236 Pounds of Class Vice President: A Memoir of Teenage Insecurity, Obesity, and Virginity – The Years We'd Rather Forget

by Jason Mulgrew

Jason Mulgrew, popular blogger and author of Everything Is Wrong with Me , continues his depreciating yet hilarious self-reflection with 236 Pounds of Class Vice President .  Set in Mulgrew’s high school years, this genuine and honest memoir revisits his teenage antics and escapades as he, while navigating the indignity of puberty, attempts to run for vice president of the student body, displays a penchant for long fur capes, and (naturally) wonders about sex.  Mulgrew’s blog, Everything Is Wrong with me, has received more than 200 million hits since its inception in 2004. Complete with awkward, “what was he thinking?” photos—unmitigated proof of Mulgrew’s ungainly adolescence— 236 Pounds of Class Vice President is an no-holds-barred yet tender look at the years some of us would rather forget.

Genres: Memoir, Humor, Nonfiction, Biography, Adult

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2012

Reviews

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd like to get this out up front: the fifth star is for the fur cape.

Jason Mulgrew is at it again with his second memoir, this time exploring the awkwardness of his teen years. Hilarious and often crass, this book is laugh-out-loud funny. (NOTE: If just the sight of the word "masturbation" makes you cringe, this book is *not* for you.) Beyond the obsessions and the self-deprecation, Mulgrew's a great writer, exposing all vulnerability while weaving personal events and colorful characters into a very fun read. It's hard not to reflect on your own definitive years - in all their gawky glory - and think, "Thank God that's over."

[Ricarla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, I couldn't wait for it to come out and it was well worth the wait. I can only hope Jason Mulgrew keeps on producing such great books. He's made his way into my top 5 favorite authors!

[Christa Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm guessing there are very few of us who escaped insecurity and doubt as teenagers. It is just part of the package. Jason Mulgrew seems to have had a very normal time as a teen. He puts a humorous spin on the silly things he did, silly things he thought, and the silly things he wore...but that class vice president campaign sounds genius.

Enjoyable.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

LMAO!!! JM is witty, sometimes rude and crude but always funny and appeals to my quirky sense of humor. Up to the 35% mark (kindle speak) the bk is highly entertaining, it's the hook to draw you in. Chapter 2- Summer of Growth about discovering masturbation with paragraphs about "bonerization" and "The Jersey Stranger" are killer funny. I laughed so much I was crying. Loved the Catholicism's.... for example: " In keeping with the centuries of Irish Catholic Tradition I didn't speak to my parents about sex-not once, not ever." If you grew up Catholic you'll know the subject of sex is taboo with the fam. Thank goodness Jason had his friends to fill him in. The snarkiness of "The Prep" and some of the school episodes there also hilarious. The constant laughs slow down about 39% in and are sporadically placed from that point, but still plenty of grins. Oh the joys, struggles, angst and embarrassment of middle school, high school. Also a plus here are the occasional photos that go along with whatever story JM's is telling. Yea, I've seen the reviews for this bk that mention "the cape" and I have to admit it was pretty horrific. Darn gutsy of JM to present that story front and center and with pictures even! But haven't we all had those moments captured on film where we look back and wonder "what the hell was I thinking?". When you wish your parents would have pulled you aside to try to put a stop to the error in judgment that would surely haunt you/embarrass you in your later years. The cape (cringe) is definitely one of those. But, hey we've all been there done that, right? Without a cape, of course, JM totally owns that one. So props to JM for putting himself out there.

Warning - Due to the LOL moments, you may become annoying if reading near others. I'm sure they considered my re-reading the same paragraphs more than once OTT (over the top.). But hey, this bk is freaking funny at times. JM describes his adolescence as nerves, hormones and insecurities. It's a humorous matter of fact re-telling of events and one I'm glad I didn't miss. A nice addition to my growing JM collection. Side note - Don't miss the Q&A at the end of the bk.

The only downer here is a kindle negative, the asterisk/side comments in certain paragraphs (also funny) don't show up until the end of the bk. Kind of annoying.

[Marius B · Rating 4 out of 5]

236 Pounds of Class Vice President, by Jason Mulgrew, is a refreshing deviation from the norm of formal, long winded memoirs. He writes in a conversational tone which offers a hilarious commentary on his own experiences. For example, lines that described his mother: “like I said, my mom was a tough broad” (Mulgrew 19); to lines describing his early views on the opposite sex: “I would like to do things to that, though I’m not sure what type of things” (Mulgrew 28). By doing this, Mulgrew invites the reader to a whole new world. One where the “judging” that most humans do as a reflex is already done for you; all you have to do is laugh and learn from his experiences.
Growing up in south Philly in a staunchly catholic family with a mother who knew how to bribe anyone and a drunk longshoreman father shaped Jason into the man he became to be. Throughout the memoir, the motifs of family, geographic location, fitting in and getting laid come together and forge young Jason’s ideas of what is ideal for a boy his age into life lessons. One can gather that the same social, cultural and geographic variables come to play in our own stories and forge our ideals respectively. We see through Jason’s reflections on his own stories offers an after image that is strikingly similar to the image of our own lives. Highly recomend! It's a fun book to read.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

after finishing this book, all I could think is "I am so glad I bought this used" here is a book that will be donated to the book burrow. cannot make this one a "keeper" since i have limited book shelve space. guess it was not what I thought it was. I thought this would be more about a kid trying to make it through high school. although Jason Mulgrew writes some about his school experiences.just not what i thought. Some of the book is vulgar, too many writings involving his crotch. not impressed with his summer of drinking as a 15 year old. the only chapter i liked was when he wrote about living in Philadelphia and what the town is known for. otherwise most of this was a waste of my time. this is supposed to be a comedy but found very little to laugh about.

