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. ( )

This one was a quick read for me. I think that I liked the premise more than the actual book, which is disappointing. The protagonists weren’t that well developed and I felt the setting could have been more...articulated for lack of a better word. ( )

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. ( )

Overall, I would say this is a pretty average YA story. Nothing special or exciting about the plot. I guess the only thing that might make this book stand out is that the main character is plus sized and into dinosaurs. I found the main character very unlikable and unrealistic. ( )

Reviewed Oct 14, 2018, though the review has for some reason vanished. Resurected it from another site:
I really enjoyed reading this book, and not just because I had a former lifetime as a dig-nerd while at uni. We were investigating a Native American site up in Watertown NY one January, and it was colder than a polar bear's arse that winter. I never found anything of significance, despite my desires, and got permanent mud stains on my Christmas present that year -- sky-blue parka with fake fur on the hood.

Seriously, there was so much to like about this book, starting with the clear voice of Natalie, author of the Fossilista and summer intern at a site uncovering Mammoths. I'm really tired of perfectly proportioned women getting front and center all the time, and Natalie's approach to donning her armor and confronting that demographic is great. And yes, while I may not be the target demographic for this book, I can still be grateful that such a fresh voice is available to them. Plus, the story was interesting, the characters and interactions authentic. So Yay, again.

Many thanks to Library Thing early readers program and the publishers for sending me this. ( )

As a plus-sized girl, I was drawn to the concept of a plus-sized main character. Natalie is young and still finding out how she fits into the world, as most young people do. She is insecure about her weight and was bullied because of it - and I could relate. She does act her age... she is irresponsible and reckless. However, she's very likable as a character and I enjoyed her story.

I thought it was a fairly quick read. I work full time and go to school at night, so it took me a while to get through it, but not because of the writing. I wish Natalie filled people in less - it got to the point that whenever a character wasn't there for what just happened, I knew Natalie was going to say she filled them in. Ugh. However, I didn't notice any other glaring repetitions, so that's good.

The story itself is a bit predictable but still enjoyable. Overall, I liked this book. It gets 3.5 stars from me.

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I really enjoyed this, although I was a little unsure initially. The main character's preoccupation with her appearance seemed perhaps a little over the top, but it ends up being a key part of her character arc, and gives some very real insights that are often missing in books.
I enjoyed the science aspect of the book. It gives an interesting group of characters a solid and engaging storyline, going into enough detail to be interesting but not so much as to put off non-science-loving readers, or to detract from the tale itself.
The style is light and it's an easy book to relax with. ( )

n Jill Baguchinsky’s Mammoth, Natalie Page, who’s been bullied before because of her weight, has two passions in life: vintage fashion and paleontology. Good grades and hard work get her an internship at a besieged archaeological site in Texas where she gets to work with cute boys and learn the skills that she hopes to make her future career.

Natalie Page is a character I was rooting for throughout the pages of Mammoth even when she does things that are cringe-worthy or incite eye rolls. An element of being a fashionista is to always wear the proper attire for a given situation, right? So a dress and heels are not exactly appropriate for an archaeological orientation nor Chanel flats for a site tour. But we give her the benefit of the doubt because she’s a kid and we also realize that these things, like the shapewear she puts on each day, are part of her armor.

This internship proves eye-opening for Natalie who discovers that her paleontologist hero actually has feet of clay and that not all cute boys are the same.

Despite being smart, she does dumb and impetuous things. Traits of being a teenager? Probably.

There are lots of details and action and I found the novel hard to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I especially appreciated that Natalie changed throughout the novel and came to worry less about her weight and more about who she was as a person and also that actions have consequences.

I recommend Mammoth for readers who enjoy YA fiction with elements of romance, geekiness, science, fashion and self-awareness.

