Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Fat Girl
    The Fat Girl
    The Fat Girl
    Audiobook4 hours

    The Fat Girl

    Written by Marilyn Sachs

    Narrated by Trevor Goble

    3/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Jeff Lyons can’t stand Ellen de Luca, the fat girl in his ceramics class. She’s huge, clumsy, can’t throw a pot to save her life, and stares at Jeff all the time. But he’s a "nice guy" and feels terrible when Ellen overhears his hurtful remarks about her. The "crumbs of kindness" he tosses her way soon turn into advice on weight loss, college, clothes, hair . . . and, to everyone’s surprise, good-looking Jeff actually dumps his pretty girlfriend to be with the fat girl! Re-creating Ellen is a labor of love, Jeff thinks. But as her pounds melt away, Jeff resents the happy, independent young woman he has unleashed. Where is the gratitude for all he’s done for her? With this darkly ironic take on the classic Pygmalion tale, Marilyn Sachs offers young readers a candid portrayal of what happens when the intoxicating thrill of control is confused with love.

    Editor's Note

    Lesson in power trips…

    When handsome senior Jeff dumps his girlfriend for “the fat girl” in his ceramics class, it has others scratching their heads. But Jeff’s a nice guy and wants to help her out after his rude comments about her sent her into a spiral of depression. As Ellen becomes Jeff’s project and begins dropping weight and becoming an independent, confident young woman, he feels like he’s not getting enough credit for all he’s done. This ’80s YA tale is a lesson in power trips and redemption.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEverand Productions
    Release dateApr 20, 2021
    ISBN9781094416359
    The Fat Girl
    Author

    Marilyn Sachs

    Marilyn Sachs is the author of more than forty books, including A Pocket Full of Seeds, Lost In America, and First Impressions, and was a National Book Award finalist for The Bears' House. She lives in San Francisco.

    Related to The Fat Girl

    Related audiobooks

    YA Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Festival

      Sep 15, 2018

      My husband, who loved festivals, who was a great fan of festivals, wanted to get to the square in time for the first band at eleven o’clock. From bed, the dog and I watched him dress. He tried on various T-shirts, declaring some of them too tight and

      13 min read

    • Article

      Uncontrollable, Irrelevant

      Dec 6, 2022

      My sister called me the other day. She wanted to let me know that I had once more been merciless and cruel in my relations with our parents. “They say there’s a lot of anger in you,” she said. “It makes them mad. It hurts their feelings. They think y

      14 min read

    • Article

      Bad Hair Days

      Aug 11, 2022

      Bad Hair Days
      2 min read

    • Article

      Jude

      May 3, 2018

      Jude
      9 min read

    • Article

      Mother House

      Aug 6, 2020

      Mother House
      9 min read

    • Article

      Snowing In Deptford

      May 5, 2022

      Snowing In Deptford
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Newcom Er

      Sep 21, 2021

      The Newcom Er
      11 min read

    • Article

      Philip Roth

      Jun 4, 2018

      Philip Roth
      25 min read

    • Article

      The NEWCOMER

      Oct 10, 2023

      The NEWCOMER
      11 min read

    • Article

      Nina Sosanya

      Sep 4, 2023

      Nina Sosanya
      5 min read

    • Article

      A tough LESSON

      Nov 22, 2023

      “Once a year, at about this time, Mr Dear attends an unofficial school reunion. Unofficial in this case means that they meet in a pub restaurant and get slightly drunk. About five years ago, there was a special dinner in honour of a history teacher c

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Space Between Us

      Oct 9, 2019

      The Space Between Us
      8 min read

    • Article

      Not That Story

      Oct 28, 2017

      Not That Story
      7 min read

    • Article

      Keeping GOING

      Aug 23, 2022

      Keeping GOING
      11 min read

    • Article

      Henry Winkler

      Jan 8, 2024

      Henry Winkler
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Beast Within

      Mar 21, 2024

      The Beast Within
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Bystander

      Jan 7, 2021

      The Bystander
      5 min read

    • Article

      Finding Peace—and Briefly, Freedom—at My Grandfather’s Funeral

      Oct 11, 2019

      “Saying goodbye with the people who loved him—and me—I remember that I am not the tomb that imprisons me.”

      6 min read

    • Article

      Touch

      Nov 4, 2021

      Touch
      8 min read

    • Article

      I Failed My Daughter

      Jul 29, 2022

      I Failed My Daughter
      9 min read

    • Article

      Birthday Surprise

      Sep 17, 2021

      Birthday Surprise
      5 min read

    • Article

      Advent

      Nov 22, 2018

      Advent
      8 min read

    • Article

      Hiding In Plain Sight

      Jun 29, 2023

      Hiding In Plain Sight
      6 min read

    • Article

      Haunted

      Sep 27, 2023

      Haunted
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Little About Why

      Jun 1, 2023

      A Little About Why
      15 min read

    • Article

      Social Promotion

      Mar 19, 2024

      I didn’t understand. If that boy couldn’t read, why was he up there? The girl they originally had hosting the ceremony didn’t show, but why they put that boy there? Just because he volunteer for everything? You can’t read off enthusiasm. It made the

      21 min read

    • Article

      Paddy Considine

      Apr 4, 2022

      Paddy Considine
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Fat Girl

    3/5

    158 ratings18 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      I prayed this would end with a revelation for him. But no. This story just made me uncomfortable from start to finish.
    • 3/5
      While the main character showed his true colors as controlling and manipulative, he did help the girl find herself and I'm glad she found her own way without him. Too bad he didn't learn his lesson and will probably find another to do the same thing to.
    • 3/5
      I would not recommend this book. Plainly written. I didn't like the characters. It basically is a storyline of coming of age with an abuser, a controller.
    • 4/5
      I was conflicted about this book. In the end I thought it was a great way to show how controlling abusive (verbal) relationships start. Also shows how one can find hope of finding a voice and getting out. It’s hard to listen to but so important to ignore the uncomfortable feeling and keep listening!!!!
    • 5/5
      I am giving this book a 5 star for several reasons. It shows how a person’s obsession with something they think is good can be so wrong. The main character had a lot of good qualities, it seemed. As the story develops though, his controlling of the girl he was trying to help kept getting worse.

