at the camera, all dressed up and with a gorgeous background behind her. Ericka Lugo, the Puerto Rican illustrator who designed the cover, did a phenomenal job.

Crystal: Charlie is delightful, but her relationships are seriously complicated. She has some work to do in her relationships with her mom, food, her best friend, her crushes, and most importantly with herself. This is the messiness that makes Charlie’s story feel real. The book did make me smile, but there are some struggles here too and I appreciated that Maldonado let us see Charlie do some hard work.

K. Imani: I feel like all the messiness from Charlie’s relationships is what really connected me to her. No one is perfect 100% of the time and sometimes we get into our own heads and can sabotage ourselves with our relationships. The thing with Charlie is that she learned from it, told people how she felt and made amends. Such great personal growth that is a tough journey to go on, but one we humans do on a constant basis.

Jessica: I loved that the book didn’t shy away from the messiness and complicated aspects of Charlie’s relationships, particularly with her best friend and her mother. I especially loved how Charlie’s relationships tangibly changed and grew as the book progressed -- she called out her mother on her mother’s toxic behavior, and got to a better place with Amelia. So many complex relationships were in play, and the nuance given to each relationship was really incredible.

Audrey: I think some of the most honest parts in this book were when Charlie knew--intellectually--that there was absolutely nothing wrong with being fat, that being fat doesn’t mean unhealthy or unloveable, but she was still affected by those messages and ideas. She still bought into some of them even while acknowledging they were wrong and unfair. It was rough to see her deal with those things and how they affected her own self-esteem and her relationships with others, but it was also incredibly genuine.

Crystal: Many of the issues with relationships are tangled up in how Charlie sees her body. She’s fat and is working hard to have a good and positive relationship with her body, but this is a journey that has ups and downs especially since it seems that some people aren’t willing to accept Charlie as she is. Her own mother seems to think Charlie’s body is not beautiful at the present size and thinks losing weight is essential for Charlie’s happiness. The U.S. culture strongly equates worth with our beauty standards and many of us don’t see how damaging this can be for ourselves and others. Readers can even see this in the relationship Charlie’s mother has with her own body.

K. Imani: Charlie’s relationship with her mother bothered me so much and showed how toxic our society is towards women’s bodies that her mother didn’t even realize she was hurting her child. I’m glad that Charlie sought out the body positive movement and referenced it a number of times throughout the book so folks could see how seeing yourself represented living a fully happy life, despite your size, is life affirming. It definitely was a nice juxtaposition to the messages she was receiving from her mother. On a side note, I really enjoyed how Charlie was a secret clothes hoarder and that she had a great sense of fashion.

Jessica: I sound like a broken record now, but I’m seriously in awe of how Charlie’s relationships -- particularly with her mother -- are portrayed. It’s messy, and tough, and I absolutely cheered when Charlie really told her mother how she felt. I also loved how the story depicted Charlie’s own not-so-linear journey when it came to her self-esteem, and the role that online communities played in that. Sometimes it’s easy to think of the internet as just a place of toxicity and trolls, but the truth is that there are so many wonderful communities online.

Audrey: Charlie’s relationship with her mom was so difficult and complicated, especially with her mother having put so much effort into losing weight and being able to keep it off. At one point Charlie acknowledges that her mom probably doesn’t even realize she’s being cruel. It was such a relief when Charlie was finally able to express her feelings about her mom’s behavior and comments. It didn’t magically make things better, but Charlie was able to say what she really thought and tell her mother that she was hurting her. There were a lot of painful conversations in this book, but in the end they helped Charlie sort out her important relationships and her feelings about herself.

Crystal: I agree with Brian and Charlie that Valentine’s Day isn't always great for everyone. The heart-meltingly sweet way that Brian dealt with that made me smile. To later find out that Crystal Maldonado experienced something very similar with her husband when they were younger made it even sweeter.

K. Imani: I loved what Brian did for Charlie, and their classmates, on Valentine’s day. It was so sweet and moving and definitely endeared me to his character.

Jessica: Regarding the valentines: Gasp. I did not know that! That’s so sweet. Wow.

Audrey: That’s so sweet! I really liked reading about Brian and Charlie’s relationship. The Valentine’s Day scene was incredibly endearing, and their bookstore date was also lovely. There were several great moments between them as their romance developed. I especially appreciated that Charlie--a fat character!--got to want and enjoy things like hand holding and kissing and being attracted to someone and feeling attractive. I loved all of that.

Crystal: I think we can all agree that reading this book was a delight. We recommend it especially if you’re looking for something to give you a little joy. If you’ve read it, please share your thoughts on the blogpost or on our Twitter account. We’d love to hear from you.

[bloggy-hell]

MOVIE REVIEW: Passengers (2016)

PASSENGERS (2016): dir. by Mortem Tyldum Lead Actors: Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence My Rating: 7.610 Best Audience: Teen to adult audience with at least a small interest in the sci-fi/post-apocalyptic genre. Great Date Movie Idea!

Quick, Non Spoliery Synopsis by Yours Truly: 

A mixed pot of romance, action and sci-fi, the film Passengers finds a space ship malfunctioning 90 years before it is to reach its destination, awaking Jim Preston from his suspended slumber much earlier than his 5000 companions. It is here where Jim, portrayed by Chris Pratt must sacrifice his morals, love and even safety for the future of the ship and all of those on board, as once you have woken up in the middle of a 120 year journey, there’s no going back to sleep.

Nitty-Gritty Review Time 

*Definitely CAN’T guarantee no spoilers in this zone and below so God’s Speed my friends*

Did I enjoy this film?

Yes, on a basic level. The visuals were great, acting on point, the romance and action most thrilling…. However the storyline itself….? Honestly, the more I delve into the plot, the more points begin to jump out and irk me.

