Mainstream Mini Review: Butter By Erin Jade Lange

Butter By Erin Jade Lange 

Published September 2012 By Bloomsbury 

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. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans? 

With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen's battle with himself.

My Review

Where to begin about Butter... First of all, I really enjoyed this story. I mean REALLY enjoyed it. Erin Lange is a bold writer. She has constructed a story that brings a unique voice to the YA genre. This is not your typical read and I highly respect her for that. The main character is a 400+ pound high schooler, who needs a special desk just to sit through class. His fellow students give him an extremely wide berth (no pun intended) and the only real solace he finds is when he's playing his saxophone. His home life is no better. With a father who checked out once his son reached an unmanageable weight, and a mother who medicates him with snacks. Butter is also in love with a girl who has no clue who he really is, and his only interaction with her is through a fake online alias. When the reality of his situation begins to hit him, he decides to eat himself to death. (I told you this author was bold!) As if that wasn't terrible enough, Butter plans to eat his last meal live on the web. When word of his plan spreads through school, he is suddenly bombarded with attention and invitations to hang out. Sadly, Butter is so starved for this attention that he allows these kids to masquerade as his friends. He even stops eating and begins to drop some pounds. This book really had me squirming with mixed feelings. As a reader you get inside Butter's head, you understand what would drive him to this behavior. And I am extremely impressed with this author's ability to write a character that is so atypical to what the majority of teens seek, yet so easy to connect with. Butter is someone you will like and his story will keep you turning pages. This book really stood out to me, it's got substance. Highly recommended!