Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Colby's life as the heavy daughter of a disapproving former Miss Texas beauty queen is difficult enough, but it gets worse very quickly once she discovers a photo of her politician father kissing another woman. She and her mother and little sister move to a trailer in a tiny Texas community. She has an agonizing first day of school crammed into blue jeans so tight that she needs a coat hanger to pull the zipper up—and then she discovers that her cousin made a video of her trying to get into her jeans, which gets posted to Facebook. Colby copes with each terrible event the way she always has, with huge amounts of sweets followed by shame, and spirals ever deeper into depression. Readers experience the events through Colby's present-tense narration, hearing her perceptive take on people: "Mom does that: She nods and smiles even when she thinks the person speaking is full of shit…." Fehlbaum draws a razor-sharp picture of Colby's judgmental grandparents, her quirky teachers and, most of all, Colby herself and her terrifying mother, who can't empathize at all. When Colby finally gets help at the end from a therapist and others, Fehlbaum makes it clear that her road ahead will be long and hard. Colby's experiences, while extreme, ring true, and the fast pace, lively and profane dialogue, and timely topic make it a quick and enjoyable read. (Fiction. 12-16)

Horn Book (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Colby has always struggled with being overweight, but when she accidentally sabotages her father's political career, she succumbs to binge eating in earnest. Her mother's disdain for her grows along with her pants size until (horrifying) internet bullying pushes her to the brink of suicide. Readers will celebrate as Colby bravely confronts her emotions and considers new choices in this touching, believable story.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Colby's life as the heavy daughter of a disapproving former Miss Texas beauty queen is difficult enough, but it gets worse very quickly once she discovers a photo of her politician father kissing another woman. She and her mother and little sister move to a trailer in a tiny Texas community. She has an agonizing first day of school crammed into blue jeans so tight that she needs a coat hanger to pull the zipper up—and then she discovers that her cousin made a video of her trying to get into her jeans, which gets posted to Facebook. Colby copes with each terrible event the way she always has, with huge amounts of sweets followed by shame, and spirals ever deeper into depression. Readers experience the events through Colby's present-tense narration, hearing her perceptive take on people: "Mom does that: She nods and smiles even when she thinks the person speaking is full of shit…." Fehlbaum draws a razor-sharp picture of Colby's judgmental grandparents, her quirky teachers and, most of all, Colby herself and her terrifying mother, who can't empathize at all. When Colby finally gets help at the end from a therapist and others, Fehlbaum makes it clear that her road ahead will be long and hard. Colby's experiences, while extreme, ring true, and the fast pace, lively and profane dialogue, and timely topic make it a quick and enjoyable read. (Fiction. 12-16)

School Library Journal (Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 9 Up-Colby is fat, and her family never lets her forget it. Her family appears perfect on the outsidepolitician father, beauty-queen mother, two perfect sisters. Her father is in the midst of an important campaign when Colby accidentally discovers a photograph of him with another woman. Once her father's affair and misuse of campaign money are exposed to the media, the image her family has tried to maintain is destroyed. After her father abandons them, Colby, her sisters, and their mother have no choice but to move into a trailer behind her estranged aunt's house in Texas, and the family blames her for their misfortune. The teen must now struggle to survive in a community in which everyone hates her not only for her appearance or for what her father did, but for her very existence. Fehlbaum focuses on many of the issues that teenagers deal with today: body-image shaming, eating disorders, domestic violence, bullying, rape, depression, victim blaming, and suicide. Colby's story can be emotionally upsetting and frustrating; at times it seems as if she cannot catch a break. This book is best suited for mature readers. Annalise Ammer, City of Rochester Public Libraries, NY

Voice of Youth Advocates

Colby is insecure and overweight, with a picture-perfect mother and popular politician father. When dad dumps the family for another woman and gets caught stealing campaign money, Colby, along with her spoiled mother and sisters, ends up living in a poor relative's trailer. Verbally abused by her bitter mother, Colby turns to food for relief, which only piles on the pounds. To add to her misery, a cruel video of Colby, made by her cousin Ryan, is stolen and posted on Facebook. Unable to deal with the bullying and ridicule at school and home, Colby plans her own death. In his attempt to save her, Ryan is killed, but a misunderstanding paints Colby as the hero. When a witness threatens to reveal her secret, Colby must face the truth about her selfish mother and her own behavior.Big Fat Disaster is not the typical fat-girl-gets-thin story. Instead, in this complex story of a victim who faces all kinds of disappointment, Colby's intense pain and suffering bleed off the pages. Her voice rings true, and anyone dealing with feelings of low self-worth will relate. Drawbacks include a somewhat predictable plot and a few loose ends. Some minor confusion in chronology after Colby's second suicide attempt can be easily rectified with editing. On the whole, this is a gripping story of one girl's personal transformation.Ann McDuffie.