The Concept

I feel like nowadays everyone is at least familiar with the idea of leaving Earth for an alternative inhabitable planet in the future before we all start living on top of one another. Therefore for the ready-minded citizen, the idea and technologies of the story don’t seem too complex to understand.  Here we have a space ship of the future throwing itself lightyears from Earth which transforms itself from 120 years of suspended human animation to the equivalent of a luxurious cruise for the final 4 months of travel. And the period where the ENTIRE ship is sleeping? total ghost town.

Characters

Now Jim Preston is portrayed by Chris Pratt who although billed second to Jennifer Lawrence, stands as the protagonist of this film. Jim is shown from the beginning as a practical, engineeringly skilled man in search of a new life away from Earth. With simple morals and desires, he reminds me of nothing but an Aussie tradie searching for a quiet life and an attractive lass to settle down with after work each day. Jim lives for the lifestyle in which the ship and new planet promotes to potential investors in the seemingly ginormous capitalised organisation. He is therefore left nearly hopeless at his awakening 90 years prior to arrival. Pratt, undertaking a largely serious role on comparison to his past stints with Parks and Recreation and Guardians of the Galaxy, overall shines as our alpha-male frontman determined to fix the malfunctioning ship and save the 5000 lives on board. Opposite Chris, Jennifer Lawrence is Aurora, conveniently sharing a name with Disney’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ who is awoken by Jim in his desperate need for human (particularly female) contact on the lonely ship. Jen, who we’ve now seen in a variety of roles is quite familiar with the futuristic ‘save the world’ setting in which she shines. And whilst she is not purely Jim’s helpless love interest, for once Jen takes a backseat as the almost supporting character role in the heroic tale. As a born-bred hunger games fan I find myself almost biased in my praise for Lawrence as an actor as her versatility in character, style, personality and raw emotion is next to limitless. I mean. she didnt get those Oscars for just throwing a costume on and showing up on set. Despite these talents though, you never see her overpowering Pratt, who strongly holds his own in this movie which, although from the sci-fi genre, truly paves a future for him in more serious upcoming roles.

Chris and Jens chemistry as a couple was pure fireworks. Some say you only need put 2 attractive people in a room together to really build the basic sparks of your fire but i completely disagree. Chemistry comes from deep within, a connection to ones own emotions as well as their characters and the ability to intertwine them with others. I believe that it is a true art form, a dedication to an actors work which should never be brushed off with something as basic as ‘looks’. The 2 frontliners who have many an experience with onscreen romance completely nailed the almost insecurity that comes from being one of only two people awake on an enormous vessel as well as the dependence that they develop on each other. brava.

The Set and Visuals

I think we can all agree that nothing’s worse sometimes than some bad CGI, which i saw nothing of in this film. Many of the scenes presumably filmed on green screen appeared crafted by Gods as the clean, sleek and fresh architecture of the future remained as such for the entirety of the film. From the Hibernation pods to the bedrooms and public spaces of the ship, the smooth modern touch of curves, mezzanines, illuminations and extremely basic colour schemes really took me into the future, joined by the new technologies of the plot. These aesthetic visuals recall images of brand new houses or cars, yet to be touched by the wear of humans and really emphasise the ‘new life’ that the many Passengers would soon be experiencing.

The Plot

I was on a mixed platter with the writing of this film. The physical script was great, funny, intelligent and hardly cringe. The futuristic technolgies and outerspace caastrophes always delivered asthe developed romance between the 2 lone passaengers did. But sometimes i just wasnt fully there with them.

As much as I hate to break it down like the ghost of english teachers past, every story must have a beginning, middle and end and every character must have objectives and actions to reason why exactly they do everything which is written. I feel like Passengers had a strong beginning and middle, a clear path and direction from where Jim wakes up and everything is explained to when he and Aurora fall in love and she discovers the classic character betrayal (predictable af right?). The middle to end however is where it gets uber messy. Jim’s objective in life is defined at a fresh start on the new planet where he is needed and he can build and grow. Aurora’s is quite different, putting her writing career first and travelling only to be able to write about her experiences and be appreciated back on Earth. These are clear and whilst not set in stone, need to be remembered.

As we near the end of the plot where Jim and Aurora whilst not on good terms must fight to save the ship, it is clear that their objectives seem to go out the window. All writers love a good heroic act and happy ending i know, but with audience predictability and confusability at its finest, sometimes it best to be realistic with the plot. After both characters commit heroic acts to save the lives of those on board and coincidentally save each others lives they simply just decide to grow old together on the space ship, righto. And I know its supposed to be cute and romantic and happy and im sorry but it’s just not believable, it is to me, the writer’s easy way out to an ‘enjoyable’ movie.

And just when you thought I was finished I would also like to tack on a small plot hole I found in the story. As the lovebirds develop their relationship, we see them running round participating in the complimentary activities of the ship from basketball to dance off’s. They also showed the ships passing of a nearby star where the couple marvels at its beauty as the ship voiceover announces its passing. But technically guys, they were all supposed to be asleep in their pods when they passed this particular phenomena so why on earth would it be programmed into the voiceovers in the first place? I understand that their being awake activated a lot of the services but there is really no need to prepare to view a star that nobody is going to be awake to see #plotholeeees.

In Summary:

Despite my finalising with plotholes and slight writing criticisms, I still thoroughly enjoyed watching Passengers. As a not too common sci fi watcher (beside the occasional doctor who binge) I found the films technologies to be easy to follow and understand and praised the art directions and set & costume designers for their simplistically elegant designs. Further praise also to the great acting from Jen and Chris who I will continue to place my faith in with future epics.