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The Jock and the Fat Chick
No one ever said high school was easy. In this hilarious and heartwarming debut, one high school senior has to ask himself how much he's willing to give up in order to fit in.
Kevin seems to have it all: he's popular, good looking, and on his way to scoring a college hockey scholarship. However, he's keeping two big secrets. The first is that he failed an assignment and is now forced to take the most embarrassing course ever--domestic tech. The second is that he is falling for his domestic tech classmate, Claire.
As far as Kevin is concerned, Claire does have it all: she's funny, smart, beautiful, and confident. But she's off-limits. Because Kevin knows what happens when someone in his group dares to date a girl who isn't a cheerleader, and there's no way he is going to put himself—or Claire—through that.
But steering clear of the girl of his dreams is a lot harder than Kevin thought…especially when a cooking project they are paired together for provides the perfect opportunity for things to heat up between them outside the classroom….
Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.
Kevin seems to have it all: he's popular, good looking, and on his way to scoring a college hockey scholarship. However, he's keeping two big secrets. The first is that he failed an assignment and is now forced to take the most embarrassing course ever--domestic tech. The second is that he is falling for his domestic tech classmate, Claire.
As far as Kevin is concerned, Claire does have it all: she's funny, smart, beautiful, and confident. But she's off-limits. Because Kevin knows what happens when someone in his group dares to date a girl who isn't a cheerleader, and there's no way he is going to put himself—or Claire—through that.
But steering clear of the girl of his dreams is a lot harder than Kevin thought…especially when a cooking project they are paired together for provides the perfect opportunity for things to heat up between them outside the classroom….
Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint with new releases each month.
250 pages, Unknown Binding
First published July 7, 2015
83 people are currently reading
742 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Winters
5 books23 followersNICOLE WINTERS is the author of TT: FULL THROTTLE, and coming October 13, THE JOCK AND THE FAT CHICK, a romantic-comedy debut: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
As a C average student with a learning disability, Nicole was herself a reluctant reader. That changed when, at the age of twelve, she was assigned S. E. Hinton’s classic YA novel The Outsiders. After devouring the book in a single sitting, Nicole came to understand how the right story can capture the imagination and enthusiasm of anyone – reluctant reader or otherwise. From there, Nicole gravitated towards tales of adventure, suspense and horror. The elements she loved in those stories are carried into her own work which combines fast-paced action-adventure with teens in realistic and believable situations. Her works focus on human relationships and the personal journeys of the characters, creating stories she hopes will excite and inspire young readers.
Nicole enjoys travelling the world, but calls Toronto home and is currently at work on her next novel, The Jock and the Fat Chick.
As a C average student with a learning disability, Nicole was herself a reluctant reader. That changed when, at the age of twelve, she was assigned S. E. Hinton’s classic YA novel The Outsiders. After devouring the book in a single sitting, Nicole came to understand how the right story can capture the imagination and enthusiasm of anyone – reluctant reader or otherwise. From there, Nicole gravitated towards tales of adventure, suspense and horror. The elements she loved in those stories are carried into her own work which combines fast-paced action-adventure with teens in realistic and believable situations. Her works focus on human relationships and the personal journeys of the characters, creating stories she hopes will excite and inspire young readers.
Nicole enjoys travelling the world, but calls Toronto home and is currently at work on her next novel, The Jock and the Fat Chick.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
October 5, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
“I just want to be friends with benefits and keep it at that.”
Firstly, can I just say that I don’t like the title of this book? Because calling someone a ‘fat chick’ is not very nice!
Anyway, I liked Claire and Kev, even if Kev was a little bit clueless at times, and Claire had some bad ideas! They worked well together though, and they made a cute couple too.
I liked the cookery side of this story, and I even picked up a few tips! I liked the chemistry between Claire and Kev, even if I didn’t like the whole ‘friends-with-benefits’ plan, and I was pleased that things worked out in the end.
6.25 out of 10
“I just want to be friends with benefits and keep it at that.”
Firstly, can I just say that I don’t like the title of this book? Because calling someone a ‘fat chick’ is not very nice!
Anyway, I liked Claire and Kev, even if Kev was a little bit clueless at times, and Claire had some bad ideas! They worked well together though, and they made a cute couple too.
I liked the cookery side of this story, and I even picked up a few tips! I liked the chemistry between Claire and Kev, even if I didn’t like the whole ‘friends-with-benefits’ plan, and I was pleased that things worked out in the end.
6.25 out of 10
May 25, 2024
I close my eyes, and our lips meet, pressing lightly, gently, softly at first, like we’re saying “hi” and “how are you?”
I breezed through this laugh-out-loud, sweet, heartwarming contemporary in just a few hours, and by the time I finished it at 3am, I had the widest smile on my face and the fuzziest feeling in my heart. Reading THE JOCK AND THE FAT CHICK was like curling up with a bowl of warm soup and getting to sleep in on a cold winter morning - that one tiny thing that wouldn't have any lasting impact on your life, but could make your day in a heartbeat.
