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Life in the Fat Lane

164 statements
31 feature instances
3 referencing feature instances

Life in the Fat Lane	type	TVTItem
Life in the Fat Lane	label	Life in the Fat Lane
Life in the Fat Lane	page	LifeInTheFatLane
Life in the Fat Lane	comment	Life in the Fat Lane is a young adult novel, written by Cherie Bennett.Lara Adeche's life is perfect. She has perfect parents, a perfect boyfriend, perfect grades, a perfect figure, and she's about to be crowned Homecoming Queen. She prides herself on being a perfect Beauty Queen, inside and out, and is always careful to maintain a sweet and positive attitude towards life.But then Lara starts to rapidly gain weight, and her perfect world is shattered. Her parents are disgusted with her, and insist that it's something she should be able to control, despite the fact Lara is still gaining weight despite exercising and near starving herself. Her perfect life continues to unravel as her former friends make fun of her behind her back, and while her boyfriend remains loyal, Lara drives him away with her own self loathing.Things go from bad to worse when Lara ends up fatter than the fat girl she used to look down on. She's eventually diagnosed with 'Axell-Crowne' syndrome, a rare disorder that is causing her weight gain. There's no known cure, and her doctor can only vaguely suggest that she might lose the weight eventually.
Life in the Fat Lane	fetched	2024-04-07T09:01:45Z
Life in the Fat Lane	parsed	2024-04-07T09:01:45Z
Life in the Fat Lane	processingComment	Dropped link to SouthernBelle: Not a Feature - ITEM
Life in the Fat Lane	isPartOf	DBTropes
Life in the Fat Lane / int_1133e720	type	Fat Slob
Life in the Fat Lane / int_1133e720	comment	Fat Slob: Lara sees other fat people as being this, and looks down on them for "letting themselves go." Until it happens to her, and finds that explaining that she has a disease and hasn't "let herself go" does no good.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_1133e720	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_1133e720	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_1133e720
Life in the Fat Lane / int_22a27b19	type	Alpha Bitch
Life in the Fat Lane / int_22a27b19	comment	Alpha Bitch: Jennie Smith is underhanded and sneaky; Allegra Royalton is outright vicious. Allegra's friend Willow, while not openly nasty, concern-trolls Lara about her weight and insists that Allegra is "not that bad" seconds after hearing her call Lara a "fat tub" and an "ugly pig."
Life in the Fat Lane / int_22a27b19	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_22a27b19	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_22a27b19
Life in the Fat Lane / int_237404cc	type	Ironic Echo
Life in the Fat Lane / int_237404cc	comment	Ironic Echo: At the prom, Lara tries to encourage Patty Asher to exercise, telling Patty she has a pretty face and could be a knockout if she'd only lose weight. Lara doesn't think she's being insensitive, but Patty angrily rejects the advice and storms away. Later, a now-obese Lara has virtually the same conversation with a homecoming queen nominee named Jane, although now it's Jane (apparently not buying Lara's explanation about her disease) encouraging Lara to exercise.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_237404cc	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_237404cc	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_237404cc
Life in the Fat Lane / int_264a140b	type	Fat and Skinny
Life in the Fat Lane / int_264a140b	comment	Fat and Skinny: Molly and Lara, until the latter starts to gain weight.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_264a140b	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_264a140b	featureConfidence	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_34dcfc96	type	Kick the Dog
Life in the Fat Lane / int_34dcfc96	comment	Patty even states that although Lara was never outright cruel to her, she resented Lara's treatment of her more than that of the kids who actually did say mean things to her, and that's why she feels compelled to Kick the Dog now.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_34dcfc96	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_34dcfc96	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_34dcfc96
Life in the Fat Lane / int_3f89452c	type	Sad Clown
Life in the Fat Lane / int_3f89452c	comment	Sad Clown: Molly is something of this as well as Deadpan Snarker. Whenever kids tease her, she uses humor to hide her hurt. Lara is the only person she admits this to, which is ironic as Lara is responsible for some of Molly's torment.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_3f89452c	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_3f89452c	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_3f89452c
Life in the Fat Lane / int_40cc0c7e	type	Bittersweet Ending
Life in the Fat Lane / int_40cc0c7e	comment	Bittersweet Ending: Life will never be the same for Lara, but she learns to accept herself.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_40cc0c7e	featureApplicability	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_42e72657	type	Post-Stress Overeating
Life in the Fat Lane / int_42e72657	comment	Post-Stress Overeating: Doctors initially suggest that this is what Lara is suffering from. Lara does start to stress eat as a result of putting on weight, but it's not the underlying cause of her rapid weight gain.
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Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_42e72657
Life in the Fat Lane / int_4a0821b4	type	Archnemesis Dad
Life in the Fat Lane / int_4a0821b4	comment	Archnemesis Dad: Jim has a stormy relationship with his son, Scott. It turns out It's because Scott caught Jim cheating with the woman he would eventually leave his wife for, and lost all respect for his father as a result. Once Lara learns of the affair and it becomes evident Jim does not intend to end it, she also all but disowns her father. Scott even declares that when he grows up, he's determined to be a better man than his father.
