Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the advance electronic copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because the title and the cover caught my eye. I was expecting something light--I didn't get it. There was so much going on here--an adopted young man whose adoptive mother is dying of cancer, a budding comic book creator, a boy struggling with food and alcohol--combined as "drunk-drive-throughing". And those were all the same boy. He does have people in his corner--if he'll let them be. This book has all the feels, and something you rarely find--a boy dealing with an eating disorder. It's about self-acceptance and learning to let others in. And if you want to know what the Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky is, you'll have to read it!

There was so much to unpack in this novel. The story is about a 16 year old boy who is dealing with a lot. Death, cancer, adoption, eating disorders, teenage drinking, body image issues, self-harm, and more. Brett tries to cope by writing his own comic books to escape reality.

Recommend this book for high school students. It is a realistic point of view of male disorders and coping with them. There is some cursing which I don't feel like was necessary but does help to portray the characters.

Also - this book takes the prize for the greatest title of the year!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review! 

This book is a tear-jerker at times and super duper funny at others. It talks about eating disorders in such an unglamorized and candid way, please make sure you are in a space to hear some hard truths with this one. I'm thankful for the heartfelt author's note at the beginning. 

I don't want to give too much away about the plot because I think it was a fun time to go in semi blind. Brett's narration was pretty funny and felt like a real peek into a teenage boy's brain. The characterizations were strong and they really stuck with you afterward. This book is very important for young men, learning that eating disorders are not solely a "girl problem" and anyone can suffer from disordered eating and the effects of diet culture. I loved the creativity shown in the comic world Brett creates. 

Lastly, I'll list some trigger warnings but the vomit mentions were pretty gross so if that is something you would like to avoid, keep that in mind. I felt it was necessary to keep the all too common glamorization of eating disorders out of this book. 

TW: 

Eating Disorder
Cancer
Death of a Parent
Vomit (detailed) 
Bullying
Fatphobia
Mentions of self harm/suicide attempts

Adopted as an elementary schooler, Brett is struggling with many aspects of his life--his adoptive mom's cancer, having to live with his best friend and father instead, his weight, and relationships. The only thing tethering him is the comic series he has created, Kid Condor. When his journal chronicling his eating disorder and other feelings spreads around his school, Brett must come to terms with mental health and the real world.

The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky is definitely an interesting read, as books discussing eating disorders in males are definitely in short supply. Brett is sympathetic character and the reader definitely roots for him. I can see where young readers would also enjoy the comic book style parts. I admit, I had trouble following the comic story parts versus Brett's story, but I suppose that is because I am not generally a fan of those.

I'd probably pick 3.5 stars if 1/2 stars were a choice, but I don't feel like I would round up to the 4.

How could I resist reading a book with a title like this, even though I’m a Doritos purist? As lighthearted as the title is, however, this book packs a real emotional punch.

Life can be challenging when you’re a teenager, but for Brett, things are even harder. His adoptive mother has cancer, so he’s living with his best friend, Reed. The only things that make him feel better are drawing comics and eating. He eats a lot, so of course, he finds himself upset with how he looks, which leads to bulimia.

Brett doesn’t really think there’s a problem with binging and purging all the time. And when some of his journal entries are leaked online by someone he trusted, he hits rock bottom. But then he starts to realize that he has a problem and needs help, and he discovers that he’s not as alone as he thinks.

This is a tough book to read. You really feel Brett’s sadness and trauma, and it’s fairly graphic in describing his eating disorder. However, this book is so important, because there are so few books out there that address eating disorders in teenage boys.

As someone who struggled with my weight all through high school (and beyond), this definitely hit close to home for me. But while the book is a bit heavy, it’s also hopeful. It’s a story about asking for help and realizing you’re not alone. It’s also a story about love, of friends and chosen family, but also loving yourself.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt Books for Young Readers for the advance copy. The book will publish 7/23.

This deals with teen boys’ eating disorders in a straight forward meaningful way. It can be difficult to find books that address sensitive topics for young men and I’m excited to put this one on our shelf. The strong characters will be a draw for female readers too.

Loved this book about Brett and his eating disorder. He lives with his best friend Reed, and the two are always there for each other. When the two have a fight Brett befriends Mallory, who’s fat, and the two slowly help other deal with different issues. Brett admits to binge eating and puking and finally admits it to his guidance counselor who suggests a therapist. When Brett realizes that it’s possible to overcome an eating disorder he has hope. So much love and support in this book.

Thank you to the publisher and MacMillan audio for the review copy. This is an amazingly well crafted examination of mental health in a vulnerable teen. As someone with academic background in eating disorders and body image, I really thought this book captured a lot of feelings and experiences powerfully, with compassion, and without stigma; the examination of these themes and diet culture from a male perspective is incredibly valuable as it the layering of these themes along with alcohol use (these struggles often overlap for many). A heartbreaking story of grief, vulnerability, hope, dreams, and a comic book as well, I truly valued reading this and listening to some of the parts on audiobook, I thought the voice acting was excellent.
Please consider the author note at the start of the book as a way to examine if this book is right for you; I value the note and the inclusion of resources as well.