The story follows Kevin Conners and Claire Riel, a very unlikely pair indeed. Kevin is part of the popular jock crowd at high school. They often pick on girls who are different - mostly overweight or meaty girls; basically any girl who isn’t a cheerleader. Kevin secretly feels like all this cruel teasing is unwarranted, but he goes with the flow because he doesn’t want to lose his friends or get backlash from them. Then Kevin’s hockey coach busts him on his unhealthy, excessive protein shake diet and points out that he isn’t doing well on some of his classes, making him go for a domestic cooking class, Kevin is both horrified and mortified. His friends can’t find out about this, or he’ll be done for. But what Kevin never expected in his domestic tech class is a clever, curvy girl named Claire.
Enter Claire Riel. I loved Claire so much because she was smart and witty and funny! She constantly displayed this aura of self-confidence and intelligence throughout the book that really drew me to her. I liked that she could hold her own against Kevin, which made their back-and-forth banter really enjoyable to read.
Two main reasons I fell in love with this book: 1) food and 2) romance. Two of my favorite things. What’s not to love? Honestly the recipes in this book were described so tantalisingly and sounded delicious and every time I read about cooking scenes I felt involuntarily hungry. The little details in preparing of food weren’t glossed over and somehow more elaborate steps just made the cooking process more fun to read. Plus the romance between Kevin and Claire was pure and absolutely beautiful. I adored every moment - from the easygoing conversation they started out having, to the rivetingly teasing banter that soon developed, to Kevin slowly realising he had fallen for Claire, to him fumbling his way around her (which was unbearably cute), to the chemistry and attraction building between them. And I was so, so glad that Kevin finally embraced his true self and realised that he loved all of Claire, including her curves. In the end, when he basically and simultaneously made it clear that he didn’t condone his jock friends fat-shaming at the same time, my heart melted. All in all, it was a heartwarming ending, and a fitting and perfect way to close the curtain on Kevin’s and Claire’s story.
The only thing I felt I couldn’t agree with was the title of the book. I know it was released in 2015 and the world has become more aware of its biases since then, but it's still juvenile, fatphobic, and worded very unpleasantly which makes it extremely off-putting. A peek at other reviews told me I wasn’t the only one. Besides that issue, though: if you’re a food enthusiast who also happens to be looking for a fast, light and sweet romance, this is the book for you.
June 7, 2018
You tried, Nicole Winters. ☹️
March 22, 2018
The Jock and the Fat Chick Review
Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
Story Line: 5 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me laugh and smile. I love when books make me smile like the whole time I'm reading it. I squealed quite a bit with this novel as well. There were so many cute moments in the book it made me feel better. I also binged this book in two days which was 3x faster than I read Premeditated.
Kevin likes women that have meat on their bones. His friends are nothing like that. They make fun of fat girls. Kevin's friends judge him for his tastes in women. He has to hide the fact that he liked a girl that was heavy set. That kind of annoyed me because everyone is allowed to have their own tastes. They should be able to date whoever they wanted without being judged.
Well anyways, Kevin, is also on the hockey team. He had to do an assignment where he had to log all the foods he ate. He mainly ate protein bars which is not healthy. He should have been eating more food. His coach tells him that he was to take a class called domestic tech because he was going to get a failing grade on the assignment if not. His mom didn't really cook at home. She normally either made frozen foods or canned soups which Kevin wasn't a fan of. He would actually feed the canned food to his dog, Buddy. That course would be extra credit for him. Kevin isn't happy about that at all. He doesn't want the guys to find out about it. When he attends his first class he meets Claire. She has an hour glass figure and she knows how to cook. He is paired with her in class. She tells them they are making halibut risotto. He had no idea what that really was. He tried it and was amazed. Since Kevin was such a health nut he burned off what he ate at the gym with his friend.
Later Claire and Kevin have a cooking assignment for midterms. They need to try to make their dish within sixty minutes. They decide to be very ambitious and make Beef Wellington. Kevin has no idea what that is. Claire invites him over to her place. He was really excited to go. He realizes that he and Claire has some chemistry between them. He meets Claire's parents. Her father is a chef and her mother is a pastry chef. They made really amazing food.
Kevin also started blowing off his friend, Viktor. Viktor always wanted Kevin to go out with him and two girls who were cheerleaders. Kevin wasn't a big fan of cheerleaders. Also Viktor figured Kevin could finally lose his virginity to Missy. Missy had a major crush on him too. Kevin really wasn't interested in her. He made it clear from the very beginning, but Viktor would not let up.
Eventually Claire and Kevin make a friends with benefits deal. Claire was the one who wanted it. She didn't want to get to serious because she was going to be going away to Paris for college. Kevin doesn't want to be just friends with benefits for Claire. He wants to be in an actual relationship with her. He even buys her a golden bracelet. She breaks his heart by not accepting it. He was heartbroken. He decides to go to a party with his friends. He gets very drunk. He ends up sleeping with Missy. Claire finds out and wants nothing to do with him. He starts dating Missy....then they break up in an ugly way. Missy and her friend who was dating his best friend were making fun of fat chicks. Kevin was angry about it. They really didn't have a right to making fun of others. So I understand why he go so angry. I would have been as well. He ended up yelling at them both. Her friend got really mad and told Viktor. Viktor and him got into a fight on the hockey rink. Viktor hits him in the head with the hockey stick. He punches Viktor in the face and gives him a black eye. The fight just gets worse. It basically turns into an all out war between the two. They were also in the middle of a practice game too. They could have blown their chances with getting scholarships because of that. (This part of the book made me sad. They really were fighting over a stupid girl. She was not even worth the time. She broke up with Viktor for a guy in the band.)
