I can't describe how happy I was when I got approved for this ARC (which also happens to be my first one from Edelweiss ), because it's not everyday that we get plus size or science nerd heroines in YA, and this book had one who is both while also being a fashion blogger. It's such a unique combination and I had high hopes from it, and I am so glad to say that this didn't disappoint.

Natalie is a paleo geek who is very passionate about prehistoric animals and is quite excited about spending her summer at a mammoth dig in Austin. Also encouraged by her eccentric Aunt, she is quite proficient at designing and making her own clothes and it was actually fun to see her Look of the Day pictures on the blog at the beginning of each chapter. It gives us a sense of her style and how much time she actually spends dressing up everyday.

However, on digging deeper we realise that she uses all of this as an armor to protect herself from the online trolls or any other horrible comments that are thrown her way due to her size. She has lots of issues at the beginning of the book - she doesn't like eating in front of other people and ends up starving herself sometimes, she has this habit of guessing every woman's weight, she keeps snapping her bracelet on her wrist which hurts her just to keep herself from getting drowned out by her thoughts. However, through the progression of the story, we see her become more confident about herself, let go of some of the self-loathing that she feels and also feel less need of the armor that she is so used to having as a facade.

There are a host of interesting side characters here and it was a fun gang to read about. Quinn is tired of being ignored by her rockstar paleontologist father and always trying to seek his approval, even if she goes about it in the wrong ways. Chase is the cute intern who treats Natalie well and she falls for his charms but not everything is as it seems. Mellie is the quirky senior intern whose mouth runs a million miles a second but she is also very supportive and a great friend. Cody is a slightly grouchy guy who works at the museum, but once Nat gets to know him and he realises how passionate she is about the work, they become friends and I really enjoyed their banter.

I loved the writing style in the book. It's very easy flowing, relatable and charming and I finished it in just a few hours. But the author manages to tell a fun and entertaining story while also touching on issues like fatphobia, self esteem, sexism in the scientific fields, the dichotomy of ambition vs recklessness and the importance of more women in STEM. And when Natalie takes multiple bad decisions but with good intent, the author shows us that actions have consequences, despite the reasons for committing them. I really liked the development of Natalie towards the end, realizing that her passion should not override good judgement and it gives her a chance to self-reflect. I also loved the depiction of consent, how a woman is allowed to change her mind while she is kissing someone and how being attracted to a person doesn't mean their bad behavior needs to be excused. I really liked how the author was able to shed light on all these issues while never being preachy about it and keeping it all very lighthearted.

If you love reading YA contemporaries with interesting female characters, then I highly recommend this one. If you want to satisfy your inner nerd and read about a STEM heroine who happens to be a plus size fashionista, then go right ahead and pick this up because we don't get enough of them and this book deserves the love.

PS: Thank you to Edelweiss and Turner Publishing for providing me this advance review copy. All the opinions expressed here are unbiased and solely mine. ( )

Well I had to get through probably forty percent of this before it started to redeem itself, but by the end I really enjoyed it. The book is about a girl who has issues with herself and loves paleontology, and the paleontology wins out over her issues by the end.

If I’d gotten around to reading this when it was published in 2018, I might not have had such a visceral reaction to all her weight issues (including guessing any woman’s weight in her head when she meets them—yikes); there’s a lot of triggering stuff here, and while it seems to be handwaved over by the end, it doesn’t negate the badness.

But the story itself was really interesting (lots of twists and turns and ups and downs) with a cute romance thrown in, so I guess hanging in there was worth it. ( )

3.5 stars

I’ve wanted to read this book since I’d first heard about it! I loved the synopsis. It sounded so fun and I was excited to read about a girl who was into paleontology – and that cover caught my eye. It was so cute!

I definitely enjoyed this book. Natalie, the main character, was funny and charming, and I thought all of the paleontology stuff was so interesting. I loved reading about the dig site. And I liked reading about her fashion blog!

I enjoyed the romance, and I liked seeing Natalie become more assertive throughout the book. For some reason though this one tapered off somewhat at the end for me. Some of Natalie’s choices were frustrating, and I could see where she was coming from. But I think some of her decisions made me anxious because I felt like I could see the bad outcomes coming.

This was a fun, interesting story that was a bit uneven for me, but overall I enjoyed it. ( )

I enjoyed the book, the premise was interesting. I liked how passionate Natalie was about paleontology. Natalie's journey to self discovery, coming to terms about her relationships, and weight was interesting to read. I also really liked how Nathalie's blog posts were incorporated throughout the novel. ( )

Mammoth wasn't exactly what I expected, but I have to say that I really enjoyed. First, I have to tell you that this is a young adult book. The blurb doesn't make that clear at all--in fact, even having read the book, it's hard to read the blurb and figure out how they might expect a reader to understand that the protagonist is in high school vs. college. Since there's nothing on my copy of the book that says "YA" or "Young Adult", there's no real way to know without beginning the book, which feels (to me) like a mistake. That actually isn't the only marketing issue I have to bring up up-front... if you can make yourself go from reviews alone, or only read the first half of the blurb, do it. The last paragraph of the blub works hard to give away both the one big twist (semi-predictable as part of it might be) as well as the resolution, which I find kind of ridiculous.

But, on to the story... which is a lot of fun. I don't read much YA outside of the fantasy realm, but this contemporary has great characters and fantastic to writing. Baguchinski did a great job of integrating the protagonist's love of science/paleontology in a meaningful way, and offering the details to make it all feel real. In other words, what's included is smart and well-researched in a way that took me back to the various spots where I've visited fossils and peeked into this part of the science world, and it all felt wonderfully real. True, there were some small believability issues on the logistics side--not enough chaperones, treating high schoolers too much like college kids, etc.--but I ended up being swept into the book and reading it in one sitting.

For a YA blend of great characters and science, I'd absolutely recommend it. And if you know a teenage girl, this book is worth passing on. I'm planning on handing it to my niece the next time I see her. So, all told, yes, I absolutely recommend it. ( )