Fat Chance

by Lesléa Newman

Book Overview

Judi Liebowitz thinks she's fat. And she's convinced, as she confides in her diary, that she'd be happier if she were skinnier. So when Judi becomes friendly with pencil-thin, glamorous Nancy Pratt,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 069811406X
• ISBN13: 9780698114067
• Release Date: August 1996
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 8 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 3 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great read

Great book for children and adults. Well written. Leaves an impression. Teenagers with eating disorders.

One Fat Mistake

The book Fat Chance is about a girl Named Judi Liebowitz. She is a normal teenage girl in the 8th grade who is so worried about her body and wants to lose weight and want to become the prettiest girl in school. She has tried every diet in the book and she starts this new diet and she keeps on eating and can't stop. But then one day she goes into the bathroom and hears a person throwing up, and you won't belive who it was. It was the prettiest and most popular girl in school. Her name is Nancy Pratt. She is so skinny and pretty and Judi wants to be friends with her. Nancy told her that is how she is so skinny. Then Judi trys this and that started her new friendship with Nancy Pratt. But then one day when Judi was guarding the door she knew that something was up because Nancy was taking way to long and when she was opening the door she saw the Nancy was sprawled out on the floor and passed out. But now Judi's life is out of control and she is between life and death. You have to read the book to find out what happens. My feelings about this book is very strong. This book is so happy at the begining but them when she is talking about her weight and she is being negative toward herself. I would recommend this book to someone who is struggling with his/her weight. This book isn't just for girls. It can be for anyone who is haiving trouble with their body image. The climax for this story is when Judi finds Nancy Pratt in the bathroom throwing up. You wouldn't think that one day you would find the most popular girl in school who purges her food to lose weight.

Fat Chance

Judi Lebowitz always dreamed of being thin. Since she was on the heavy side, she would do almost anything to look like the models on the covers of magazines. Judi tried every diet int he book, but none of them worked. One day in the bathroom at school she heard someone throwing up. It was her classmate and idol Nancy Pratt. Nancy let Judi in on her "dieting" secret. Judi thought that if the most popular girl in the school could throw up and lose weight, why couldn't she. As of that day Judi started to binge and purge. No one knew about it except for Nancy. In a weird way, this started their friendship. Judi hid this from her mom and from her best friend Monica. In school, Judi kept a diary for and English class assignment. In her diary she wrote down all of her feelings and thoughts on subject such as, school, boys, friends, and her body image. One day when Nancy was throwing up after lunch and Judi was guarding the doorway, Judi thought that Nancy was taking longer than usual. When Judi finally got the door open, she found Nancy on the floor passed out. After that incident, Judi swore that she would never throw up again, but she wa unable to keep that promise. The next few days, Nancy was in the hospitals recovering. Read the book to see what happends to Judi and Nancy. I think that Judi was the most interesting character because she took the readers for a journey through her mind. While you read, you feel like you know Judi like a best friend. I would definitely recommends this book. I think that people in their teens could relate to this book. I think that everyone thinkgs that they need to fix their body image, or they find some sort of flaw. I would give this book two outstanding thumbs up!

I read this book in like One Day,

I could really relate to this book, and I know alot of girls can too. It's not just about some girl with an eating disorder, but insecurity, lack of self confidence, and than the journey of overcoming all that to love yourself and be happy with who you are. I liked this book and I think all girls who have insecurities about their bodies should read it, it might help!

This Book made me think about my own life

I read this book about two years ago, a time where I was thinking about my body and if guys would be attracted to me or not. I thought I was fat and there was no way anybody could get that out of my head. Then one day I went to the library to have some time to myself, well... basically that is all i had, I needed to get out of the house. I had no friends, and felt worthless, and outcasted. I wore a long black coat to school, even on the hottest days possible. I went to the library, checked out this book, and within 2 hours I had read the thing all the way through and was reading it again. I think that if it wasn't for this book, I would never have the friends I have now, and honestly be as popular as I am at school. I never thought that it would happen to me, but I actually felt like a somebody and realized that it comes from within for people to like you. Now I'm not scared to talk to guys, in fact one of my best friends is a guy

This book is great!

I absolutely loved this book! I am 12 and I just started junior high, so I can understand some of the feelings Judi is going through about school and boys and all that. I hate to admit, but I have been known to make fun of people who are overweight. This book taught me that what I've been hearing for such a long time is true- that making fun of someone for their weight is just as bad as teasing them for their religion or race. This is an excellent book, and I'd recomend it to just about anyone that's literate.