Review: Butter by Erin Jade Lange

by:  Erin Jade Lange
published by:  Bloomsbury
publish date:  September 4, 2010

A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch.

I was really interested in reading this book.  I had it on pre-order so I got started the day it came out.  I think it was my morbid curiosity kicking in that made me want to read this book so bad.  That's kind of a freaky idea to eat yourself to death live on the internet.

The book is about a 423 lb. boy with the unfortunate nickname of Butter.  He spends his life in a self-imposed isolation despite his mother's and music teacher's best efforts to draw him out.  Even the kids at school leave him alone out of pity.  The only times Butter is happy is when he's playing his saxophone and when he's online talking to his crush under his online alter-ego.

Once Butter finally makes it known that he is going to eat himself to death online and makes it known to the school, he starts getting the attention that he realizes he's been craving.  He gets to sit at the popular table.  His crush is finally starting to notice him.  But is the new found fame worth it?  Is it for the right reasons?  What happens when he reveals who he really is to his crush?

I flew through this book.  It was well written and the characters were definitely memorable.  Butter was relatable at times and frustrating at times, but I always wanted to know what he was going to do next. 

Other than language, there weren't any big red flags in terms of parental warnings.   Butter would be ok for most teens.