You’re listening to Burnt Toast! This is the podcast about anti-fat bias, diet culture, parenting and health. I’m Virginia Sole Smith.

Today I am chatting with Crystal Maldonado, a YA author who writes inclusive rom-com novels about fat brown girls.

Crystal is the author of Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, which was a New England Book Award winner and a Cricket’s Best YA fiction of 2021; No Filter and Other Lies which was named a Pop Sugar and Seventeen Best New YA. Her latest book is The Fall of Whit Rivera which we’re going to talk about today. Crystal’s books explore body politics, Latine and queer identity, relationships, complex family dynamics, and love. And they’re all available in the Burnt Toast Bookshop!

Don’t forget, you can always take 10 percent off that purchase if you also order (or have already ordered!) Fat Talk! (Just use the code FATTALK at checkout.)

Or you can take 10 percent off if you order all three of Crystal’s books, or any three books from the Burnt Toast Gift Guide with the code TREAT.

We’re going to get into Crystal’s new book, which I especially love because it features a protagonist who is navigating PCOS, which makes all sorts of things about bodies more complicated, while also just trying to be a normal teenage girl and planning her Fall Fest and having an awesome time. We’re also going to get into Britney Spears, which just doesn’t fit into anything except I needed to talk about Britney Spears to someone and Crystal is who you do that with.

Then, because Crystal is so very awesome, I asked her to stick around for an extended Butter segment. We have a bunch of amazing recs that you may want for yourself, but you will definitely find useful if you’re shopping for any teens and tweens, or young adult fans in general. You will need to be a paid subscriber to get all the good recs!

If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure you’re following us (it’s free!) in your podcast player! We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts! And while you’re there, please leave us a rating or review. (We like 5 stars!)

Episode 120 Transcript

Virginia

It’s so great to have you back on Burnt Toast! 

Crystal

I’m so excited to be back. It must mean you liked me last time.

Virginia

So for any folks who missed your first episode, why don’t you just quickly introduce yourself?

Crystal

I am Crystal Maldonado. I’m a young adult author who writes romcoms for fat brown girls. My first my debut novel was called Fat Chance, Charlie Vega. That came out in 2021 and it followed the story of Charlie who was a 16 year old girl who had never been kissed before. Her whole story was about trying to get that first kiss, falling in love for the first time and learning to love and appreciate her body, her fat body, for what it was.

I also wrote No Filter and Other Lies which came out in 2022. This is another young adult story but it follows a 17 year old named Kat Sanchez, who was also Puerto Rican and also fat. She was drawn to catfishing and the life of just lying.

Virginia

She really goes on a journey. She gets into some stuff. 

Crystal

Yeah, it’s complicated. But there are lots of dogs, so that adds the wholesome factor where her story otherwise could be a little dicey.

Then most recen