Thursday, April 14, 2011

Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee


Published: June 2008
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 224
Copy Provided by: Library
Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

When she is almost sixteen years old, Rosemary decides she is sick of being overweight, mocked at school and at Heavenly Hair--her mother's beauty salon--and feeling out of control, and as she slowly loses weight, she realizes that she is able to cope with her mother's cancer, having a boyfriend for the first time, and discovering that other people's lives are not as perfect as they seem from the outside.


Review:

I first saw this title on another blog and was curious about it.  I mean, how many times have you seen the word "artichoke" in a title?  It is a few years older than our current 2011 titles but I thought I'd give it a shot.  I didn't anticipate enjoying it as much as I did though. 

Rosemary is a normal girl who seems to turn to food for comfort.  Everyone around her tries to encourage her to lose weight but I really found it hurtful to her self-image.  Change has to be from the inside out and motivation has to come from within.  It wasn't until Rosemary was ready to make changes in her attitude that changes to her physical appearance started to take shape. She always had the tools.  She was intelligent and a good person but she was letting her appearance outshine her personality and dwarf what was really important. 

She works through some fairly large hardships in her family life and eventually has to find her own way out.  This book won't shock you but I found that it was a feel good story with a good ending....plus, Ms Supplee had some pretty hilarious lines which is always a plus for me.

Here are my favourites -

pg. 4
...I could feel those new pounds clinging to my thighs like koala bears on a eucalyptus tree.

Page 38
Love is a lot like food poisoning.

Page 107
I'm so hungry I could lick envelopes just for the glue.

A title that is similar to this is Fat Cat by Robin Brande - another great read about how girls feel about their bodies.  Check it out! 



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