We so often encounter stories depicting the harsh realities of body image issues and eating disorders, but few of those stories cast a male as the main character. With "The New David Espinoza," author Fred Aceves offers readers a glimpse into the world of male body building, body dysmorphia, and steroid use. David Espinoza is not only bullied for his slender frame at school, but a video of him changing in the locker room while being slapped by a fellow student goes viral in the most negative way imaginable. This devastating experience inspires David to dedicate his summer months to putting on as much muscle as possible, but slow progress and a desperation to leave his "previous self" behind eventually leads David towards some tempting shortcuts with extremely high costs. Books from unique perspectives touching upon underexplored struggles are always appreciated, and readers of this novel might also enjoy "It's Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini, "Heroine" by Mindy McGinnis, and "Skin and Bones" by Sherry Shahan - Christina B.

The New David Espinoza by Fred Aceves narrates the story of a high school senior's transformation from zero to hero, which ends up being not as glamorous as anticipated. Motivated by a viral video of him getting slapped by a bully, David decides to begin a workout journey to create a better version of himself in order to stop the bullying and earn respect. This quickly turns south as he wrestles with the query- how far am I willing to go to get what I want? David toes the line with his new obsession every day, not looking back. This didactic YA novel deals with heavy themes of mental health and drug abuse and illustrates how seemingly instantaneous a life can shift when dealing with these issues. Overall, this book was an enjoyable read. - Adelina G., SPL Teen Volunteer

Enjoyment of the book was probably a 2, but the importance of the topic is a 4 so we’ll settle at 3

3.5

Aceves creates a believable character in David, a teen hit by a bully, put on social media for the world to see, desperately want to get fit over the summer. Drawn into a world of steroids and weight lifting his life slowly takes a different direction.

this book deserves WAY more hype!! // review to come

Intense look at muscle dysphoria in boys. Grade 9+

this the best anti-steroids book i ever read (he starting doping and lost his baddie girlfriend).

This was a satisfactory book. My main issue with it is the main character, who was getting on my nerves most of the time. I understand this was deliberate to help readers know the severity of Muscle Dysmorphia, but unfortunately it made me enjoy the book less. On the other hand, I do appreciate the awareness that comes with the story about this disorder, which isn’t widely known or easily diagnosed.

so the main character is whiny, snarky, and so repetitive. i know that this guy isn't supposed to be a great intellectual but the writing isn't compelling. i suppose it’s trying to really drill in his body-obsessed transformation but that's hard to listen to for hours. maybe speed reading the book would've made this an easier read. i was going to give it 3 stars for repping male body dysphoria and being #ownvoices but then i got to the author's note and wished i had just read that instead of wasting hours on the story. so yeah, i guess i just didn't like it. as someone else points out, it totally reads like an after-school special.

one more thought -- this book made me think of heroine by mindy mcginnis several times while i was reading it. a high school student who dabbles in something they know they shouldn't but think they can stop but it gets away from them. but heroine is written really well. maybe this style of writing appeals more to male readers? i saw someone a comparison to jason reynolds. but i didn't get that at all.

A decent read that I’d recommend to most teens as you rarely hear about how body dysmorphia impacts young boys. David is a penis and his development in the book is kind of awkward. The flow of the book wasn’t great but it did convey an important message so that’s nice. The climax was decent but not great. But I do love how the number of pages in a chapter appear to correlate with what happens in David’s life. Like when he finally confronts his dad, the chapter and the make up is quick and sweet. But overall, not the best read but pretty decent. I’d say a good 3.5.