The Big Reveal

Description

Addie is a talented dancer, a true-blue friend, fat, fierce, and driven. When she's accepted into the prestigious dance program of her dreams, she thinks nothing can bring her down-until she realizes she doesn't have enough money to go. Refusing to give up, Addie and her friends decide to put on a top-secret, invitation-only burlesque show to raise funds. But word soon gets out, and the slut- and body-shaming begin. Has Addie been resisting the patriarchy, or playing right into its hands? Perfect for fans of Jennifer Mathieu and E. Lockhart, The Big Reveal asks hard-hitting feminist questions while reveling in some of life's greatest joys: chasing your passions, falling in love, and embracing yourself exactly as you are.

Jen Larsen is the critically acclaimed author of the memoir Stranger Here: How Weight Loss Surgery Transformed My Life and Messed with My Head and the young adult novel Future Perfect. She lives in Vancouver, Canada, with her wife. jenlarsen.net

Though bigotry against fat people batters against Addie's self-confidence (from the gross boys who neg her to her mother's well-meaning but abusive obsession with diets), her determination to love herself and claim her fatness are empowering. There's no hidden message of avoiding food, no incidental weight loss paralleling Addie's growth, just the conviction of one girl and her excellent friends that they are awesome and powerful and sexy. Unabashedly, determinedly positive, with truly comical banter and the heroic climax of a teen movie. --Kirkus Reviews Addie is a compelling narrator, witty and dramatic and bold. . .There's a definite Julie Murphy energy to the story, so her fans will appreciate Addie's vitality: "I want it all. I want to wrap my arms around it and jump up and down. I want to see what's next." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books With a broad cast of characters, including one who's suggested to be demisexual, Larsen depicts the diverse world of dance and creative expression in Addie's friends and their adventures. . .A natural recommendation for fans of Jennifer Mathieu's Moxie looking for a story about body positivity and a better understanding of the burlesque world. --Booklist