In the end Claire and Kevin find love. His friends just accept it. I'm happy with the way the book ended. It was really adorable. I was pleasantly surprised. (Also I did explain a lot of the book, but I also did skip a lot. I will be marking this as spoilers anyways!)
Characters that I liked;
Kevin- He was a sweetie pie. He loves people for who they are not what they look like. He didn't judge people because they were overweight. I also loved that he had a good relationship with his mother. He loved her so much. I'm also glad that he learned how to cook. I love when a man knows how to make food. I love that he liked Claire so much. She deserved him. He was more sensitive than his dumb jock friends. He may have been a jock to...but he was nothing like his friends.
Claire-Well when she broke Kevin's heart I didn't like her, but other parts of the book I did. She was a sweet girl. She liked him. She was an amazing cook. She was a great character in general. Just wish she never broke Kevin's heart.
Characters I didn't like;
Viktor- He couldn't really accept people for who they were. I hate when characters do that. What is the point of making fun of someone? I really didn't get why he had to be the way he was. He should have accepted who Kevin liked and got over it. He shouldn't have been mad at all.
Armpit and Dino- They were just like Viktor. I couldn't stand either of them until the end.
Missy and her friend- Dumb rude cheerleaders that made fun of people that had a different body type than them. Making fun of people makes them just as wrong as the other people.
Didn't have any favorite quotes from this book. Lately I haven't been finding lines in books that I could connect with.
Writing Style: 5 beautiful stars out of 5. I really loved the way this book was written. It was told in Kevin's point of view. I love when women write in men's point of views. I get tired of reading female voices in books sometimes.
Book Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
Story Line: 5 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me laugh and smile. I love when books make me smile like the whole time I'm reading it. I squealed quite a bit with this novel as well. There were so many cute moments in the book it made me feel better. I also binged this book in two days which was 3x faster than I read Premeditated.
Kevin likes women that have meat on their bones. His friends are nothing like that. They make fun of fat girls. Kevin's friends judge him for his tastes in women. He has to hide the fact that he liked a girl that was heavy set. That kind of annoyed me because everyone is allowed to have their own tastes. They should be able to date whoever they wanted without being judged.
Well anyways, Kevin, is also on the hockey team. He had to do an assignment where he had to log all the foods he ate. He mainly ate protein bars which is not healthy. He should have been eating more food. His coach tells him that he was to take a class called domestic tech because he was going to get a failing grade on the assignment if not. His mom didn't really cook at home. She normally either made frozen foods or canned soups which Kevin wasn't a fan of. He would actually feed the canned food to his dog, Buddy. That course would be extra credit for him. Kevin isn't happy about that at all. He doesn't want the guys to find out about it. When he attends his first class he meets Claire. She has an hour glass figure and she knows how to cook. He is paired with her in class. She tells them they are making halibut risotto. He had no idea what that really was. He tried it and was amazed. Since Kevin was such a health nut he burned off what he ate at the gym with his friend.
Later Claire and Kevin have a cooking assignment for midterms. They need to try to make their dish within sixty minutes. They decide to be very ambitious and make Beef Wellington. Kevin has no idea what that is. Claire invites him over to her place. He was really excited to go. He realizes that he and Claire has some chemistry between them. He meets Claire's parents. Her father is a chef and her mother is a pastry chef. They made really amazing food.
Kevin also started blowing off his friend, Viktor. Viktor always wanted Kevin to go out with him and two girls who were cheerleaders. Kevin wasn't a big fan of cheerleaders. Also Viktor figured Kevin could finally lose his virginity to Missy. Missy had a major crush on him too. Kevin really wasn't interested in her. He made it clear from the very beginning, but Viktor would not let up.
Eventually Claire and Kevin make a friends with benefits deal. Claire was the one who wanted it. She didn't want to get to serious because she was going to be going away to Paris for college. Kevin doesn't want to be just friends with benefits for Claire. He wants to be in an actual relationship with her. He even buys her a golden bracelet. She breaks his heart by not accepting it. He was heartbroken. He decides to go to a party with his friends. He gets very drunk. He ends up sleeping with Missy. Claire finds out and wants nothing to do with him. He starts dating Missy....then they break up in an ugly way. Missy and her friend who was dating his best friend were making fun of fat chicks. Kevin was angry about it. They really didn't have a right to making fun of others. So I understand why he go so angry. I would have been as well. He ended up yelling at them both. Her friend got really mad and told Viktor. Viktor and him got into a fight on the hockey rink. Viktor hits him in the head with the hockey stick. He punches Viktor in the face and gives him a black eye. The fight just gets worse. It basically turns into an all out war between the two. They were also in the middle of a practice game too. They could have blown their chances with getting scholarships because of that. (This part of the book made me sad. They really were fighting over a stupid girl. She was not even worth the time. She broke up with Viktor for a guy in the band.)
