I was unable to read this book because I did not check the available formats before I requested it and I did not have a way to read the protected PDF. I am sending this "review" in order to clear this book from my un-reviewed items.

I found this book to be body positive BUT not all the way through. I liked how Cookie stood up for herself in the face of fat-shaming, but she hated herself the whole time and thought the answer to her life’s problems was to become skinny. The ending was well done and a positive message but it was a struggle to get there. I did not agree with her Grandma forcing her to interact and “play nice” with people that had truly wronged her. I gave it five stars because it was overall positive and very readable.

I had high hopes for this as we need more fat rep in YA fiction, but I definitely wouldn't categorize this as a body-positive book. The titular "fat girl" only learns to love her body after going on a diet (of course) and losing weight, and haven't we all heard this story a million times before?

I did not love this.

Cons:
*Marketed as a YA, but doesn't really feel like one, just because the plot flashes back to high school half of the time, doesn't make it YA.
*Power imbalance--I can't be the only one who sees big red flags with the fact that she is sleeping with her 11-12 year older "boss/intern advisor" designer Gareth Miller. Helloooo, ick.
*For a book that is supposed to be soooo body positive (see Twitter) Cookie sure hates herself for 95% of it.
*Product placement--thinly veiled Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, Vita-water.

Pros:
*Ms. deVos writes with the real voice of someone who has struggled with weight and all the societal issues that entails.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And I was so excited to read it, because I love #ownvoice reads.  Sadly this book did not live up to any of my expectations. 

To begin with the story starts off in a completely different tone than the rest of the story, which I found very confusing.  I do know that my ARC was very badly formatted and almost unreadable at some parts, so maybe it was the fault of the ARC? I'm not sure. But anyway, the story starts off with the main character explaining what fat people have to go through just to get on a plane. It's good information, and some that I think a lot of people don't know about, but it read like a blog post rather than a fiction story. And yet it was probably the best part of the novel because at least this part was well-written! 

The rest of the book just goes downhill. I was very very uncomfortable with the age gap and the sex between Cookie and the man she worked for. She's 19 and he's at least in his mid-thirties!  Not to mention he's an absolute asshole and treats everyone around him like trash, he's an abusive relationship just waiting to happen.  Apparently there's a love triangle that happens later in the story with an equally misogynistic entitled asshole, but I quit the book before then.

The other part of the story that I didn't like was the fact that it jumps between Cookie's pov from when she was fat, and then when she's skinny. The whole treatment of her body over the course of the story (that I read) made me uncomfortable, and just felt badly written. As someone who is overweight I thought it would be a book that didn't include a lot of gross fat shaming and self-loathing, but sadly it does and I just couldn't read any more of it.

In the end I gave the book 1 star on Goodreads.

While reading this I found myself getting as angry as Cookie, the lead character, which was a touch disconcerting since that wasn't the feeling I was expecting from the book. Not that I thought I'd get all squishy feelings, just that I didn't expect that level of anger. 

I've always felt fat and unwelcome in some spaces, so I could identify with that part of the character, but I never felt that kind of anger she seemed to experience in many parts of the story. The anger I felt, however, wasn't always towards those who were openly rude or cruel to her, it was more often toward those who either told her to "turn the other cheek" or tried to make excuses for the person who was rude.

Why should she ignore what these rude people have said or done? Why shouldn't she stand up for herself and call out the purposeful cruelty? If you don't call them on it, bring it to the attention of others, they'll just keep doing it because they know they can get away with it.

The ending was satisfying enough, but the attitudes of the people closest to Cookie affected my enjoyment of the book.

A fun and sweet story that, nevertheless, gives an unintentionally negative message about being fat when you consider how much its protagonist's life improves when she loses weight. Still, an interesting debut.

Fat Girl on A Plane is a thoughtful, funny, cleverly written novel about a realistic teen. It's important to note that this is not a weight loss story. This book is not an ode to how great life could be if you could just lose weight. Life does not magically get better because of a number on a scale. This book is incredibly important to the YA contemporary genre because it provides a positive representation of a fat teen with dreams, a crush, and a fabulous teen voice.

Cookie is ready to take the fashion world by storm. She remembers a time when she wasn't welcome in the world that she so desperately wants to make a name in. She's ready to stand up for all the fat girls out there and claim her place. Told in dual timelines, this book helps the reader connect with Cookie through her inner monologue.

I just finished Fat Girl on a Plane by Kelly DeVos and it was phenomenal! This book presented a very positive message in a fun and entertaining way.

So first off, props to Kelly for making a book that empowers people of all sizes. This is truly amazing. No one should ever be shamed or belittled because of the way they look or how big or small they are.

The main character, Cookie, is a strong female protagonist that doesn’t always have everything handed to her and she has to work hard for what she believes in. There are times when life becomes “unfair” to her but she always puts her best foot forward and strives on. She is very talented and a fashion guru. A lot of the clothes that she made in the book sounded very cool and the inner geek in me would hope that she would make some of these for men so I could wear some original Cookie Vonn.

I really enjoyed her best friend Piper. She was such a hoot! And she was from Australia which is epic because that is my dream destination to visit someday. Piper was the “giver of no f**ks” and I felt that she embodied that very well 🙂

Tommy kind of annoyed me a little bit because of how he would handle situations with Kennes being a complete asshole to the person he calls his “best friend” but that was just a minor detail.

This book is a rare one that will get a great rating from me! There are few out there that I would give 5/5 but I have to give it to this one! I am usually pretty generous with 4/5 but I found I couldn’t put this one down and would read it at every opportunity I had.

I would recommend this book to anyone out there who feels like they don’t like their body or are uncomfortable in their own skin. Let this book take you on a journey with Cookie to become empowered and feel positive about yourself because you are beautiful inside and out.

This book really didn't do it for me. I wasn't a fan of the flashbacks, or the main character. She was too self-pitying for me.

Fat Girl on a Plane was truly a joy to read. I'm a woman who's gone through a similar weight transformation and I so deeply related to Cookie and her experience with the world throughout her transition. The plot is perfectly balanced with light and dark moments, difficult and lovely characters, familiar and exciting settings. This is a book every store and library should stock for a woman of any age. It's one of those reads you devour in a matter of hours. And dare I recommend? Read it on a plane.

You would think with a quote like that, there'd be a ton of plus-size body positivity, but I have never been angrier while reading a book in my life. I don't know how many times I cursed (in my head or quietly to myself...) the characters out, rolled my eyes, or furiously scribbled down pissed off notes while reading. I hardly liked any characters, hated most of their decisions, and found so many aspects extremely problematic. At first I was hell-bent on giving this book 1 star, then I bumped it up to 2 stars because for some reason I was still able to make it until the end. But then, as I laid in bed a little more calm but still sooo very angry, I thought I would give this 5 stars. Because the thing is, everything in Fat Girl on a Plane is on point, and I wonder if I hated it that much because it hit so close to home. I ended up giving this 3.5 stars because even though I'll never say this is my favorite read, I without a doubt think it's an important read.

DNF
The writing with the flashbacks felt a little off to me. I had to set the book aside as I had a tough time connecting to the story because of it. I will likely give the book another chance, most likely on audio.

4.5! This book was different and unique! I love Cookie and the flushed out characters that DeVos writes about. With everything going on in Cookies life, she has to constantly struggle with her weight and the people around her and how they treat her.
I love the two perspectives that the author chose to write of Cookie before she looses weight and after. This book was fun, fast and enjoyable.

Usually stories about weight issues take one of two paths: realizing why you're heavy (addressing some deep personal issue) or helping a thin person to see your value. And both of these elements are present in this book, though they don't take center stage. Its more about finding true happiness, not letting yourself be defined by another person's perception, letting go of preconceived notions. And it takes some pretty aggressive shots at the fashion industry in specific and our culture at large which tells us that fat can never equal happy or successful.

Cookie Vonn is an aspiring fashion designer and blogger who wants to create her own line of clothing. Only problem is, high fashion doesn't accept fat people, which is why Cookie wants to design and make plus size clothing that is high quality. Through a series of events that include her absent mother and father, her best friend Tommy who becomes the biggest jerk on the planet, and snotty brat Kennes who turns out to be Mean Girl 2.0, Cookie joins a weight loss program and ends up losing a large amount of weight over a two year period. It seems like she is thwarted at every turn by Kennes and bad circumstances, but she finally gets a chance to make her dreams come true when famous designer Gareth Miller agrees to help Cookie create a plus size collection. Cookie will have to decide what she really wants in life as she is presented with several difficult, life altering decisions.
This book is written with two alternating storylines, one relating Cookie's life for the past two years and the other taking place in the present. I think this is a very necessary and important book because it addresses the problem society at large has with fat shaming and promoting a culture where it is unacceptable to be less than perfect where looks are concerned. I related to Cookie and Piper very well because I understand what it's like to be treated badly because I don't measure up to the ideal. I was so mad at some of the characters, especially Cookie's parents, Kennes, and Tommy. They treated Cookie horribly, and it seems like they got away with it. I learned quite a bit about fashion from this book, and I thought some of the writing near the end was very encouraging to people like me. I didn't agree with some of the views expressed in the book, and I was very disappointed with the egregious amount of profanity and sexual promiscuity as well. Those objections aside, I believe that this book is a must read with a very important message.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Three stars: An eye opening read that exposes the struggles of overweight people.

