Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy

Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy (2011), a children’s novel by Bil Wright, is told from sixteen-year-old Carlos Duarte’s point-of-view, combining a snarky teenage voice with natural buoyancy in counterpoint to the serious issues of homophobia and personal responsibility tackled in the story.

Carlos recalls the evening he convinced his mother to let him do her makeup. While his mother concedes that Carlos is talented, she is reluctant to tell other people that her son did her makeup. Carlos’s sister Rosalia encourages him, telling him repeatedly that he is very talented. Now attending high school, Carlos has decided that if other people can be paid to do professional makeup, he can too. The girls at his school admit he is the best at makeup, and even some of the boys in bands who wear eyeliner ask him for tips.

Carlos’s friend Angie works at Macy’s department store; she advises him to get a job at the famous makeup counter, Future Face. Angie agrees to find out how he can apply for a job there in exchange for a makeover. Carlos goes to Burrito Take-Out Village to tell Rosalia about the possible job. He sees Danny, Rosalia’s former boyfriend. They don’t like each other, in part, because Danny and the other workers in the kitchen make fun of Carlos in Spanish. He doesn’t know what they’re saying, but he can guess that it is homophobic. Rosalia tells him that the makeup he’s wearing is smeared from the rain. He goes home, deciding to wait until he actually has the job before telling his mother.



On Saturday, Angie and Carlos go to Macy’s to get an application for a job. Angie reports that Shirlena Day, a famous comedian working on television, was there and so, the manager was distracted while interviewing another girl, and was mean about the girl’s résumé. This makes Carlos think he has no chance. The Future Face manager, Valentino, did compliment Angie’s makeup, so Carlos decides he will take photos of his friends after doing their makeup and submit a portfolio along with his résumé to get the job.

Carlos asks a kid at school, Gleason Kraft, to take the photos. Gleason is a punk rocker and Carlos develops a crush on him as they work. Carlos also borrows a pair of expensive boots from his friend Soraya, promising to return them in perfect condition. At the interview, Valentino is unimpressed with Carlos’s portfolio and his lack of experience, but higher-level manager, Craig Denton, happening to see Carlos’s work, advises Valentino to hire him.

Outside, Carlos is euphoric until Danny and his friends see him. They make fun of him, calling him derogatory names and ruining the boots. He does not tell Rosalia about this because she loves Danny. Soraya breaks off their friendship over the ruined boots, calling him selfish. He offers to pay for the boots, but he gives all his money to his mother, who has recently lost her job.



Carlos excels at Future Face. One day, Shirlena Day returns to the store and Carlos waits on her. She is impressed and tells him her makeup artist will be contacting him. Gleason invites Carlos to a gallery show of some of the photos he took. When Carlos arrives at the gallery, he is disappointed to learn that Gleason has a girlfriend.

Shirlena’s makeup artist contacts him but is dismissive. Later, Shirlena contacts him personally, inviting him to come down to the studio for the taping; She has doubts about the reliability of her current makeup artist. Carlos needs makeup for the gig, but he thinks if he tells Valentino about it, the manager will try to take the job for himself. Carlos cannot afford to purchase the makeup. He steals makeup, thinking that if he can convince Shirlena to buy it, he will make it right.

At the taping, Shirlena fires her makeup guy; Carlos gets the job. However, Carlos can’t enjoy his happiness—his mother hates her new part-time job, and he suspects that Danny has been hitting Rosalia. He also thinks that Valentino knows he stole the makeup and worries that he is about to be fired. When he returns to Macy’s he finds that he is right—they know about the theft. When he is called into the office, Carlos is surprised to find Craig Denton there as well. After Carlos offers his explanation, Denton decides that Carlos will not be fired, but placed on probation.



Carlos confronts Danny about the way he treats Rosalia. Danny assaults him, beating him up, but the police arrive, and Carlos has him arrested.