In the end Claire and Kevin find love. His friends just accept it. I'm happy with the way the book ended. It was really adorable. I was pleasantly surprised. (Also I did explain a lot of the book, but I also did skip a lot. I will be marking this as spoilers anyways!)
Characters that I liked;
Kevin- He was a sweetie pie. He loves people for who they are not what they look like. He didn't judge people because they were overweight. I also loved that he had a good relationship with his mother. He loved her so much. I'm also glad that he learned how to cook. I love when a man knows how to make food. I love that he liked Claire so much. She deserved him. He was more sensitive than his dumb jock friends. He may have been a jock to...but he was nothing like his friends.
Claire-Well when she broke Kevin's heart I didn't like her, but other parts of the book I did. She was a sweet girl. She liked him. She was an amazing cook. She was a great character in general. Just wish she never broke Kevin's heart.
Characters I didn't like;
Viktor- He couldn't really accept people for who they were. I hate when characters do that. What is the point of making fun of someone? I really didn't get why he had to be the way he was. He should have accepted who Kevin liked and got over it. He shouldn't have been mad at all.
Armpit and Dino- They were just like Viktor. I couldn't stand either of them until the end.
Missy and her friend- Dumb rude cheerleaders that made fun of people that had a different body type than them. Making fun of people makes them just as wrong as the other people.
Didn't have any favorite quotes from this book. Lately I haven't been finding lines in books that I could connect with.
Writing Style: 5 beautiful stars out of 5. I really loved the way this book was written. It was told in Kevin's point of view. I love when women write in men's point of views. I get tired of reading female voices in books sometimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2016
To start with, I'm a little disappointed that the "fat chick" of the title was probably not actually fat. Having curves and an hourglass figure does not necessarily equate to fat. (For example, Christina Hendricks is not someone I would call a "fat chick.")
But that's my perspective as a feminist, pro-HAES adult woman living in a diverse, well-populated, generally progressive/liberal area of the United States, I guess. (PS - I am also both a jock and a fat chick.) I suppose not everyone has the privilege of having that perspective, especially at such a young age.
The kids in this book (at least, the popular ones) are SO awful. I know we're supposed to find them awful, but they are SO, SO awful. So awful that I found myself cringing and wanting to skip through any scene that they were in. At least Kevin (who is the narrator of the entire story) has enough self-awareness to recognize when his friends are awful and when his bystander behavior is awful, even if it takes him the entire book to finally grow a pair and stand up to the awfulness. To be honest, he's kind of a bonehead, but since we're in his head for the entire book, it's a little easier to be sympathetic, even if sometimes you want to just grab him by the shoulders and shake him.
Kevin is rather irritatingly passive for much of the book, so really, I was most interested in Claire, who is allowed some complexity, and not just because of her body. She's good at cooking because her parents are both master chefs, and she plans to study in Europe after graduation - either cooking in France like her father, or pastries in Italy like her mother. Even her interest in Kevin is complex, when she later reveals why she was initially interested in him in the first place - this is not a case of an insecure fat girl being swept off her feet by the school jock. Claire is large and in charge, of herself, her body, etc., and that's pretty awesome. (Even if she's not actually fat.) Instead, it's Kevin, the jock, who is riddled with insecurities.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed reading about the actual art of cooking. I love imagery, and I love food, so anytime I get to read rich descriptions of cooking and eating, I get hooked.
I had high hopes for this story and the lessons it could impart, but I found myself feeling dissatisfied for much of it. So it was just okay to me.
But that's my perspective as a feminist, pro-HAES adult woman living in a diverse, well-populated, generally progressive/liberal area of the United States, I guess. (PS - I am also both a jock and a fat chick.) I suppose not everyone has the privilege of having that perspective, especially at such a young age.
The kids in this book (at least, the popular ones) are SO awful. I know we're supposed to find them awful, but they are SO, SO awful. So awful that I found myself cringing and wanting to skip through any scene that they were in. At least Kevin (who is the narrator of the entire story) has enough self-awareness to recognize when his friends are awful and when his bystander behavior is awful, even if it takes him the entire book to finally grow a pair and stand up to the awfulness. To be honest, he's kind of a bonehead, but since we're in his head for the entire book, it's a little easier to be sympathetic, even if sometimes you want to just grab him by the shoulders and shake him.
Kevin is rather irritatingly passive for much of the book, so really, I was most interested in Claire, who is allowed some complexity, and not just because of her body. She's good at cooking because her parents are both master chefs, and she plans to study in Europe after graduation - either cooking in France like her father, or pastries in Italy like her mother. Even her interest in Kevin is complex, when she later reveals why she was initially interested in him in the first place - this is not a case of an insecure fat girl being swept off her feet by the school jock. Claire is large and in charge, of herself, her body, etc., and that's pretty awesome. (Even if she's not actually fat.) Instead, it's Kevin, the jock, who is riddled with insecurities.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed reading about the actual art of cooking. I love imagery, and I love food, so anytime I get to read rich descriptions of cooking and eating, I get hooked.
