This is a cute book, but I'm hard pressed to say I really enjoyed it. There's nothing wrong with the book, Jesobel Jones is a great narrator and her journey is realistic, inspiring, and heartbreaking. But what really killed Rebel with a Cupcake for me, was the humor. It was just so juvenile and so out of touch that it bogged down an otherwise serviceable story. There's a scene maybe two pages in where Jess laments on her favorit jeans she's had for two years and goes "OMG they've been washed don't worry that would be gross" and it was such a lame and immature joke for someone's inner monologue to make it ended up setting the tone for the rest of the story. Which, again, is a shame because this could have been a great body positive book akin to Fat Girl on a Plane or Dumplin, but as it is, the humor just turned this into a story that just wasn't for me.

When Jess gets called fat by the school mean girl, Zara on Own Clothes Day after a freak clothing ripping accident, she starts to doubt herself and her attitude towards her life choices such as her cupcake making and eating habit for one.



Hannah and Izzie her beat friends assure her it's not all bad as she's gained the attention of her secret crush, Matt and been asked by him to his party! But is he the boy of her dreams after all?



Her older sister Cat has suffered with an eating disorder it's hinted at, her mum encourages her to lose weight and so Jess begins questioning what she eats, when and why as well as taking up some exercise and eating less in general. But, she meets her blogger idol and gets asks to write a piece for her site after a chance meeting at her dads gig and so she swaps numbers with her idol and new friend quite possibly, Imogen and go shopping together.



The book deals with the issues of bullying and name calling in school, it can really effect peoples psyche and so is a key factor especially around the subject of weight as it could have sent Jess spiralling completely but eventually she owned her weight and who it makes her, A Rebel With A Cupcake as she calls herself online and good for her too!



A great book about not letting the bullies get you down, or at least not for long!



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!