‘No Fat Chicks'

Margaret Clarke (author)

Random House, Australia: 1998; 191pp

ISBN: 0091837405

Genre: realistic fiction

Issues: bullying, family, friendship, identity

Mandy Miratoosi is bright, strong-minded and determined. So when she sees the ‘No Fat Chicks' sticker on the car of her brother's mate, she decides it's time to take positive action. She's accepted that she simply doesn't have the build to allow her to be long, lean and glamorous. Why can't her peers, especially her incredibly annoying brother, Mark?

Why does society seem to choose external beauty over brains? Why doesn't being a nice person seem to count for anything amongst other teenagers? Mandy and other irate size 14 girls decide to take action. The results of the intra-school conflict range from hilarious to infuriating as Mandy's self-centred brother and his mates find that not everyone shares their attitude.

Very much a novel about the positive and negative aspects of peer pressure and the mindless cruelty of certain forms of bullying, ‘No Fat Chicks' teaches without preaching. Written in the first person from Mandy's point of view, the story challenges stereotypes about beauty and intelligence and emphasises the value of understanding what motivates humans in their choices and actions. Definitely written to encourage self-awareness and to challenge readers to question ‘pack' behaviour, this is an entertaining, thought-provoking read packed with believable characters and relationships. It is particularly good to see a realistic portrayal of a blended family, one that doesn't demonise either parent.