Skinny

Fifteen-year-old Ever Davies is a “300- pound girl who just wants to be invisible,” but her life—and her weight—change dramatically when she has gastric bypass surgery to win back her childhood sweetheart. Readers will be fascinated by the details of Ever’s surgery, and the permanent sacrifices she makes to accommodate her altered digestive system (“I take a spoonful of soup. I feel like I’ve just eaten a Thanksgiving dinner”). The negative voice that Ever constantly hears in her head, a voice she calls Skinny, will connect with anyone who has suffered from low self-esteem or been self-conscious (“You’re the charity case here, and don’t ever forget it,” Skinny says when Ever goes back-to-school shopping with two popular girls). Secondary characters—such as Ever’s pretty stepsister, with whom she has a strained relationship—appear scripted to underscore Ever’s eventual realization that “everyone has good parts and bad parts to them, no matter how... they may seem on the outside.” Cooner’s debut novel may be appreciated most for its information about gastric bypass surgery and its ramifications. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. (Oct.)