ALA Booklist (Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

It's been 15 years since the release of Mackler's Printz Honor Book The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (2003), but this sequel finds 16-year-old Virginia Shreves just about where we left her. Though she's working on her self-image, it's tough being a self-­proclaimed "chunky chick" in a family of superfit athletes. Virginia's also cooled on boyfriend Froggy, but she hesitates to break up. Then the past resurfaces: Virginia's brother Byron is arrested for date rape, and Virginia struggles to present a united front when she thinks Byron is wrong. In spite of everything, Virginia's also falling for Sebastian, a boy whose family is just as mixed-up as hers t their respective dramas may be difficult to escape. Mackler is clearly aware of how the cultural landscape has shifted since Virginia's first outing, and this smoothly joins conversations on sexual assault without sacrificing the quirks and personalities of characters readers already know. Fans new and old will enjoy watching Virginia's journey toward self-­acceptance in this well-timed, thoroughly enjoyable sequel.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Virginia's stressful home life becomes more so when her brother, Byron, is arrested for sexual assault. A relationship with cute Sebastian offers a welcome distraction--even after Virginia learns that his sister is Byron's accuser. Timely subject matter and the return of relatable, body-confident protagonist Virginia make this a welcome follow-up to The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.

Kirkus Reviews

A New Yorker grapples with mixed loyalties.Readers met Virginia Shreves in The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (2003). One semester on, the 16-year-old, who attends an expensive private school, has dyed her hair purple and green and wears brightly-colored bras. She's trying to reconcile her list of rules entitled "How To Make Sure Skinny Girls Aren't the Only Ones Who Have Boyfriends"—a personal campaign—with no longer having feelings for her boyfriend, Froggy. Then Annie Mills, a young woman Virginia's 20-year-old brother raped last fall, unexpectedly presses charges. Byron, the brother she once idolized, now faces prison. Coincidentally, Sebastian, the dreamy blond boy Virginia meets at a bagel shop, turns out to be Annie's 17-year-old brother. Despite Annie's adamant discomfort with Virginia and Sebastian's connection, their relationship ultimately brings solace to Annie's mother. Annie's feelings on the matter are sacrificed, making the otherwise-delicious romance harder to root for. Virginia's challenges are her family—cold, controlling, and image-obsessed—and her own body image, which she triumphantly levels up, though eschewing the term "fat" in favor of "curvaceous chick." Her secondary romance is Manhattan, detailed and buzzing, though whiter than is realistic; Chinatown and its inhabitants are exoticized and presented as foreign. The Mills and Shreves families are white.Well-written humor and fizzy romance wrapped in an uneasy plot. (Fiction. 14-16)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Virginia Shreves is back in Mackler-s sequel to her award-winning 2003 novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. She-s still worried about her weight, still worried about boys and finding love, but most of all worried because her brother, Byron, has just been arrested. Mackler infuses momentum into Virginia-s story by returning to the alleged sexual assault Byron committed at Columbia, for which he faces trial and possible jail time. Virginia must parse her feelings about her brother and what he did (or may not have done)-not an easy subject, but one that Mackler handles with sensitivity and complexity. Meanwhile, Virginia resists getting her driver-s license and embarks on a secret romance with the brother of the woman who accused Byron of rape. Though a sense of impending doom looms over their new relationship because of the circumstances, the tension doesn-t lead to predictable conflict. Mackler provides Virginia with plenty of opportunity for growth as she navigates romance, family difficulties, and relatable struggles with self-image. A thoughtful and engaging read. Ages 14-up. Agent: Tina P. Schwartz, the Purcell Agency. (May)