I had high hopes for this story and the lessons it could impart, but I found myself feeling dissatisfied for much of it. So it was just okay to me.
March 21, 2016
Clássico YA q passa por grande número dos problemas juvenis, de uma forma leve, drama free e gostosa de ler.
A premissa é básica e conhecida, mas o desenvolvimento foi bem feito e, apesar de nada inovador, ainda me parecia algo novo, refrescante, q me fez querer ler em cada minuto livre q tive.
Fala sobre os esteriótipos, das decisões sobre o futuro e universidade, sobre a relação entre o homem e seu cachorro e com seus pares. Fala sobre tentar coisas novas, vencer medos criados pela sociedade, sobre errar, desculpar e ser desculpado.
Ah, sem falar q não há amor a primeira vista nem aquele desespero sexual todo. Nada de adolescentes q superentendem de sexo ou são mestres entre 4 paredes.
Tudo narrado pelo Kevin, ele se mostrou um protagonista carismático e divertido. Gostei muito da Claire também.
PS.: referência legal a Proust no meio do livro.
A premissa é básica e conhecida, mas o desenvolvimento foi bem feito e, apesar de nada inovador, ainda me parecia algo novo, refrescante, q me fez querer ler em cada minuto livre q tive.
Fala sobre os esteriótipos, das decisões sobre o futuro e universidade, sobre a relação entre o homem e seu cachorro e com seus pares. Fala sobre tentar coisas novas, vencer medos criados pela sociedade, sobre errar, desculpar e ser desculpado.
Ah, sem falar q não há amor a primeira vista nem aquele desespero sexual todo. Nada de adolescentes q superentendem de sexo ou são mestres entre 4 paredes.
Tudo narrado pelo Kevin, ele se mostrou um protagonista carismático e divertido. Gostei muito da Claire também.
PS.: referência legal a Proust no meio do livro.
October 10, 2015
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ARC was provided by Epic Reads Impulse in exchange for an honest review.
The Jock and the Fat Chick by Nicole Winters is a standalone young adult (YA) romance about Kevin Conners and Claire Riel, two high school seniors who shouldn't get together based on the teen preconception that a jock would never be caught hanging out, what more dating, a plus-sized girl. Kevin is honest enough with himself that the type of girl who turns his head are girls like Claire, but since his friends think being fat marks you as an undesirable entity in high school, he goes along with the hurtful and snide commentary they make and even joins in. Yes, he's an ass and even admits to it more than once. He saw what happened to one of his close friends when the guy was going out with a girl who was outside what was considered the norm, and he isn't prepared to be relegated to all the teasing and the humiliation.
I really liked Claire and the fact that she wasn't made into this plus-sized girl who was hounded by self-doubt and insecurities. She was confident and went after what she wanted, including Kevin. I also appreciated that the story went in a direction I wasn't expecting and that allowed this to be a refreshing read with an honest to it that may be deemed hurtful or insulting, but sometimes that's what being honest does. Kevin is far from perfect and he does mistakes, but he has more than one redeeming factor and it has very core, he's a good kid who may be a popular jock but still deals with trying to meet peer-set standards and expectations and has his own share of insecurities, though they may not be as obvious. The Jock and the Fat Chick is a good four-starred read that teaches us to look beyond what our eyes can see. ♥
Note: This ARC was provided by Epic Reads Impulse in exchange for an honest review.
The Jock and the Fat Chick by Nicole Winters is a standalone young adult (YA) romance about Kevin Conners and Claire Riel, two high school seniors who shouldn't get together based on the teen preconception that a jock would never be caught hanging out, what more dating, a plus-sized girl. Kevin is honest enough with himself that the type of girl who turns his head are girls like Claire, but since his friends think being fat marks you as an undesirable entity in high school, he goes along with the hurtful and snide commentary they make and even joins in. Yes, he's an ass and even admits to it more than once. He saw what happened to one of his close friends when the guy was going out with a girl who was outside what was considered the norm, and he isn't prepared to be relegated to all the teasing and the humiliation.
I really liked Claire and the fact that she wasn't made into this plus-sized girl who was hounded by self-doubt and insecurities. She was confident and went after what she wanted, including Kevin. I also appreciated that the story went in a direction I wasn't expecting and that allowed this to be a refreshing read with an honest to it that may be deemed hurtful or insulting, but sometimes that's what being honest does. Kevin is far from perfect and he does mistakes, but he has more than one redeeming factor and it has very core, he's a good kid who may be a popular jock but still deals with trying to meet peer-set standards and expectations and has his own share of insecurities, though they may not be as obvious. The Jock and the Fat Chick is a good four-starred read that teaches us to look beyond what our eyes can see. ♥
September 30, 2015
I really liked the premise of this, so I was eager to get reading.
I did struggle with Kevin. Boy POV is my favorite, but I just couldn't settle into his inner monologue. His friends are a bunch of pricks, and I pretty much hated every scene with all of them together.
I looooved Claire and her parents. She's smart and fun and her parents were adorable. She's genuinely a nice person. The cooking scenes with her and Kevin were the some best of the book. The passion Claire has for cooking really shines through and I loved seeing Kevin open up to the experience of preparing food and eating.
