A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner

 

Earlier this week, I read A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner. This illustrated realistic fiction novel in verse is about Will Chambers, a seventh-grade boy who struggles with his self-esteem because he was called fat by a classmate, Nick Fisher, when they were in fourth grade. Will not has not forgotten that day, and he's lonely because he has no friends left. To feel better about himself and attract the attention of his crush, Jules, he decides to start eating less. Soon, he's hardly eating anything at all. Although he meets Markus, a new kid who enjoys skateboarding and could possibly become a friend, during lunch one day, the shame lingers and he still feels like a monster. He's not even sure he wants to start a club for drawing even though it's something he likes doing. As he becomes increasingly desperate, Will must find a way to begin a journey to self-acceptance.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book, but it ended up reminding me a lot of Louder than Hunger by John Schu, which I read back in the spring. A Work in Progress was definitely another great book about a boy with an eating disorder even if Will's challenges made me feel sad at times. It was obvious he needed help, but he kept things bottled up inside himself, which I know from experience doesn't end well. I also felt extremely bad that he didn't have any friends and it didn't really surprise me that he tried pushing Markus away when the other boy opened up to him. It can be hard when you don't believe you're deserving of friendship and love, even when you have similar experiences to your classmates, like having a crush. One of the things I really loved about this novel in verse was the addition of drawings and how the pages of the print copy actually looked like a notebook. I could really imagine that the story was Will writing his thoughts down and illustrating them and it felt very intimate. I would definitely recommend A Work in Progress to any kid who's struggling with body image and self-esteem. On the other side, it's also a excellent choice for those who need an example of the effects of bullying.