      The way he called her, “fat girl” at the beginning was rude and cruel, but it shows his heart as not caring about her, but perhaps realistic.

      Throughout the story he also tries to cheer his mother up. His mother often degrades and complains about her children, laying guilt trips on them. Not a healthy relationship.

      He thought he fell in love with Ellen, (the fat girl) but really he was shaping her, controlling her and felt he owned her. His “love” turns to disrespect, irritation and cruelty in the way he treats her. She started thinking for herself and becoming the person she wanted to be, and he felt betrayed.

      The main character didn’t change, but Ellen did. I think this book can give a person a lot to think about with motives. Yes, it is politically incorrect, but I still think it has a lot to say about how character flaws and the way a person is treated will affect them.

      The last thing, is that the dialogue was realistic and writing well done.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely fantastic. Should be on year 8 English reading list to study, but is also valuable reading for any age.
    • 1/5
      Very Painful to listen to, don’t bother wasting your time!

      2 people found this helpful

    • 1/5
      I read lots of books… most of them
      Have redeeming qualities. This one did not. It’s fatphobic, and the characters have little to no development. The main character is the worst and the “Fat Girl” goes on an extreme diet and only then decides it life is worth living. This book is a no for me.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Honestly, I hated the book. The main character is clearly controlling, manipulative, and possessive. He really doesn’t change, but I do appreciate the author showing that his mother is the same way. He’s also being abused by his controlling, manipulative, and possessive mother. You can see from his point of view how he loves her and wants to make her happy and keep the peace, but he can’t see how she enables his behavior and he enables hers.

      As a child who grew up in a similar home, I get how hard it is when sometimes things seem good, and you feel important. I just wish that he had learned from his relationship with Ellen that what his mother did is not healthy. That being said, sometimes people don’t learn and generational trauma just goes on and on. There aren’t always happy endings in real life
    • 1/5
      I stopped after chapter 3.
      The language is so gross.
      Don’t know why I even opened it when the title was so cringey.
      “Fat girl” “slob” “disgusting” “R*tard” yuck.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 1/5
      I am don’t usually like to leave bad reviews unless it is really bad. I didn’t like how Jeff the character kept calling her fat girl through out the book. The story could of been a lot better. The character was way to controlling and until the end was very nasty and heartless to her. He didn’t really loved her. He just consider her a project that he was trying to fix. I would of liked it better if the ending was different and if Norma or others would of not let him talk to her that way. Norma likes her yet still listen to Jeff insult her multiple times. I don’t know. This is my opinion and I just think this is a negative book and gives out a bad message. I definitely do not recommend this book!!

      2 people found this helpful

    • 1/5
      Wasn't impressed with this book. Jeff was very controlling. I would never allow my daughter to be involved with someone like this..

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5
      I listened to this audiobook because my brother narrated it, but to me that was the only redeeming quality of this listen. I am not particularly sensitive, but I was shocked at the language used to describe Ellen and her actions throughout the book. I saw that it was written in 1984, and the language made more sense. Glad many people are reframing the way we talk about bodies now. Also, as a potter, it was very evident the author knew very little about pottery.

      5 people found this helpful

    • 1/5
      Toxic-to say the least! I kept waiting on Jeff to come to his senses and realize how degrading he was... Yep, THAT never happened. ? I can't believe this was written by a woman. It's so misogynistic!

      3 people found this helpful

    • 2/5
      The main character is not likeable, but maybe realistic. ? I was hoping he would learn something and change.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 3/5
      A story about a handsome teenage boy who leaves his pretty girlfriend for the "fat girl" he initially ridiculed in his ceramics class. It gets increasingly uncomfortable to read, as it's clear that the main character has serious dependency issues due to family problems, and manipulates his poor vulerable girlfriend to feel better about himself. By the end, you are rooting for her to dump him, and there is certainly no happy, resolved ending.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      wow! what a read. Once I started this I stayed up to finish it because, I had to find out how everything turned out. As you're reading this it's strange to see some things from Jeffs point of view but, also kind of weirdly addicting. This was such a great read it was nicely paced and the storyline is great. It quickly goes from how Jeff totally hates Ellen to how he is dating her. He starts making so many decisions for her. I just really enjoyed this book the author did a great job. I would rate this a 5 out of 5.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Jeff Lyons is both repelled and fascinated by Ellen de Luca, the fat girl in his ceramics class. The "crumbs of kindness" he tosses her way soon turn into advice on weight loss, college, clothes ... until good-looking Jeff dumps his girlfriend to be with the fat girl As Ellen changes, Jeff resents the happy, independent young woman he has unleashed. Initially, Jeff's intentions were good, but he becomes quite tyrannical in the end. This would be a great read for reluctant readers, and I think both boys and girls would like it.There are some great discussion questions at the end of the book.

      1 person found this helpful