Of course, there is some redemption, but the way these boys talked about girls is horrible. Yes, it's probably pretty accurate and quite possibly tamer that what's really happening in high school. Overall, it was a cute, quick read with a great ending.
**Huge thanks to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I did struggle with Kevin. Boy POV is my favorite, but I just couldn't settle into his inner monologue. His friends are a bunch of pricks, and I pretty much hated every scene with all of them together.
I looooved Claire and her parents. She's smart and fun and her parents were adorable. She's genuinely a nice person. The cooking scenes with her and Kevin were the some best of the book. The passion Claire has for cooking really shines through and I loved seeing Kevin open up to the experience of preparing food and eating.
Of course, there is some redemption, but the way these boys talked about girls is horrible. Yes, it's probably pretty accurate and quite possibly tamer that what's really happening in high school. Overall, it was a cute, quick read with a great ending.
**Huge thanks to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
September 21, 2018
Find my full review at Stay Bookish.
Actual rating: 2.5
- enjoyed the food aspect
- girls with curves for the win!!
- likable male protagonist
- bleh romance
- readable but not particularly very interesting or engaging
- wanted more depth to characters
Actual rating: 2.5
- enjoyed the food aspect
- girls with curves for the win!!
- likable male protagonist
- bleh romance
- readable but not particularly very interesting or engaging
- wanted more depth to characters
October 25, 2015
2 There were aspects of this book that I enjoyed but I didn't love it. I felt like the message of this book just got another lost amongst all the stereotypes. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either.
October 23, 2015
Actual Rating: 4.5
July 26, 2016
Well this review disappeared just today because it was on my Year in Books and then poof gone. It went down by two, so now I have to figure out what other review disappeared.
October 4, 2015
Totally surprised by this one.
October 16, 2015
My Thoughts: We are introduced to Kevin who is really into sports. He plays hockey and all he can really think about at the moment is getting a hockey scholarship. He lives at home with his mom and mostly lives off junk food and whatever he can find at the moment. Kevin is part of the popular crowd and all the guys aren’t very considerate really. They constantly make jokes about the girls who are overweight or have extra meat on their bones.
His coach realizes how bad he’s eating and that he isn’t doing the best at some of his classes and ends up making him take a domestic class! He gets to learn how to cook! Sounds fun, right? Not to Kevin! If anyone finds out he’ll be so embarrassed!
Well, he ends up in the class and finds himself really liking it. He starts eating healthy and actually making himself the right kind of food. He also meets a girl named Claire. I really liked her. But of course, she’s a bit of a bigger girl. Her personality was awesome! I never really saw her as anything else but Claire. But of course Kevin finds himself falling for her but he’s scared to admit it to anyone in fear of them making fun of her and embarrassing himself.
I did like this one. I loved the cooking moments and getting to know Kevin and Claire. I also liked Claire’s parents. I did have a little bit of trouble with Kevin’s voice at times. I always just like reading girl narrators better. I relate more. And, there was some crude language but that didn’t really bother me.
I was happy with how things ended up turning out, even though there were a lot of bumps in the road.
Overall: I would probably give this one a 3.5 cupcake rating. I liked it but I didn’t love it. And it did interest me as I read through it. I liked Kevin even though I struggled a little bit with him. I also laughed out loud a few times!
Cover: Like it! Like the colors!!
What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
______________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
His coach realizes how bad he’s eating and that he isn’t doing the best at some of his classes and ends up making him take a domestic class! He gets to learn how to cook! Sounds fun, right? Not to Kevin! If anyone finds out he’ll be so embarrassed!
Well, he ends up in the class and finds himself really liking it. He starts eating healthy and actually making himself the right kind of food. He also meets a girl named Claire. I really liked her. But of course, she’s a bit of a bigger girl. Her personality was awesome! I never really saw her as anything else but Claire. But of course Kevin finds himself falling for her but he’s scared to admit it to anyone in fear of them making fun of her and embarrassing himself.
I did like this one. I loved the cooking moments and getting to know Kevin and Claire. I also liked Claire’s parents. I did have a little bit of trouble with Kevin’s voice at times. I always just like reading girl narrators better. I relate more. And, there was some crude language but that didn’t really bother me.
I was happy with how things ended up turning out, even though there were a lot of bumps in the road.
Overall: I would probably give this one a 3.5 cupcake rating. I liked it but I didn’t love it. And it did interest me as I read through it. I liked Kevin even though I struggled a little bit with him. I also laughed out loud a few times!
Cover: Like it! Like the colors!!
What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
______________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
December 7, 2015
I've been mainlining YA lately and I really liked THE JOCK AND THE FAT CHICK by Nicole Winters.
I thought the title apt because that's how each thought of the other before breaking down their barriers, moving outside their immediate cliques, and getting to know one another. I loved an insecure jock POV, and a confident "Fat Girl" POV. Winters turned the trope on its head and it works very well.
I think Winters accurately captured the voices and insecurities of teens. I loved the cooking parts even though I don't cook. My stomach turned at the description of Kevin's pre-Claire diet. Yuck!