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_4c9d226e	type	Formerly Fit
Life in the Fat Lane / int_4c9d226e	comment	Formerly Fit: Lara. Partially subverted, as she is still, despite her weight gain, otherwise healthy and continues to exercise and diet religiously - at one point she remarks that she must be the fittest 218-pound girl in her state. This naturally makes no difference to many of her peers, as they don't care why she's fat; they only care that she is fat.
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_51300dbf	type	Fat Bastard
Life in the Fat Lane / int_51300dbf	comment	Fat Bitch: Lara becomes nastier as she gains weight, and insists that her personality is changing to match her now 'monstrous' appearance. However it's hinted that Lara has always had a nastier streak, she was just careful to conceal her real feelings when fulfilling her 'beauty queen' role. This shows through with her conversation with Patty Asher in the girls' room. Patty Asher mocks Lara for her weight gain, and even claims that she wished it would happen. While it's somewhat justified given how Patty has been treated for being fat, she's still needlessly cruel. Patty even states that although Lara was never outright cruel to her, she resented Lara's treatment of her more than that of the kids who actually did say mean things to her, and that's why she feels compelled to Kick the Dog now. Lara's best friend, Molly, chews Lara out at one point for not sticking up for her more whenever Molly was taunted by Lara's former friends. She also admits to feeling a certain sense of satisfaction when Lara started gaining weight; however, she regrets these feelings when she sees how Lara's life is falling apart and never stops being Lara's friend.
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_561dab6b	type	Mistaken for Gay
Life in the Fat Lane / int_561dab6b	comment	Mistaken for Gay: Perry, thanks to malicious rumor-mongering from "Mainstream Dave" about his friendship with a gay boy.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_561dab6b	featureApplicability	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_6d332aea	type	Driven to Suicide
Life in the Fat Lane / int_6d332aea	comment	Driven to Suicide: At more than one point in the book, Lara loses her will to live, and in one scene fantasizes about what it might be like to kill herself with an overdose of pills. Although Lara doesn't attempt suicide, her mother does in exactly this way, swallowing an overdose of Valium with wine. Fortunately her children find her in time and she survives.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_6d332aea	featureApplicability	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_7286e96d	type	Idiot Ball
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7286e96d	comment	Idiot Ball: Lara's parents just won't accept that Lara isn't at fault for her rapid weight gain, even if her snacking and binging isn't helping. Lara ends up gaining over 100lbs in less than a year, whether she binges or starves herself. It still takes them a long time to accept it's a medical condition that she can't exactly help.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7286e96d	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7286e96d	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_7286e96d
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7c9dcc1	type	THeUnfavorite
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7c9dcc1	comment	The Unfavorite: Molly is the Unfavorite in Lara's group of friends at the beginning of the story. Lisa and Amber only put up with Molly because of Lara and constantly say mean things behind Molly's back, and Lara's attempts to stick up for Molly are halfhearted at most. Molly calls Lara out for this later in the story, though she never stops being her friend.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7c9dcc1	featureApplicability	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_7d89315b	type	"The Reason You Suck" Speech
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7d89315b	comment	"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Lara delivers a fierce one to her mother after she learns that her father has been having an affair with a coworker for three years, and berates Carol for the way she acts around Jim, calling Carol disgusting and pathetic. This earns her a slap from her mother.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7d89315b	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_7d89315b	featureConfidence	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_87629455	type	No Communities Were Harmed
Life in the Fat Lane / int_87629455	comment	No Communities Were Harmed: Lara and her family leave their Nashville home to move to the fictional upscale Detroit suburb of Blooming Woods, which is likely a stand-in for the real-life upscale Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills. She also attends a private school called Cranfield for a short time, which is likely a stand-in for the real-life Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_87629455	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_87629455	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_87629455
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8aef3aa4	type	Big Beautiful Man
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8aef3aa4	comment	Big Beautiful Man: Perry, from almost everyone's perspective except Lara's, although even she grudgingly admits that he has a handsome face. (And regarding that last: sucks to be him. By the end of the book he gives up on Lara and starts dating a girl named Crystal, who has a gigantic crush on him.)
