Character Changes in "Huge"

         I am reading the book Huge by Sasha Paley. It is about two girls, Wil and April, who are at a weight-loss camp called Wellness Canyon. They are paired together as roommates/partners for the summer. The only problem is that they have different attitudes towards the camp. Wil was forced to attend Wellness Canyon by her parents, and April saved up all year to go. The two come from very different backgrounds, and have very different goals. Even though I am only a little more than half-way through this book, I can tell that both of the main characters are starting to change from when they first arrived at camp, until now, the middle of the summer.

         At the beginning of camp, Wil and April could not be more different. Wil's family owns a corporation of sport clubs that are very popular. Wil believes that her parents are ashamed of how heavy she is, and that's why they sent her to a weight-loss camp. She thinks that they expect her to come back really skinny and then they could include her in their company's commercials. Wil, who is kind of rebellious, wants to shock them at the end of the summer by returning at the same weight, or heavier. She's sick of the pressure her parents put on her, and how they often ignore her feelings.

        April, on the other hand, really wants to be at Wellness Canyon. She's always been uncomfortable being heavy, and she's ready to lose weight. Her mother, however, doesn't want her to go, as she likes her just the way she is. April's still determined to become skinnier, and saves up all her money to pay for the camp herself. Her mom, who she recently found out has diabetes, buys a lot of junk food in bulk and cooks a lot of non-nutritious meals. April's trying to escape that lifestyle and is determined to be healthier.

        At camp, Wil rebels against the rules of the camp and gets on Melanie, the camp director's, bad side. Wil leads April on hikes to 7-Eleven and often makes facetious remarks about the camp. April works hard at exercising and losing weight. She is sick and tired of hearing Wil's obnoxious sarcasm. It's not until the two fall for Colin, a boy at Wellness Canyon, that the girls start to connect. First, they make a bet to see who could get him to fall in love with her first. Then one night, oddly, they are both kissed by him. This heats up the competition, and they are both eager to get closer to Colin. The next day, though, he takes no interest in either of them, trying to ignore the fact that he kissed them the night before. Wil and April then form together to get back at Colin, brainstorming the possible ways to get revenge on him.

        Now that they are kind of friends, both Wil and April are kind of picking up each other's traits. Wil starts exercising on her own and wants to lose weight. She sees how April is so determined to get healthier, and she wants to do the same. April starts to get less uptight then she used to be, and becomes more like how Wil is. She is excited to get back at Colin, and I can see her becoming more outgoing and social. Maybe it's good that Wil and April are partners, even though they're opposites. They are both learning things from each other.

         In conclusion, both Wil and April are starting to change from when they first met at camp. Now that they are connected through the drama with Colin, they are gaining traits from each other. I think it's kind of funny how Wil and April start to relate because they both become enemies of Colin. I guess that's how a lot of relationships form in the world. People start to connect because they have a common belief about someone or a force, and want to work together to defeat it, or to make it stronger.