It's a nice balance of romance and "issue" book--crossing genres can be difficult, but Winters has truly achieved "something for everyone." It's a book than can be enjoyed by both genders and all ages.
I hope some day to write a YA as engaging as this one.
I thought the title apt because that's how each thought of the other before breaking down their barriers, moving outside their immediate cliques, and getting to know one another. I loved an insecure jock POV, and a confident "Fat Girl" POV. Winters turned the trope on its head and it works very well.
I think Winters accurately captured the voices and insecurities of teens. I loved the cooking parts even though I don't cook. My stomach turned at the description of Kevin's pre-Claire diet. Yuck!
It's a nice balance of romance and "issue" book--crossing genres can be difficult, but Winters has truly achieved "something for everyone." It's a book than can be enjoyed by both genders and all ages.
I hope some day to write a YA as engaging as this one.
August 4, 2016
This was a cute little book with an unfortunate name. Also I'm hungry.
October 16, 2015
Lovvvveee!!!!!
August 30, 2018
fun, teeny - bopper read liked the main characters
Want to read
July 20, 2017This title makes me wanna barf but I will give this one a shot and if I don't like it I will at least have something to rant about, right?
August 8, 2017
Fun little YA romance I flew through outside in a beautiful night. Far better than the silly title.
January 5, 2016
I like this book. It's predictable yet sweet.
FULL REVIEW
Content Warning: Activity of sexual nature is heavily implied multiple times as well as various mentions of sexual activity taking place.
My Thoughts:
The Jock and The Fat Chick is not some complex novel with a complex and unpredictable story. It is a predictable time tested 'popular-guy-falls-for-not-so-mainstream-slightly- average- girl' fairy tale romance.But it is after all a formula that works and tugs at your heartstrings.
What makes this book stand out is the fact that it is told from the guy's point of view. At times I must admit that the voice of the character does sound a lot like a girls' but I could be imagining the same as I don't really know for a fact how guys think.
I liked how the book tried to tackle the serious problem of labeling and body shaming but failed to actually focus on the same. This book is a teenage romance novel and it is it's biggest selling point.Don't go in expecting more as you will definitely be disappointed.
I loved the cooking angle to the story and how it focuses on building up the characters. Claire is introduced as a focused individual who works towards achieving her goal and I loved how Kevin is portrayed as a sensitive jock.
I loved how the fact that guys get their heart broken too is explored in the book.These narratives are not found often.
Overall, a fun and light read perfect for fans of teen romance and those looking for a quick read.
My Rating:
3.5/5
FULL REVIEW
Content Warning: Activity of sexual nature is heavily implied multiple times as well as various mentions of sexual activity taking place.
My Thoughts:
The Jock and The Fat Chick is not some complex novel with a complex and unpredictable story. It is a predictable time tested 'popular-guy-falls-for-not-so-mainstream-slightly- average- girl' fairy tale romance.But it is after all a formula that works and tugs at your heartstrings.
What makes this book stand out is the fact that it is told from the guy's point of view. At times I must admit that the voice of the character does sound a lot like a girls' but I could be imagining the same as I don't really know for a fact how guys think.
I liked how the book tried to tackle the serious problem of labeling and body shaming but failed to actually focus on the same. This book is a teenage romance novel and it is it's biggest selling point.Don't go in expecting more as you will definitely be disappointed.
I loved the cooking angle to the story and how it focuses on building up the characters. Claire is introduced as a focused individual who works towards achieving her goal and I loved how Kevin is portrayed as a sensitive jock.
I loved how the fact that guys get their heart broken too is explored in the book.These narratives are not found often.
Overall, a fun and light read perfect for fans of teen romance and those looking for a quick read.
My Rating:
3.5/5
October 16, 2015
Mixed views on this story. It was an easy, quick read, that was highly predictable. I mean, you could guess just by the summary what was going to happen, and chances are that you will get it right.
I liked that it was told in Kevin's voice because I sure would have hated to read the book in Claire's POV and her weird thinking that got her into all this drama in the first place.
And of course everything, every drama, could have been avoided if they had just talked to each other. I mean seriously? Girl offers boy a friends with benefits deal and then when he tells her he wants to be more-a serious relationship- she tells him no and breaks his heart, and after when he hooks up with another girl, she gets hurt and hates him, but only because she realized her mistake and realized that she loves him and it gets complicated for them. *rolls my eyes*
All the cooking made me want to actually learn to cook something delicious like in the book. And the ending was sweet, when they got back together after everything that happened and they announced to the whole school that they were a couple.
p.s. I didn't really get how she was the "fat chick" other than she has big thighs, apparently. All Kevin described her as voluptuous, and great body, and beautiful and that didn't really bring and image of fat. She was just an average girl who wasn't super skinny and that liked to cook. Maybe I missed the part where it explained it but whatever
I liked that it was told in Kevin's voice because I sure would have hated to read the book in Claire's POV and her weird thinking that got her into all this drama in the first place.