[Jessica Wilkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read his blog and I read his first book and I read this one. I somewhat dig the self deprecating humour and find that Mulgrew actually can be quite witty. His stories are rather amusing if not a tad off colour. His first book really was funny and I found myself laughing out loud a lot. I was interested to see what else he had to say. Sadly, he didn't have much. He already painted a picture of his dysfunctional yet charming upbringing in his first book. This book tried to elaborate on that and make sense of coming-of-age but it really didn't work. Not that funny... not that amusing. Definitely finished the book with a sense of relief combined with disappointment.

[P. Christopher Colter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason Mulgrew cracks me up, plain and simple. I really enjoyed his first book, "Everything Is Wrong With Me", and I liked his latest, "236 Pounds of Class Vice President", even more. Mulgrew's latest memoir focuses primarily on his awkward teen years, and I could definitely relate to many of his ups and downs. Written in an engaging, conversational style, I couldn't believe I finished it as soon as I did. It's not Shakespeare or Chaucer, but "236" is a fun read for a spring weekend, looking back on those years that make many of us cringe. I challenge you not to laugh out loud while ready this down-to-earth, funny memoir.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel vanilla about this read. It was entertaining, witty, and endearing, but for some reason I had a hard time getting through it. I kept putting it down and picking it back up after a few weeks. I feel like a lot of the experiences focused on in this memoir are great individual stories, but maybe would have been more affective as an anthology of short stories, where a specific scene could have been explored, rather than a cohesive storyline. I like Mulgrew, and I like his writing style, but I didn't really feel fully invested in his story until the last 30 pages.

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jason Mulgrew's second story of growing up in Philadelphia. I was told it was inferior to the first and mostly a rehash of the same material, but this is the one that ended up on my reading list. So it was new to me.

Pretty funny. And you pick up some good hints about Philly cheesesteak, Tasty Kake, and the pork roll slider, such named because it will slide right through you. He suggests that it's best to wear a diaper when you consume one.

If you laugh at that one, you'll think the book very funny.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading Mulgrew's blog for years, which was great. I also read his first book, which covers his childhood in Philadelphia. This memoir is about his high school years and is hilarious.

It's rare to find someone that can write about themselves in such a painfully honest manner. I'd like to stress Painfully because there are some cringe-worthy moments in this book that I could certainly relate to.

[Laura O'hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Jason Mulgrew, or his first book, "Everything Is Wrong With Me," but I picked this book up after hearing him speak with the local morning radio show. He was hilarious on the show and this book definitely has its moments. It's a quick read that tells various funny stories about growing up awkward and insecure. And since being a teenager is synonymous with awkward and insecure it's a lot easier to relate to some of these stories than you might like to admit.

[Terry Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have given this book four and one-half stars if I could have. I've loved Mulgrew's writing style for years, but this volume is more poignant than most of his previous stuff, and I found a lot of his stories about attending a prestigious all boys high school to be very relatable. Its a light book -- you can probably finish it in four hours -- but I recommend it for a trip or a subway commute -- your travel, like the pages, will fly by.

[Christina Connors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read & very funny. Pretty crass at times, so if you are easily offended I probably wouldn't read- but if not, I highly suggest because it's hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud multiple different times. Also, highly relatable to anyone who went through an "awkward" phase (which is everyone).

[Cassandra McCall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well considering I too grew up in an Irish Catholic big family, just in Charlestown, MA, I liked this book. Also, I may have been a weird kid growing up. But the high school years, were so funny and cringe worthy. Quick, great read. It makes me want to move back to MA to my family, but then I remember I live in San Francisco, and why would I do that?

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, poignant, and well written. This is legit laugh out loud on the subway so hard that strangers think you're possibly insane and move away from you. Which is a bonus because, hey, more space on the subway.

[Nikki Hammes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like reading a memoir of my own adolescence, if Jason Mulgrew was a girl, a year older, and lived in a small town in the Midwest. So not so much, but I could relate and laugh really, really hard.

[Peter Knox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and fast read that took me back to Philadelphia, the 90's, and middle/high school triumphs and tragedies. Bonus points for Jim's Steaks, pretzels, Wawa, Weezer, The Shore, and running for class office. Plus, those pictures make it well worth it. Quite enjoyable & relatable.

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the true story of a fat guy growing up in Philadelphia. Not much happens, but somehow the book works. I thought it was gently humorous. Jason Mulgrew has self-deprecation down to an art. I like this guy. I would shoot the shit with him. I would read other books by him.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.75

A bit disjointed at times, but I enjoyed this. I'm glad it wasn't any longer than it was because I was ready to be done with it when it was the last page (not meaning that in a bad way).

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I definitely wouldn't put this in my middle school library; might put it in high school - but it has lots of sexual situations, references to teen drinking, swears, etc.
However, it is also a true story of what it is like to be a fat boy during the tough years of high school and adolescence.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Make a note to read "Everything is Wrong with me," his first book, before you start this. Very funny!

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, poignant, and well written.

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super funny and light read! There were many laugh out loud moments, and I loved hearing about the author's catholic school experiences. I am sure many of his readers can relate!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can always count on Jason to make me laugh

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it almost as much as Jason's first book. Seriously hilarious. Sooo hoping he is writing another about his 20s.

[Jada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! Even better than the first one

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book although non-fiction isn't really my thing. It was interesting to hear about all his teenage obsessions. I am a bit curious to know where he is now!

[Elizabeth Gooch Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great follow up from his first novel. Enjoyed the self deprecating style and maturation in writing style since book #1

[Ed Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a grown up fat kid, this book spoke to me based simply on the title. Very funny and insightful -- I truly enjoyed it.