I won a copy of Mammoth from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This book was ok. I really liked the cover art and I thought it fit quite well with the book’s theme. It was a quick and easy read about a girl interested in both STEM and fashion. Jill Baguchinsky’s writing style was a bit slow for me, but it wasn’t too bad. Natalie, the main character is a fashion blogger and paeleontology lover. I thought that she as a character was interesting, but she made many poor choices and also had a strange habit of guessing other people’s body weight. Over the course of the book, Natalie learned to accept herself and have more self-confidence though, which was really nice to see. I also liked seeing Natalie grow into her passions and be more powerful throughout the entire story. The little outfit of the day thrown in was cute and I liked the romance bits. Overall, it was a quick, easy read about self-acceptance and self-confidence. ( )

Baguchinsky's characters are realistic and intriguing, although I did not immediately become invested in Natalie and what would happen to her. I found the evolution of her relationship with Quinn to be believable and sympathetic as well as her interactions with Chase and Cody. I also appreciated the frank discussion of how women's contributions to scientific discovery have been egregiously ignored in the past and how it continues to be a struggle, with the overall message that it is worth it for women to keep pursuing careers in science.

This book is a super quick and easy read. I was excited to read it since it's about a girl in STEM, while also liking fashion. One thing I was bummed about was that the main character, Natalie, had a lot of negative thoughts about herself/her body and spends soooo much time thinking about how much other people weigh along with her weight. Meh. It was also filled with poor choices. It was only an okay read for me. I felt annoyed during these points. Also I was slightly disappointed because the synopsis made it sound like the characters would be much more likable. Overall, I gave in a 3/5 ( )

I love the cover art for Mammoth and how fitting it is for the theme of the story! I always enjoy reading books about characters in the STEM field so I was excited to read this YA novel that focuses on paleontology (which I don’t think I’ve encountered in that genre). This book also caught my eye because I’m always looking for more stories about body positivity

The story follows the main character Natalie, who is a geeky plus-size fashionista who loves vintage fashion and paleontology (which she tells everyone and anyone she meets). She obtains the internship of her dreams and learns quickly that every isn’t as she always pictured. With multiple obstacles standing in her way, she does her best to conquer the summer heat and show what she’s made of.

This is (for the most part) a lighthearted book, but I love how real it is. Natalie seems confident on the outside to others, but struggles daily with her body confidence and self-love. The summer experience is not only a testimony to learning her career field, but also dealing with her inner struggles. When she comes to a self-realization that is not her outer beauty (ex, makeup, fashion) that makes her awesome but herself it truly makes the story come full circle.

I learned more about paleontology (which is a field I’ve always found interesting) which I appreciated. The novel taught me about the layout of dig sites and the various jobs within the field from prospecting fossils to doing lab work. The story also focuses on the politics/hierarchy in the field and the competition between scientists. And it discusses sexism in STEM and Natalie has to fight to get credit for her ground breaking discoveries.

I enjoyed the Fossilista fashion aspect of the novel, in between chapter breaks we get to see pictures of Natalie’s outfit of the day. She’s got good style! Though she deals with bullies that try to bring her down, I was proud of Natalie and how she preserved through it all. She has her moments of self-doubt and her journey of self-love is an ongoing process.

This book has a good mixture of everything: science, coming of age themes, action, and romance. She does get into a love triangle at one point, but thankfully it isn’t too messy. The relationship development between her and Cody was too cute!

I recommend this bone-digging read!

*Trigger warnings: Body-phobic slurs, self-harm ( )

I don't read a lot of YA anymore, so I was a bit skeptical when I first received this book. However, I really enjoyed the story about a plus-size fashion blogger/palaeontology geek. There were some cute romance bits, but also a lot of keen reflections about self-confidence, ambition and finding your passion. This is the sort of YA I wish had been around when I was younger. ( )

Natalie is a plus-size fashion blogger and dinosaur enthusiast who is ecstatic when she wins a prestigious paleontology internship. But when she gets there, she has to deal with professional and personal insecurities, as well as disillusionment with her scientist hero. She also meets some new people who aren’t what they seem and finds herself in the midst of a love triangle (or polygon). As a fellow plus-size person, I both related and didn’t relate to Natalie. Some of her insecurities felt very real to me, but she also had this weird habit of guessing other people’s weight, which is not something I have ever done. It seems like something a thin person would assume a fat person would do, if that makes sense. So I have mixed feelings about that plotline, although I do think it’s great to see more plus-size main characters in fiction! As for the internship drama, I wasn’t very compelled by it. So, not a bad read, but not a great one either. ( )

