Queen Lara is soon a 218 pound cow, shunned by her thin former friends, and now forced to associate with those she used to feel superior to: fatties, the handicapped and all other assorted geekoids.
This is a strange novel (written for teens), with no apparent teen *target audience,* as one can't imagine a genuine fat person (fact not because of an extraordinarily rare disease, but because of Cheetos and Cherry Coke) finding comfort in this story because Lara never does lose her repulsion to obesity (among Lara's closing words: I'm not telling you everything was fine or that I didn't long to be thin, because I did. p.259).
In the end, the best Lara can manage is tolerance, and the grudging acceptance of the fat person's humanity. It's as if the author wants the reader to sympathize with fat people, but not too much!
On the other hand, thin attractive people are painted with the fat person's stereotypical brush: as shallow, vain and mercilessly cruel to all fatties and nerds. There is also a bizarre subplot involving Lara's parents that must be read to be believed. . .hints of incestuous thoughts on the part of Lara's father while she is still thin, her mother's jealous reaction and then her gloating attitude as her daughter blimps out and loses her father's unnatural affection. A strange curiosity from the shelves of late 20th century YA Literature.
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