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368 pages, Hardcover
Published May 2, 2023
One of the Global Read-Alouds for 2023 (Middle School category), A Work in Progress comes with a fair share of trigger warnings, and with good reason: author Jarret Lerner astutely captures the painful self-recrimination and low self-esteem that accompanies childhood obesity. As main character Will narrates his story, the reader can't help but feel tremendous empathy for this lonely boy as he spirals through eating-to-regulate-emotions-that-are-disregulated-because-of-his-eating (ad nauseum). Lerner captures Will's inner monologue so perfectly that I (who was an obese child) was reminded of incidents I had long ago buried in my psychological graveyard. An overheard conversation where two girls debate "Would you rather kiss Will or drink a cup of someone's vomit" was particularly heart-wrenching. The novel ends with hope, but not the unrealistic Disney ending I feared, and that might be the novel's greatest strength.