Sugar

Hall, author of the self-published Follow Your Bliss series for adults, presents the story of 17-year-old Sugar Legowski-Garcia, whose abusive home life, compulsive eating, and lack of self-esteem threaten to bury her. Sugar and her family all suffer from obesity. They inhabit a dilapidated house in a “forgotten corner of New Hampshire” where Sugar’s bedridden mother, who weighs more than 500 pounds, treats Sugar like a servant, and Sugar’s brother, Skunk, is cruel and physically abusive. Taunted at school as much as she is at home, Sugar is consumed by shame and despair until a boy named Even, who has his own family problems, comes to town. Even provides needed distractions, adventures, and encouragement until tragedy strikes, pushing the story into melodrama. While the dialogue can be schmaltzy and the messaging heavy-handed (“We’re both stuck, with nowhere to go, and no way to get there”), Sugar’s character has depth, and her unhappiness and determination to conquer it are realistically portrayed. Readers will sympathize with Sugar and understand her struggle to reach her full potential. Ages 13–up. (June)