Review: All About Vee by C. Leigh Purtill

Tags: YA, Hollywood, acting, body image

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary

Veronica May, nicknamed Vee, is the best plus-size actress that the small town of Chester, Arizona has ever seen. Actually, she’s the best actress out of Chester, ever. The sense of uprootedness she feels from her father’s upcoming remarriage drives Veronica to follow in the footsteps of her dead mother, Diana, and, more recently, her good friend Vivian Reed out to L.A. to make it big-time!

Vee isn’t prepared for the cutthroat atmosphere of Hollywood, however. Nobody wants to cast a “fat” girl, and people can say one thing and mean another, as she begins to realize, even Vivian—who goes by Reed now. At least her job at a local cool coffeeshop is going well. She’s making friends with her coworkers, and there might even be a developing romantic interest with her manager, Philip. But in a city that’s famous for its backstabbing and disappointments, can Veronica do what her mother couldn’t: overcome all obstacles and stay true to herself?

Review

ALL ABOUT VEE is the quintessential feel-good read, with a great message and the perfect blend of romance and fun! Its greatest strength, of course, lies in its protagonist. Veronica keeps it real; her reactions, emotions, and actions are the genuine ones of that girl behind the counter who you just know will make a great friend. I was also appreciative of the fact that this book wasn’t completely about Vee trying to overcome her body image issues. Yes, it’s mentioned, as it rightfully should be—prejudiced judgments, unfortunately, still exists everywhere in all forms—but through it all Veronica remains true to herself. She is not easily broken by harsh words, and insteads picks herself up and looks forward to the future, where she’ll kick everyone else’s undeserving butts in auditions and make a name for herself out of her real talent. You’ll want to cheer for Veronica as she develops through this lovely little book!

Similar Authors

Maureen Johnson

Kate Brian (pre-Private series)

Meg Cabot

Writing: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5