Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall

Goodreads Summary:
I’m the fat Puerto Rican–Polish girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in her skin, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve always been too much and yet not enough.

Sugar Legowski-Gracia wasn’t always fat, but fat is what she is now at age seventeen. Not as fat as her mama, who is so big she hasn’t gotten out of bed in months. Not as heavy as her brother, Skunk, who has more meanness in him than fat, which is saying something. But she’s large enough to be the object of ridicule wherever she is: at the grocery store, walking down the street, at school. Sugar’s life is dictated by taking care of Mama in their run-down home—cooking, shopping, and, well, eating. A lot of eating, which Sugar hates as much as she loves.

When Sugar meets Even (not Evan—his nearly illiterate father misspelled his name on the birth certificate), she has the new experience of someone seeing her and not her body. As their unlikely friendship builds, Sugar allows herself to think about the future for the first time, a future not weighed down by her body or her mother.


Soon Sugar will have to decide whether to become the girl that Even helps her see within herself or to sink into the darkness of the skin-deep role her family and her life have created for her.

My Review:
If this book doesn't pull on your heart strings then I believe you are not human. Sugar has not had a good life. She has been bullied since she can remember. By more then just the kids at school but, by her family. Which is incredibly ironic! Her Mom and brother, Skunk, are awful to her. She is a victim of physical and emotional abuse. She copes with all of this with food. Like many people in this world she seeks comfort in sweets. I think we all do that at times. Sugar is overweight which is why she is bullied so badly. Kids can be so cruel to each other but, family on family violence is simply unacceptable. Sugar hates herself and her life. That is until one person changes everything. Even. He He looks passed the outside and sees what an amazing person Sugar really is. Is Even enough to convince Sugar that she is an amazing person with a bright future or is she destined to be forever weighed down by her family? 

Even is an awesome guy. He changes the way Sugar sees herself. Gives her a little self esteem. She is desperately in need of  a self esteem boost. Which is very hard when you have been on the receiving end of crap your whole life from everyone around you. He was the friend that Sugar always hoped she'd have. He was a gentleman towards her as well. He is the kind of guy someone dreams about finding. Their friendship grows into something more but, never anything to hot and heavy. It was like a blossoming flower. You see, Even's life was not picture perfect either. They are two peas in a pod. Will they be the answer to each other's prayers?

The ending to this book broke my heart. I was so shocked by it. I cried...Ok so not the absolute ending I guess but, leading up to it. It was still kind of a happy ending, just not the one I was hoping for. I will definitely be picking up more from this author.