When at the OLA Super Conference in February this year, I managed to get an ARC of My Ideal Boyfriend is a Croissant by Laura Dockrill. The title captured my attention and the blurb encouraged me to pick it up.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult

Blurb:

It’s a food diary. I have to tell the truth. That’s the point.

Sixteen-year-old Bluebelle, also known as BB or Big Bones, lives her life unapologetically. She loves life! She loves food!

When BB has a worse-than-usual asthma attack, her mom insists she go to the doctor. There, she is told that she is overweight (no surprise) and prediabetic (big surprise) and must lose weight, move more, and keep a food diary. To get out of this immediate health crisis, she agrees to make an effort.

Then a tragedy occurs in the family, and things get seriously complicated. Suddenly, losing weight and moving more are the least of her worries. As for the food diary, though, BB doesn’t just document what she’s eating, she documents what she’s feeling–and she has a lot to say!

My thoughts:

Our society is focused a lot on looks and on weight and what I love about the main character in this book, BB, is that she is happy with her size. It is so important for teens to hear that message and understand it; to understand that it is important to be comfortable in your own skin.

The food diary that BB keeps shows that she has a healthy relationship with food. She eats good food that she savours. Food is also eaten with others and encapsulates family and friendship. The diary shows that the food she eats has certain connotations and memories for her. Through her food diary, the reader is reminded that food is not an enemy. Instead it is meant to be enjoyed and feted – often in the presence of others.

What is shown in BB’s story is that eating needs to be paired with exercise. I love how this teen is shows others that exercise is hard but, once started, it can become a part of a lifestyle. Exercise is necessary to be healthy and having a medical condition such as asthma should not stop a person on their journey to fitness. The food diary documents her journey towards a healthier lifestyle.

I loved the main character in My Ideal Boyfriend is a Croissant. She is sassy, determined, and loyal. I see her as being a good model for teens because she shows the importance of loving your body for what it is. Dockrill won me over with her story. It is humorous and yet deals with a serious issue that affects so many teens in our society today. This is a book I would recommend highly to any person who is trying to figure out who they are.

I give this novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

© Colline Kook-Chun, 2019

(This novel was the 69th in my book pledge for 2019)