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8aef3aa4	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8aef3aa4	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_8aef3aa4
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8c9e724c	type	Big Beautiful Woman
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8c9e724c	comment	Big Beautiful Woman: Suzanne. Lara is surprised at how pretty she is, despite her weight. Lara herself, according to everyone but her, her parents, and the occasional bully.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8c9e724c	featureApplicability	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_8f6b2792	type	Chubby Chaser
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8f6b2792	comment	Chubby Chaser: Suzanne's boyfriend, Tristan. Suzanne explains that although they love each other, she won't marry him, because she can't be sure his love for her is genuine.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8f6b2792	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_8f6b2792	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_8f6b2792
Life in the Fat Lane / int_90c018ac	type	Justified Trope
Life in the Fat Lane / int_90c018ac	comment	Patty Asher mocks Lara for her weight gain, and even claims that she wished it would happen. While it's somewhat justified given how Patty has been treated for being fat, she's still needlessly cruel. Patty even states that although Lara was never outright cruel to her, she resented Lara's treatment of her more than that of the kids who actually did say mean things to her, and that's why she feels compelled to Kick the Dog now.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_90c018ac	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_90c018ac	featureConfidence	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_96b89043	type	Not So Above It All
Life in the Fat Lane / int_96b89043	comment	Not So Above It All: Lara's younger brother, Scott. He's disgusted with his family for emphasizing outward appearance over everything else, and even after Lara starts gaining weight, he tries to reassure his sister that she's fine as she is. But once Lara balloons to over 200 pounds, he is embarrassed by her appearance, even taking old photos of her to school to prove to those who would bully Lara that she used to be a beauty queen (which, if anything, makes everything worse). It's more insensitivity than outright cruelty, but it still hurts, as Lara had thought Scott was in her corner. Lara's boyfriend Jett counts as well. He's the eccentric, artistic type who pooh-poohs the popular kids, but it turns out he's not as blind to appearances as one might think. He's too nice to come out and tell Lara he isn't attracted to her anymore, and despite his insistence that he still loves Lara the same, Lara sees through his front and breaks up with him.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_96b89043	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_96b89043	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_96b89043
Life in the Fat Lane / int_a1257d6	type	Fat Best Friend
Life in the Fat Lane / int_a1257d6	comment	Fat Best Friend: Molly is this to Lara, though they somewhat swap roles after Lara gains weight.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_a1257d6	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_a1257d6	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_a1257d6
Life in the Fat Lane / int_a939d96a	type	Adults Are Useless
Life in the Fat Lane / int_a939d96a	comment	Adults Are Useless: Lara's parents are extremely unsupportive at Lara's fall from grace, and insist that it's all her own fault, despite the evidence that suggests otherwise.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_a939d96a	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_a939d96a	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_a939d96a
Life in the Fat Lane / int_ae3d6438	type	Deadpan Snarker
Life in the Fat Lane / int_ae3d6438	comment	Deadpan Snarker: Molly. It's how she got her nickname, "The Mouth."
Life in the Fat Lane / int_ae3d6438	featureApplicability	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_b11ac9f5	type	Abusive Parents
Life in the Fat Lane / int_b11ac9f5	comment	Abusive Parents: While not initially physically abusive, Lara's parents are emotionally manipulative and start putting her down once she stops being their 'perfect Princess': Carol brutally informs Lara of how fat she's gotten, and tells her that she's no longer beautiful; all the while fishing for compliments about her own slender figure. Jim initially dotes on his daughter when she is thin, calling her his Princess. However when she gains weight he ignores her, only speaks to her to ask how the diet is going. After Jim is caught cheating, Carol goads Lara into snapping at her, then backhands her for doing just that.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_b11ac9f5	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_b11ac9f5	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_b11ac9f5
Life in the Fat Lane / int_d72164e9	type	Must Have Nicotine
Life in the Fat Lane / int_d72164e9	comment	Must Have Nicotine: Lara's mother Carol smokes, and graduates to chain-smoking as her marriage deteriorates. Lara's "friend" Lisa quit smoking but took it up again after she gained two pounds.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_d72164e9	featureApplicability	1.0
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_e52a0409	type	Calling the Old Man Out
Life in the Fat Lane / int_e52a0409	comment	After Jim is caught cheating, Carol goads Lara into snapping at her, then backhands her for doing just that.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_e52a0409	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_e52a0409	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_e52a0409
Life in the Fat Lane / int_e7ecdeb0	type	Weight Woe
Life in the Fat Lane / int_e7ecdeb0	comment	Weight Woe: The premise of the novel is based around Lara's horrified reaction to gaining weight. Molly also complains about her weight, but enjoys her food too much to do anything about it. By contrast, the other overweight characters in the book - Perry, Suzanne, and Cleo - no longer angst about their figures and have learned to accept themselves as they are.
Life in the Fat Lane / int_e7ecdeb0	featureApplicability	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_e7ecdeb0	featureConfidence	1.0
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Life in the Fat Lane / int_e7ecdeb0
Life in the Fat Lane / int_edeafb2e	type	Malicious Misnaming
Life in the Fat Lane / int_edeafb2e	comment	Malicious Misnaming: Lara's classmate Dave, based on the pronunciation of her last name, tags her with the nickname "Lardass" and harasses her every chance he gets. Patty Asher is referred to as "Fatty Patty" by her classmates.
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_name	type	ItemName
Life in the Fat Lane / int_name	comment
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Life in the Fat Lane / int_name	itemName	Life in the Fat Lane

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Big Beautiful Man / int_89cb0722
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Spoiled Sweet / int_89cb0722
Life in the Fat Lane	hasFeature	Young Adult Literature / int_89cb0722

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