Cookie Vonn stands in line at the airport behind an overweight girl who is being told politely by the airline staff that she is too fat to fly. Cookie knows all to well the agony of the young lady is going through as she herself was in the exact same position two years ago. As a high school senior, Cookie was overweight, an outcast, but now she is skinny after two years of dieting. A thin and determined Cookie is ready to seize her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Will she at last find everything her heart once desired when she was overweight?
What I Liked:
*I have such conflicted emotions over this book. There was a lot to like and lots that I didn’t like, so let’s get to the good stuff. I loved that the author took on this topic. I was completely absorbed in the chapters that featured Cookie while she was struggling with being overweight. As a fat girl, Cookie as an outcast, mistreated and ignored. It was heartbreaking to be inside Cookie’s head and to see how she was treated. This book was an eye opening and informative read.
*The book presents two time lines. There is Cookie two years in the past as a miserable fat girl who finally attempts to lose weight and realize her dreams. Then you have the current time line two years in the future as Cookie is skinny and finally reaching her goals. The story moves back and forth between fat and thin Cookie. Even though I preferred Cookie as a fat girl, I was interested in both time lines as I liked comparing and contrasting the difference in her life and the way people treated her as a fat girl vs. a thin girl.
*I couldn’t help but to cheer for the fat Cookie as she fought to overcome all the obstacles in her path. It was a joy to see her lose weight, stand up to the mean girl and to finally have success as a fashion designer.
*I appreciated that this was a book all about self discovery. It is so much more than a fat girl losing weight. It is a book about standing up to bullies, believing in yourself and fighting against prejudice. By the end, I was satisfied in Cookie’s choices and happy to see her on the right path.
*The book ends with a somewhat open ending as thin Cookie makes some big decisions. Not everything turns out happily ever after. There were lots of disappointments, but I was happy that Cookie made the decision that she did and I felt that she was in a good place.
And The Not So Much:
*I struggled with thin Cookie’s decisions. She makes plenty of questionable choices, especially when it comes to a certain fashion designer. At first meeting on the plane, Cookie seemed to see right through his charming demeanor, but then she falls right into his trap. Face palm..... so frustrating.
*I finished the book pretty much hating all of the characters. Almost everyone is unlikeable except Cookie, her grandma and her professor. Her parents are ridiculous, Garrett is a snake, the mean girl is deplorable throughout (gag), and Thomas is a big disappointment. The behavior of most of the characters is terrible, and I couldn’t stand them. Yuck!
*There are two somewhat romances in this one. Fat Cookie is trying to realize her long time crush, and then one in the future. I didn’t like either romance. The romance that thin Cookie engages was ridiculous, I won’t go into details, but I never felt it at all. The one in the past isn’t much better. Her crush lets her down over and over, until I wanted to punch him. No butterflies or swoon worthy moments in this one.

Fat Girl on a Plane isn’t an easy book for me to review. I liked many aspects about this book especially the way the author exposed the cruelty that overweight people endure. However I was frustrated with the unlikeable characters and the poor decisions that thin Cookie makes. I wanted to love this book but there were too many parts that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Still it is worth a read because this is an important an interesting issue to explore.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

I had fun reading this book, for the most part.

PLOT
I liked Cookie’s growth throughout the novel and that’s really what the plot is about, her personal growth and gaining self confidence. I think the novel did a great job of portraying that. Where I falter is with Cookie herself...

CHARACTERS
I found Cookie a little hard to like at times, she would take certain situations and events so personally that I couldn’t relate to her (even though I am a “fat girl” around the same age). I remember being 17-18 and it’s possible she’s just more outspoken than I am but I had a hard time relating to her even though I’m the demographic for her. I had such a hard time liking Tommy after he kissed Cookie the first time too, it seemed scummy. Gareth was also a creep. I think Kennes needed more characterization but that could be excused for the novel being in Cookie’s POV.

FORMAT
I thought the back and forth between fat and skinny was clever at first but quickly it started to mess with the rhythm of the novel. If it was a short story or novella I don’t think I would have had as much of a problem with it.

Overall I enjoyed the novel and got through it rather quickly. If you like sassy commentary and stories about personal growth, than I would suggest this for you.

A great book that gives insight into what being overweight can feel like. Unfortunately loses some of its potential as a thought-provoking piece with the whole falling-into-bed-with-the-hot-designer aspect of it.

Great book, loved the juxstaposition between the before and after, and the message of body positivity and acceptance