Fred Aceves

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4

CW: severe bullying, coarse language, drug use, injections described, dog is injected with steroids, lots of talk about how steroids affect male genitalia...like lots, sexual references, incidents of 'roid rage', death of a loved one through steroid abuse, dealing with grief

Well that was an intense 'journey' book that, whilst heavy on the education side, was still incredibly engaging.

Novels that explore body and muscle dysmorphia in males are quite rare so I think that makes this book important. According to the author's note there is an increase in men suffering mental health issues stemming from body image. David was a solid main character that felt quite authentic in terms of his decision making and thought processes as he sought to shake off the bullies by bulking up. It is so refreshing and wonderful to see a story exposing men's vulnerabilities and I think Fred did a great job of this. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of toxic masculinity in there, but it was portrayed as part of the expected behaviour of the body builders in this story. I don't have any knowledge of the accuracy of the steroid use etc but according to the author this is an ownvoice story. I may or may not have had a few tears towards the end...

I am really pleased we have a copy of this in the library but I will be sure to discuss the content warnings with anyone borrowing the book.… (meer)

teen fiction (realistic high school; poor Hispanic, Black, and White kids living in urban Florida; learning the value of friends when parents can't provide consistent support) #ownvoices
This story reminds me of the print article about a teacher who gained perspective into her students' lives when she gave her class a writing assignment: "What do you wish your teacher knew about you?" For those of us who have always lived comfortably outside of poverty, it may never occur to us that some students struggle with school because they're too busy trying to feed themselves/trying to avoid abusive guardians/just trying to survive day to day (plus all of the other obstacles that occur throughout their lives). This book provides some valuable insight for adults in that way, but I think it would also resonate with its intended teen audience.… (meer)