What I love about this book:
The representation of mixed kids; to use terms from the book, of fat and super fat kids; of a bromance as being the dominant "love story"; of foster children; of grief; and eating disorders... This book covers a lot of ground, but for the most part, it doesn't feel overdone.
Brett. His first-person narration has a very strong voice. I didn't like it at first, but I grew to love it.
Brett and Mallory.
Brett and Reed.
Brett and Evelyn.
Brett and his therapists and counselors.
The humor.
The comic stuff--Brett is a nerd, and it's likeable.
That Galarza says it's about love, and it really is. Not at first, but that's what it becomes--this really beautiful love story--love for friends and for family (in all its various forms) and for self.

What I don't like about this book:
The language. I don't curse, and I don't like tons of cursing in books. It weakens the book for me. I get that Brett is the narrator, and he has his own voice, but it's still overdone in my opinion. It's like every other word is a curse word or some other type of "foul" language (to sound like an old Millennial), and I just didn't like it. This changed a bit as the story moved forward.
Some stereotypes.

Overall, I love a lot more than I dislike. The latter part of this book is what made me want to give it 4 stars and not 3. I really love the way the story builds and progresses and how the characters and their relationships grow. Galarza seems so passionate about representation and about fighting against diet culture, and I really appreciate his passion. I recommend this book if you love YA literature with guys as first-person narrators, if you are going through or have gone through an eating disorder of any kind, and if you like stories about friendship without any strong romance.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book to review.

Brett's life has been spinning out of control ever since his adoptive mother was diagnosed with cancer. He started sneaking alcohol and eating. His one solace is writing his comic book, where the constellations are named after foods and the main character is a mirror of his life experiences. When, in a fit of frustration, he throws his journal in the trash at school, all of his insecurities become public knowledge when someone posts it on social media. When Brett finally hits bottom, he realizes that he needs to start being honest with his friends, and more importantly, with himself. An amazingly thoughtful look at grief, loss, and eating disorders.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the title and then the cover, but the writing is what made me stay, it was not an easy book to read, what with Brett suffering from an eating disorder and the graphic descriptions of his throwing up, but it was worth it, because it elicited so many emotions, as many as he had, I could feel his grief and pain and despair, loneliness and then acceptance and hope for a better future, which it is implied it won’t be easy but he won’t be alone.

Ugh. My heart. I related to this so much, and Brett has my heart forever. Seeing his struggle and how he delt with it through his comics and his journal broke me. This is such an important story for those who struggle with EDs or anxiety, and I can't recommend it enough.

Brett, the main character, struggles with disordered eating and drinking as a way of coping with his mom's terminal illness. There is something raw about this book and it definitely made me think about things, like societal pressures on boys, and how they too might struggle with eating and body image. There were some parts where the character seemed to handle challenging discussions and situations like an informed adult instead of a struggling teen, which seemed a bit awkward at times. Overall, I kind of liked it, but am not sure I would recommend it.

Actual rating 3.5 stars

The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky. Funny title, right? The story isn’t that funny, though.

Brett is a sixteen-year-old who is drowning. His adoptive mom has cancer, and therefore, he lives with his best friend, Reed. He eats to push away the pain in his stomach and drinks to feel numb.

The first chapter grabbed me at my throat. Drunken Brett orders an Uber to drive through all the fast food restaurants in town and then eats everything he ordered. Alone. I’m an emo eater myself, so I can fully understand his feelings to eat his problems and pain away.

I really loved that this story is about a boy and eating disorders. We need far more of them. Most YA books about eating disorders are about girls, and it’s so refreshing to see it from a boy’s perspective. Brett is in pain because of Evelyn but also has hardly any self-love. And in the end, that’s what this story is eventually about.

TGCRDITS made my stomach clench more than once, and I wanted to hug Brett so badly, but something kept me from rating this story a full four stars. I think that something is the storyline. I wanted to know a bit more about how Brett started to eat more and more, and I definitely wanted him to realize more slowly that he had an eating disorder. It was like one and one is two instead of searching for an answer longer or making a detour.

But other than my comments above, this is a solid debut, and I’m really curious what Josh Galarza will write next.

This story is about a boy living in Arizona who binge eats and uses alcohol to cope with his adoptive mother's deteriorating health condition. Eventually his eating disorder spirals out of control, affecting his relationship with his best friend. He must come to terms with the fact that he is not okay, and does so with the help of unlikely schoolmates.

This book deals with heavy themes in an entertaining and relatable way for young readers. It addresses the different treatments for eating disorders and why some treatments can actually make things worse for a person. I would recommend this book to any teens struggling with eating disorders, loss, or depression.

Wow this one is an intense read. From the beginning I felt for Brett and how much he was hurting. As we see him go further down this hill, it's hard to watch, but I was rooting for him to find his way back up and out of it.
Mallory is a great supportive character. And there were other great characters too that really dive deep into the eating disorders.
I thought the comics he talks about writing were interesting, especially with their food related constellations. It makes since with the food disorder stuff going on. But it was interesting to see the names he comes up with.
This book isn't for the faint of heart and I would definitely recommend it more for older teens.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.