Less Is More

Finding a sweater that actually fit was about all the adventure Abby could take at this time. Losing her dad, losing her friends, losing her church, and losing the body shape she was accustomed to was all she could handle right now. Who was she kidding? It was way more than she could handle!

Book: Less Is More by Wendy Lawton, Moody Publishers, 2005

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 12-20

Subjects: Name calling, Weight issues, friendship, Faith in God, Loss

Summary: When Abby gets stressed, she turns to food for comfort. And since she and her mom moved in with her grandma after the loss of her dad, there is plenty of food available for comfort! Abby wasn’t small before, but now she’s becoming more overweight all the time. She hates it, but has no idea how to stop it… until a friend signs her up for the tv show “Less Is More” a reality tv show about people losing weight. When connected with a food coach and a personal trainer, Abby’s life takes quite the change!

Notes: The weight loss struggle may seem like the focus of the book, but what I really like is the other story going on. One of the new friends Abby makes is Isabella, a girl who knows a lot of facts about Christianity but is not a Christian and not interested in what she sees of the Church youth group. The popular kids run the youth group with minimal accountability from the adults and they make up cruel nicknames for everyone. They don’t think of it as rude. Their view is that it the main guy is “a stronger leader. He feels his style is perfect for peers. He says it’s fast paced, a little sarcastic, with just enough attitude to keep things moving”. He views it as a good thing. And the group is large. But the one girl on the outside sees things differently. She’s been asked to go for a long time, but refuses because of what she sees and hears about it. Then Abby comes into her life and Isabella is draw to what she sees there. Abby has suffered a great loss and continues to put her faith in God and love those around her. That causes Isabella to dig into her Bible to find out for herself who God is. Name calling and the use of sarcasm to be humorous are issues not normally dealt with, but this author isn’t afraid to call it for what it is: rudeness. I highly recommend this book to all teenagers!

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Proverbs 22:1 – A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Isaiah 62:2 –The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.