Butter cover

Reading Metrics

Grade Level Upper Grades (UG 9-12)
Book Level 4.9
Points 10.0
Fiction/Nonfiction Fiction
Word Count 66918
Points per Word 0.000149
Page Count 296
Points per Page 0.033784

Description

Unable to control his binge eating, a morbidly obese teenager nicknamed Butter decides to make a live webcast of his last meal as he attempts to eat himself to death. The plot contains pervasive profanity.

Quick Summary

Butter is a gut-punch of a novel that follows a morbidly obese high-schooler who goes by the nickname Butter as he livestreams his last meal in a desperate, dark-humored attempt to finally end his out-of-control eating, throwing his life into a chaotic online spotlight. The voice is raw, sarcastic, and brutally honest, making it feel like you're reading someone's unfiltered diary, and the constant profanity and blunt talk about food, body image, and self-loathing give it an edgy feel that older teens can appreciate. Fans of gritty realistic fiction like *Fat Kid Rules the World* will likely enjoy the mix of humor, pain, and the way the story uses social media to amplify both the protagonist's vulnerabilities and the strangers who watch him. While the plot is tense and sometimes scary in its depiction of a teen's self-destructive spiral, it also shows moments of genuine connection and a slow, tentative hope that makes the story more than just shock value. Parents should know the book is packed with strong language and deals openly with binge eating, depression, and suicidal ideation, so it's best suited for mature readers who can handle those themes. The combination of dark comedy, a live-webcast premise, and an unflinching look at body issues makes Butter a memorable, if uncomfortable, read for anyone interested in the messy side of growing up.