My Ideal Boyfriend Is a Croissant by Laura Dockrill

 

Wow, the ratings on this book are pretty low for a YA title with plus size rep. I thrifted this book sight unseen because I thought the title and cover were cute, but then when I checked Goodreads for it, I was like wow, people really didn't like this one, huh? After reading MY IDEAL BOYFRIEND IS A CROISSANT, I can kind of see why.

The book starts out with Bluebell at the doctor's with her mom. She's just had an asthma attack that is sort of related to her weight, and after a back and forth with her dramatic mom and a mean nurse, they decide that Bluebell is only permitted the gap year she wants if she: (1) keeps a food diary, (2) signs up with a gym, (3) gets a job apprenticeship.

Each chapter has the name of a food that Bluebell has thoughts on. It reminded me a lot of TOAST by Nigel Slater, only fiction, because he did the same thing with his memoir, which was a series of essays with varying British foods that tied into his childhood. Dockrill does the same thing here, as Bluebell tries to cope with her parents' separation, her pretty and athletic younger sister, her stressful job at the coffee shop, and her growing attraction for one of her coworkers.

About 2/3 of the way through the book, though, something bad happens to Bluebell's younger sister, and the book gets rather dark in tone. Because the title is so light-hearted and cute, I guess I can see why some readers might pick this up and feel cheated. Bluebell is not nice-- she is sarcastic and self-centered and defensive and unhappy. To some extent, I think she's meant to be an unreliable narrator, especially with some revelations that happen at the end, but some people expect all sunshine and light from the books that they read, so if you're one of those, you won't like this. There's also some ableist language when it comes to a family member's injury. There's also some TWs for EDs and purging behavior. I think that's a part of the grieving process/shock, but it might not be fun to read. Anyone who wants positive, happy-go-lucky plus-size rep should probably avoid this book entirely.

Overall, I did enjoy this book but I think it was needlessly long and a bit uneven in tone. Dockrill does capture the teen voice really well, though, and the end result is kind of like a less popular, more unhappy version of the Georgia Nicholson books I enjoyed as a teen myself. Probably wouldn't read it again but I would read more from this author, and I genuinely enjoyed the writing about food.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars