Butter by Erin Jade Lange

  Butter is a big guy.  He's tipping the scale at over 400 pounds.  His father stopped speaking to him a long time ago, and his mother overfeeds him because she doesn't know what else to do.  Given his size it's hard to imagine but at school Butter is invisible.  He sits by himself at lunch and has a special desk in each of his classes to accommodate his size.  After Butter sees a post online voting him "Most Likely to have a Heart Attack", he snaps and creates www.butterslastmeal.com.  He invites all of his fellow students to watch as he eats himself to death on New Year's Eve - he's even taking menu suggestions.  Butter expected a backlash, but instead finds morbid encouragement as people egg him on.  He's even invited to sit at the popular table at lunch.  Now Butter wonders if he can really go through with it and wonders what the consequences might be if he doesn't.

  Butter is a compelling and timely read.  Butter is equal parts hilarious and heart-breaking.  Some strong language is used, and one bullying scene is intense, so this is a book better suited to mature readers.  Witty and insightful Erin Jade Lange has done justice to the inner thoughts and struggles of teens.  While most teens will never bear the burden of such a struggle, most of us have felt invisible or "less than" at one point or another, so Butter feels relatable.  All in all a great read.