Big Fat Disaster

Bibliographic Information
Title: Big Fat Disaster
Author: Beth Fehlbaum
Type of Media: text
Publisher: Merit Press
Copyright Date: April 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1440570483
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Curriculum Ties: Politicians, Family Struggles, Self-Esteem
Reading Level: Lexile 750
Interest Age: 11-18






Plot Summary
Colby is the odd ball out in her picture perfect family, she is the "big fat disaster". True to character, Colby accidentally exposes her father as a cheater and when he decides to leave his family and drop out of the race for a senate seat her life gets turned upside down. They are forced to change their lifestyle as they move from their mansion to a family members trailer. Colby can't seem to catch a break as her luck continues to be down when her cousin posts a video of her half-dressed on the internet. With life seeming so down, Colby plans on committing suicide but it is thwarted when she ends up being painted as a hero during a tragic event when she was really just a bystander.  Can Colby overcome her shame and stand up to those who have always put her down?

Critical Evaluation
Big Fat Disaster is written using language that teens will easily read and relate to, it also adds to the characterization of the novel. The character of Colby is realistic and Fehlbaum does a great job painting the many layers of who she is. We get to know Colby on a basic level and then start to see glimpses of inner struggles as her issues with her self-esteem become more clear through the illness of bulimia. The book is raw but not in a way that pushes readers away.
The point of view within the book is another literary element that makes the book enjoyable. Fehlbaum is honest with her experiences of abuse and bulimia which allows her to have an insiders view and ability to write in a way that is real and connects to readers. Her passion as a victim's advocate shows in her writing.

Reader's Annotation
Big Fat Disaster will take you on a journey of self-discovery as you walk through the shoes of someone struggling with who they are.

Author Biography
In addition to writing Young Adult Contemporary Fiction, Beth Fehlbaum is a secondary English-Language Arts teacher who frequently draws on her experience as an educator to write her books. Beth is a featured author on the 2015-2016 Spirit of Texas Reading List- High School. She is a member of the RAINN (Rape , Abuse, Incest National Network) Speakers' Bureau. She has a following in the young adult literature world and also among survivors of sexual abuse because of her work with victims' advocacy groups. She has been the keynote speaker at the National Crime Victims' Week Commemoration Ceremony at the Hall of State in Dallas, Texas and a presenter for Greater Texas Community Partners, where she addressed a group of social workers and foster children on the subject of “Hope.” Beth is a survivor of a traumatic childhood, like Ashley in The Patience Trilogy, and the day-to-day manager of an eating disorder much like Colby's in Big Fat Disaster. These life experiences give her a unique perspective, and she writes her characters' stories in a way meant to inspire hope.  Beth lives with her family in the woods of East Texas.

- Fehlbaum, B. (n.d.). My bio...in which I speak of myself in third person. Retrieved from http://www.bethfehlbaumbooks.com/bio.html

Book Talk Ideas

• Self-worth/ self-esteem
• Difficult families
• Eating Disorders

Possible Challenges

• Father's Affair
• Suicide 
• Mention of bulimia

  Defense File

Have the library's selection policy and the Library Bill of Rights ready to hand out

Access to honest reviews from trusted sources

Know the awards, if any, the book has earned

Understand the material so you can explain the use of the book as a good talking point for serious and sensitive issues

A lot of times people just want their concerns heard, so make sure you listen

If they are still persistent be able to offer them a reconsideration form

 
Reason for InclusionThis book is a great look into the struggles of a teen who struggles to relate to her own family and needs to walk through some self-discovery. Many teens from all different backgrounds will be able to relate to the character in this book making it a great choice for a collection.