Appreciation of "Huge"

          I am a few pages away from finishing the book Huge by Sasha Paley. The main characters, Wil and April, are at a weight-loss camp called Wellness Canyon, and the summer is almost over. In my last blog post, I discussed the ways that Wil and April have started to change from the beginning of the book to the end. Wil has become more sensitive and caring about other people, and April has become more tough and able to defend herself. I really enjoy reading this book, and I want to read more books by Sasha Paley soon. 
          Wil and April are very interesting characters, and I think what makes them so fascinating is how they come from such different backgrounds. Wil lives in Malibu and is very rich. Her parents own a company of sports clubs, and she's constantly had personal trainers to help her lose weight. Yet, she is very reluctant to go to the camp and she has no desire to lose any weight. Meanwhile, April and her mom do not have a lot of money, and she had to pay for the camp all by herself. She really wants to lose weight and get healthier.
          Like I said in my last post, throughout the summer Wil became more interested in losing weight, because she saw how determined April was. April became more secure and able to stand up for herself. By the end of the summer, both Wil and April lose a lot of weight, and together with two boys, Paul and Dave, they win the end-of-summer Olympic games. Best of all, they beat Colin, an obnoxious boy who was mean to both of them. Both Wil and April have gained confidence. Even Wil, who was very cocky at the beginning of the summer, has become more proud of herself. She no longer thinks that the idea of losing weight is a bad thing, and values her friendship with April. April also values her friendship with Wil, and is glad to have had spent time with her at the camp, even if they got off to a negative start. 
          At the end, Wil is comfortable with her weight, and so is April. April knows that she isn't as skinny as the popular girls at school, and that when they see her they won't care about the weight she lost over the summer. But she doesn't care about impressing them anymore. The most important thing is that Wil and April now have a healthier lifestyle. Also, they both have a friend they can relate to, and that's all that matters. 
           I really like reading Huge. The tone is funny and light-hearted, yet it still identifies the struggles of the two main characters: making friends, struggling with weight, and their insecurities. I hope that Wil and April continue to maintain their friendship. I think that both of them have changed after their summer at Wellness Canyon. I recommend this book to others who like realistic fiction, and I want to read more books like this one soon.