Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution

In this companion to the Stonewall Award–winning Fat Angie, Angie’s girlfriend has moved away, Angie is constantly bullied as she starts as a sophomore after repeating her freshman year, her mother still can’t stand her, and her former best friend, Jamboree, is back in town. On the verge of suspension and being sent to a treatment facility/gay-conversion program, Angie hits the road with Jamboree and squabbling cousins Zeke and Darius as she tries to live out her late sister’s last wishes, communicated to her in a final letter. Although Charlton’s writing style takes some getting used to—ideas are underscored more than once (Angie is “gay-girl gay”; her mom is Angie’s “couldn’t-understand” mother) and there is a lot of telling (the ceremony honoring Angie’s sister is described as “the afternoon Angie had dreaded for months!”)—it’s still good to see Angie, a very human combination of neuroses, fears, truths, and desires, break through some of her defenses and take risks, from singing to loving. Ages 14–up. [em](Mar.) [/em]