Dear Opl completely knocked my socks off. The book is, as Shelley Sackier describes, “a humorous look at grief, obesity, and diabetes.” It really is exactly that. I was pleasantly surprised at Opl’s witty, sarcastic humor on some heavy topics. The book addressed many things, yet kept me laughing out loud!

Title: Dear Opl

Author: Shelley Sackier

Publication date: August 4, 2015

Source: e-ARC (Advanced Reader’s Copy) from Netgalley

Synopsis: After two years of hiding beneath a sugar-laden junk food diet meant to soothe the bitter loss of her dad, thirteen-year old Opl Oppenheimer is told she’s gained so much weight she’s pre-diabetic and now must start weighing far more than she ever bargained for.
There are three things that keep Opl busy during her eighth grade days: fighting the new “mock meat and healthy colon” cafeteria cooks, attempting to crush a celebrity chef’s reputation because he slings mud on any food that tastes good, and finding a pair of jeans that still fit. What she doesn’t count on is needing time to win back her best friend, illegally employing a penniless ex-rodeo clown, and solving the problems of teenagers who write in for advice on her blog. Finding room to fit everything in is proving as impossible as following her mom’s ridiculous diets. Only now, Opl has no choice. It’s do or die. How Opl determines what it is she’s truly hungering for and how to fill herself and her world is the heart of this timely, contemporary novel.

There were two things that bothered me about the book, so I’ll start with those, so that we can end on a good note. =)

1: In the beginning of the book, Opl really bothered me. She showed no interest in shedding her weight, even when she got the news that she was pre-diabetic, and was completely rude to her one good friend. While she was hilarious, and I did love the humorous insight to the issues the book addresses (grief, obesity, friendship, diabetes), at times her humor came off as sarcastic and whiny. She could also be ignorant, and there were parts of the book that made her sound dumb.

2: Opl’s little brother, Ollie, confused me. Opl doesn’t completely pay attention to her brother, but does mention the fact that he’s always dressed up in some costume or another: Lady Gaga, Mrs. Clause, ER nurse. This wasn’t explained at all, and I wasn’t sure to make of it since it didn’t seem to have to do with the story at all. At the end of the book, this is explained, and it made perfect sense. But for most of the book, Ollie sort of had me scratching my head. He was just sort of there, but unexplained.

Not too many low points, but they did turn me off. Now, let’s move onto the pro’s!

1: Just like another book I’ve recently read, Finding Ruby Starling, I loved Dear Opl‘s positive view of the internet. It was neat, reading about a thirteen-year-old girl who blogs, in a book! (Of course, I could relate to Opl on that note!) Opl’s friends and family encouraged her to blog, and I loved seeing how blogging became an outlet to Opl, a safe place where she could share her thoughts and get feedback from others.

2: Opl craves food. All the time. So much, this book is one of the few that’s made me SERIOUSLY HUNGRY! I loved the character development in Dear Opl, and Opl’s food cravings played a big role in that. As she decides to eat healthier and become more active, this slowly fades away, yet the focus on what Opl is really hungering is perfectly written and addressed, and I loved that.

3: Alfie Adam. Mr. Adam is the British chef determined to change the way people eat, one country at a time. (He plays a real-life Jamie Oliver in the book.) Opl’s opinions on “The Grunch” (Grinch + Lunch) had me rolling my eyes and laughing all at once. I remember watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution with my family when it was on TV. Watching some of the kids in the schools absolutely refuse to try any new healthy food, even after seeing how the junk food they eat is processed, had me dropping my jaw – completely grossed out! I couldn’t even begin to understand those kids. (My family and I can go on sugar spikes, but for the most part, our pantry is full of organic cereals and whatnot.) So now I got to read from the perspective of one! I loved it.

4: So many topics, all in one book. Just to name a few: Obesity. Diabetes. (Health, in general.) Loss. Grief. Seventh-grade friendships. Bullies. Acceptance. Family. And a lot more. They all touched on each other, and everything wrapped up to blend one story together. No loose threads were left hanging.

All-in-all, Dear Opl was a fantastic read, and I think I’ll buy the book once it comes out, since I enjoyed it so much!

3 stars! (A few main flaws, but overall enjoyable!)

Would you like to read Dear Opl when it debuts in August? Have you read anything that sounds similar?