If you are looking for a quick, entertaining read try Mammoth by Jill Baguchinsky. Natalie is a paleontologist nerd & plus-size fashion blogger who, through the progress of the story, learns to truly accept & embrace herself for who she is. The book is a fun mix of science facts & fashion post interspersed with life lessons. I found myself wishing the blog drawings were actual photos of real clothes & that Natalie's aunts clothing company Savage Swallow was real. Altogether an enjoyable read. Rec'd as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers. ( )

A fun and empowering book that focuses of weight and unity. Love the writing technique and the plot! It flowed well in some places but no so much in others, although the point of the book really made up for that!! There was a purpose for the book therefore that made it very deep and meaningful. ( )

This is a fun YA book. It centers around high school student Natalie Page, a plus-sized fashion blogger who is way into paleontology, and her summer internship at an Ice Age dig in Texas. Natalie deals with scars left by past bullying, the drama of boys, the crushing disappointment of being let down by a hero, and ambition.
This book has strong female characters involved in the sciences. I was a bit disappointed with how easily (and often) Natalie was led to put her treasured internship in jeopardy, but then, she is a high school kid.
Nice lesson here about personal responsibility and being yourself. ( )

I unexpectedly received a "uncorrected proof" copy in the mail from Library Thing. I did not even know I was going to get it!

I need to point out that I am a middle aged woman and this book is most definitely a book for a younger reader than I.

As a whole, it is a good book about a very bright young lady trying too hard get "accepted" socially and conveys an air of confidence that just may waver a bit inside.

This book a a little of a 'coming of age' musing I liked. It also conveys what I think is realistic thoughts and actions of a teen. (It was a long time ago folks).

As a whole, it was well written, with strong developed characters and educational as well. ( )

This is a book for overweight girls and is very shallow. The main character (Natilie) is portrayed as having a passion for Paleontology. But to me, her real passion is for her designer clothes blog posting herself in new outfits and also for boys. And, of course. the handsome guys like her way more than her personality deserves. She goes as an intern to a dig site breaks all the rules (never gets booted) and is forgiven and guess what (spoiler alert) ends up saving the day in the end as if that were ever in doubt. This should appeal to the shallowest of readers. ( )

Overall, I did like this book! At first, though, the main character, Natalie, did get on my nerves, but as the book progressed I started to like her more and really enjoyed the book. We need more books like this that celebrate differences, in this case, a plus size protagonist, and girls/women showing an interest and involvement in STEM programs and in job fields!

Even though Natalie made a lot of bone-headed (pun may or may not be intended here ;) lol) decisions I still enjoyed her fashion sense-- how even in her choice of clothes she was able to find a way to incorporate her passion for mammoths and paleontology, how she was doing something she loved and was passionate about, and how she was learning to become a more strong and confident version of herself. She learned when she shouldn't back down from something and this book followed her trials and triumphs! ( )

This was a DNF for me. I really tried to stick with it, but there were several reasons why I couldn't finish this book.

(1) I was an archeology major, and the author gets very BASIC facts about working on dig sites wrong. We're supposed to believe the main character is obsessed with paleontology and is serious about becoming a paleontologist, but she shows up to the dig site on the first day in pumps. Then, the characters TAKE soil home from the lab, soil that has not yet been screen picked - I just do not understand. At least where I worked, you are NOT allowed to take anything out of the lab just casually and bring it home with you.

(2) this book is very triggering. I was looking forward to having a book with a plus size main character since I myself am overweight. However, all that the main character thinks about is how she compares to every other girl (note: not boy) around her, to the point where every SINGLE girl she sees, she guesses their weight in her mind. She also snaps a hairband against her wrist - literal self-harm. It was very uncomfortable to read and honestly I felt horrible for this main character. It took me a long time to be comfortable in my skin, but now that I am, I don't want to read about a plus size character self-harming. I was hoping more that it would just be a feature of who this character is, not the main focus of the book. ( )