Overweight is an understatement for 17-year-old Henry Abbott. Exceeding 300 pounds, he knows his nickname, Biggie, requires no explanation. His strategy for getting through the vitriol of high school unscathed is a combination of academic perfection and invisibility. Though he has no friends in his small Iowa town, Biggie is quite popular online, especially with the ladies. When his mother rips up the phony doctor's note excusing him from gym class, Biggie is forced to engage with his classmates and the girl he secretly loves. In a town that lives for baseball, Biggie has hidden from the sport behind extra pounds and social media. After pitching a perfect Wiffle ball game in gym, however, Biggie thinks that baseball might be a way to get the girl of his dreams. Never glossed over, Biggie's challenges with obesity and inner growth make him a memorable character. Venturing beyond the typical boy-seeks-girl story, this filters the agonies of adolescence through a largely unvoiced perspective with an honesty readers will appreciate.

Gr 9 Up-In this debut novel, Henry is an obese high school student weighing in at 300 pounds. Because of his weight, everyone calls him Biggie, and he has little desire to try to lose the weight. That is, until one day when he is forced to participate in gym class and pitches a perfect game in a Wiffle ball match. The unathletic son of a baseball legend, he's always had little hope of living up to everyone's expectationsuntil that Wiffle ball game, when he catches a glimpse into his possible future. Most of his motivation to lose weight and play baseball comes from Annabelle, the popular girl he's been crushing on since elementary school, but his chances with her are ruined when she finds out that he's been hacking into her email account for years. Despite this setback, Biggie plans to lose 80 pounds, perfect his curveball, and win Annabelle back by cozying up to the popular kids. The majority of the characters are well developed, although almost none of them are likable, including Biggie, who regularly drops f-bombs, purposefully alienates everyone, and makes poor choices throughout the novel. Some teens may find Biggie's attitude off-putting. In the end, however, Biggie redeems himself by realizing that he just might be the villain of the story. This novel is well written and fairly quick-paced, but only skims the surface on the topic of bullying. VERDICT Readers who persevere through the unlikable characters will find a thoughtful conclusion. Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT

At 300+ pounds, Henry Abbott, son of former Finch High School star athletes, is nicknamed Biggie for an obvious reason. In order to avoid being taunted, he never attracts attention to himself. His only friends are long distance and online. In the past, he forged his mother's signature on notes excusing him from gym. Unfortunately, his mother found the note he planned to hand in at the beginning of junior year and tore it up. Forced to attend gym, Biggie unexpectedly pitches a wiffle ball no-hitter on the first day. Spurred on by his younger baseball phenom half-brother, Biggie begins to dream of being the first Finch High School pitcher to pitch a no-hitter. It might also help him win the heart of Annabelle, whom he loves from afar. First he must lose weight and learn to play the game, coached by his baseball-playing stepfather. Biggie develops a five-step plan to play baseball, befriend the jocks, and win Annabelle.Sullivan adeptly shows Biggie's loneliness. After years of isolation, Biggie's interpersonal skills are lacking, and his social clumsiness among his peers is realistic. Sullivan strains credibility, however, when the baseball team immediately accepts Biggie and in some of the action toward the end of the book. Sullivan does include humor when dealing with Biggie's issues. His epiphany at the end is totally expected, as he is haunted by his parents' athletic legacy. Biggie is an enjoyable underdog-makes-good story that will especially appeal to baseball fans.Ed Goldberg.