Early Praise for BIGGIE
– Joshua Johnson — Booktalk
Chosen as a Spring 2015 Young Adult BUZZ BOOK by Publishers Lunch.
Named one of 2015’s best sports books for youths by Sarah Hunter and BOOKLIST.
“Determined not only to make the varsity baseball team but also to pitch a perfect game-and win the girl of his dreams in the bargain-Biggie makes drastic changes to his diet, exercise, and social routine. He gradually leaves his comfort zone, learns from his mistakes, and resolves family issues on the way to finding love, life, and happiness. If the whole metamorphosis seems a bit easy, debut author Sullivan otherwise hits all the right notes in this coming-of-age story with an endearing underdog protagonist.”
– Jonathan Hunt, The Horn Book
“Biggie’s story will resonate with all those students who feel invisible and alone. A bighearted story that will have readers rooting for Henry “Biggie” Abbott. “
“Thoughtful and witty, Biggie tells a story full of physical and emotional highs and lows as debut author Sullivan empathetically addresses topics of self-esteem and finding healthier, happier versions of oneself (and what that even means).”
“The debut effort does some foot shuffling, but it’s a well-cast story with a very interesting narrator’s voice.”
– Ann Klefstad, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Never sugarcoated, Biggie’s challenges with obesity and inner growth make him a memorable character. Venturing beyond the typical boy-seeks-girl story, this filters the agonies of adolescence through a largely unvoiced perspective with an honesty readers will appreciate.”
– Julia Smith, Booklist
“Kudos to the author, in a climate of hyperbolized teenage characters and fantastical plotlines, for letting us into Henry “Biggie” Abbott’s head for a while. In doing so, he shows us that even those kids without superpowers or tragic fates can leave an unforgettable mark on readers. Long live Biggie!”
“I loved this book. It showed that if ” you want something in life, you have to earn it ” and sometimes even though you put in the work, you still don’t get everything you want. It also gave a great lesson of perception not always being reality.”
“I finished the book in one sitting and wish there were more to read; that is always a great feeling to have when finishing a book!”
“Let me just say that I loved this book. I seriously had a book hangover for days and kept thinking about Henry a.k.a Biggie. I wanted to shout from the rooftops that everyone must read this book!!!!”
“This book is an amazing coming of age book, from a character who deals with different things than the normal character you would read about. It deals with a real issue some kids deal with daily. I felt so much reading this, and my heart hurt for him. It’s not easy being the big kid, and fellow teenagers can be so cruel and heartless.”
“I was an obese teen in high school. While nowhere near as tall as Biggie, and therefore not weighing as much, I remember how terrible gym class was. I can still clearly feel the terror that was having to play volleyball and having everybody laugh at you. Sullivan did an excellent job of capturing this emotion, even though Biggie tried his best to hide how he felt.”
