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4.0 

The Downside of Being Charlie

By Jenny Torres Sanchez
The Downside of Being Charlie by Jenny Torres Sanchez digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Charlie is handed a crappy senior year. Despite losing thirty pounds over the summer, he still gets called "Chunks" Grisner. What's worse, he has to share a locker with the biggest Lord of the Rings freak his school has ever seen. He also can't figure out whether Charlotte VanderKleaton, the beautiful strawberry lip-glossed new girl, likes him the way he likes her. Oh, and then there's his mom. She's disappeared -- again -- and his dad won't talk about it.

Somewhere between the madness, Charlie can at least find comfort in his one and only talent that just might get him out of this life-sucking place. But will he be able to hold his head above water in the meantime?

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8 Reviews

4.0
Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes“Love how it ended the ending is what gave it a 5 star I it wasn't for that it would have been a 4 star. Charlie and Tanya are relatable I know what it's like to be bullied through out school but it stopped once high school came. Very searingy honest Def heartbreaking and hopefully at the same time. Book I highly recommend and my son gave me this book.”
Characters change and growDescriptive writingAddictiveRealistic settingHeartbreakingPredictable
“What are the downsides to being Charlie? His best (only?) friend is a skinny, ADD Turk obsessed with the Rat Pack, he's 5'10" and weighs 235 (and no, he's not on the football team), and his mother disappears every so often. That's not enough? He's just spent the summer between junior and senior year at a fat camp, a very cute girl has moved in across the street, and he's sharing a locker with the class pariah. As he goes through the first semester of his senior year he starts to come out of his shell a little, despite things going wrong - very wrong - at home. There's a caring teacher but, in true teen fashion, Charlie doesn't really turn to him for help. His food issues will resonate with any teen dealing with weight problems. The writing brings Charlie to life is a way that makes him feel real - usually this combination of "downsides" is too much, as though the author is just throwing things in for effect. Here, that's not quite the case. Charlie's love of photography, his crush on (and near inability to speak to) Charlotte, his problems at home, etc. all made sense and don't have that kitchen sink feeling. ARC provided by publisher.”

About Jenny Torres Sanchez

Jenny Torres Sanchez lives in Florida with her husband and children where she currently writes full time. Before her debut novel The Downside of Being Charlie she taught high school for several years, where she credits her eclectic students for inspiring her to write young adult novels.

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