Wow this was painful. All the reviews and synopses I read about this book presented Willowdean as a fat girl who doesn't care she's fat. I could not have been more excited, but then the reality of this book set in. Willowdean is such an unlikeable character largely because she doesn't like anyone including herself. As much as Murphy portrays the ostracism fat people face, Willowdean is completely unsympathetic due in large part to her constant whining. Being insecure does not lend itself to constant moaning and groaning. In fact, I would have rather the story followed Hannah, an explicit moaner and groaner, than Willowdean who acts like a victim. Not only was the protagonist unlikeable, but the secondary characters were all so flat. I think this was mainly due to the fact that there were so many which leads me to question where was Murphy's editor? The only redeeming part of this novel is in the last twenty pages because it actually focuses on the pageant and Willowdean acting like how every review sells her--confident. For a book about a fat girl entering a beauty pageant, it really focused on boys which I felt was a huge distraction. Yes, it's important for teens to know that fat people are desirable (and not solely for fetishization purposes) but the love triangle added to Willowdean's unflattering personality and distracted from the overall plot. I also feel like Murphy just picked details from Whip It and Beautiful Girl and forced them together in hopes for a hit. Such a disappointing read.