Review Detail

MAMMOTH by Jill Baguchinsky features a month in the life of Natalie Page, a high school student and the author of the Fossilista, a fashion blog that also focuses on paleontology. Natalie has been selected for a spot in a highly competitive summer internship working at a dig site near Austin, and MAMMOTH opens as she starts her trip to Texas.

As a plus-size teen who was bullied throughout grade school and junior high, Natalie reinvented herself the summer before her freshman year. As part of that transformation, she has adopted a fake-it-til-you-make-it philosophy. Her mantra is "Be Awesome," and she presents herself as a confident and assertive young woman who isn't self-conscious about her weight--and in fact, followers of her blog would say that she embraces her curves, and she showcases them with a signature style. Despite outward appearances, though, Natalie is full of doubt and insecurities.

Natalie's internship is only four weeks, but in that time she experiences romance, jealousy, new friendships, and betrayal ... and she makes a LOT of really bad choices. The story moves quickly with plenty of action, and I can't stress enough how awesome it is to read a book about a geeky, fashionable, science-loving girl who wears a size 20 and is more amazing than she realizes. I wish Natalie's supporting cast had been worthy of her, and some of the risks that Natalie takes seem way out of character, but this book is full of charm, and its positive message helps carry the day. I definitely recommend it to lovers of contemporary YA.