And of course everything, every drama, could have been avoided if they had just talked to each other. I mean seriously? Girl offers boy a friends with benefits deal and then when he tells her he wants to be more-a serious relationship- she tells him no and breaks his heart, and after when he hooks up with another girl, she gets hurt and hates him, but only because she realized her mistake and realized that she loves him and it gets complicated for them. *rolls my eyes*
All the cooking made me want to actually learn to cook something delicious like in the book. And the ending was sweet, when they got back together after everything that happened and they announced to the whole school that they were a couple.
p.s. I didn't really get how she was the "fat chick" other than she has big thighs, apparently. All Kevin described her as voluptuous, and great body, and beautiful and that didn't really bring and image of fat. She was just an average girl who wasn't super skinny and that liked to cook. Maybe I missed the part where it explained it but whatever
August 13, 2016
I'm very mixed about this book to be completely honest.
I liked Kevin and Claire for the most part, they were fun when they were together, though I did feel like I never got to really meet Claire because the story all takes place from Kevin's point of view.
Also enjoyed the reason why Kevin gets sent to the Domestic Technology classes - his coach wanted him to learn to feed himself proper food rather than abuse protein shakes and powders and other similar 'health' products- and I loved that he grew to love cooking.
Claire was interesting too, I liked how talented she was and how her parents were super proud of her.
Now I do have a problem with the so called "Fat Chick" in the title of the story, none of the people discussed in the book - chicks and otherwise - sounded particularly "Fat". They women Kevin liked were described as full bodied, but these signifiers didn't match up with the rest of their descriptors.
They were called fat because they weren't stick thin.
I find that problematic.
Over all I did like the story though.
I liked Kevin and Claire for the most part, they were fun when they were together, though I did feel like I never got to really meet Claire because the story all takes place from Kevin's point of view.
Also enjoyed the reason why Kevin gets sent to the Domestic Technology classes - his coach wanted him to learn to feed himself proper food rather than abuse protein shakes and powders and other similar 'health' products- and I loved that he grew to love cooking.
Claire was interesting too, I liked how talented she was and how her parents were super proud of her.
Now I do have a problem with the so called "Fat Chick" in the title of the story, none of the people discussed in the book - chicks and otherwise - sounded particularly "Fat". They women Kevin liked were described as full bodied, but these signifiers didn't match up with the rest of their descriptors.
They were called fat because they weren't stick thin.
I find that problematic.
Over all I did like the story though.
January 9, 2016
So, by the description it looked promising and all. But it was actually kind of disappointing. It wasn't what I expected and I didn't like much either of the characters. I wanted to like Claire, really I wanted. But I just couldn't. At first she seemed kind of nice and fun. Even sweet. But then... she really surprised me. She left me gaping. My jaw dropped to the floor. It's not like Kevin was a sweetheart. Well, he was kind of cute at times, but it grated on my nerves the way he acted around his friends. I hate guys like that. They're just a bunch of stupid, insecure, weak-minded jocks.
But still... Claire just used him. And that's just wrong. I sort of wanted to slap her at some point. She was an idiot.
The story wasn't bad... but not really good either.
Guess I can rate it a 3 stars, but barely.
But still... Claire just used him. And that's just wrong. I sort of wanted to slap her at some point. She was an idiot.
The story wasn't bad... but not really good either.
Guess I can rate it a 3 stars, but barely.
October 29, 2015
Just read this book in a day. Being a 20 year old college and high school graduate I feel like I can relate to this book with how judgmental us young people are and why Kevin felt like he did throughout the novel. I also am glad the book ended the way it did, I'm happy things worked out in the end. I guess being considered a 'Jock' made this book more enjoyable because, well, sports. I would recommend this book to a few people I know, but I mean I have to keep my 'Jock' reputation right? Haha, it was a very excellent read and I will most certainly read it again. Good Job.
July 19, 2016
It was a cute book! The great thing about it is that it all felt real. I was totally immersed in the high school experience. I'm sure being a teenager was different for everyone but this was pretty close to what I experienced.
In general most teens are assholes! So, I appreciated Kevin being forthcoming to himself.
In the end I didn't rate this book more then a 3 because it's a typical coming of age story. The magic came from the realness and I definitely had a soft spot for his fondness of big girls.
In general most teens are assholes! So, I appreciated Kevin being forthcoming to himself.
In the end I didn't rate this book more then a 3 because it's a typical coming of age story. The magic came from the realness and I definitely had a soft spot for his fondness of big girls.
October 14, 2015
First of all I just want to say I hate the title of this book. But the book itself is really good. Told from Kevin's PoV I loved his voice and character and thought the TJATFC was very well written and I want to read more from Kevin & Claire!!!!
October 14, 2015
Real Rating: 3.5
I had my problems with it but it was over all every entertaining. I needed a cute romantic book.
Review to come.
I had my problems with it but it was over all every entertaining. I needed a cute romantic book.
Review to come.
June 3, 2016
Eh. I went back and forth with this one. Not my favorite that's for sure, but I didn't hate it either.
May 28, 2016
Wat wordt er verstaan onder een fat chick? Als meisjes niet het figuur hebben van een supermodel? Het verhaal was ok maar alle beschrijvingen van hoe je eten moet bereiden was er voor mij teveel aan.
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