I picked this one up after catching Jenny S’s review the other day. Weirdly my library had it immediately available so here we are. I agree with Jenny, this is not one I see myself reading again. Or even recommending, honestly. Still, I wouldn’t call it bad. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl is comprised of multiple small stories seemingly about the same woman (Lizzie/Beth/Liz/Elizabeth) strung throughout her life and throughout her battle with herself and her weight. Her dress size changes drastically, […]
Life is Way Too Short to Spend Another Day at War With Yourself
If your plan was to start 2019 with a blast of body positivity, you might want to avoid this book. Through a series of 13 potentially standalone stories, Mona Awad focuses on Lizzie, self-described fat girl, from her teens to her late twenties. Awad is brutally masterful in her depiction of one young woman’s battle with her body and how that shapes in mostly horrifying ways the relationships she has in her life—with friends, family, and romantic partners. There is something so bleakly realistic about […]
What is Up With the Gross Stereotypes?!
I’m wary of reviewing this because I wonder if maybe it speaks to an experience I don’t have, and what I perceive as gross stereotypes are actually true to many people’s experiences. Hell, I’m sure they ARE true to plenty of people’s experiences, because people and their experiences are extremely varied. I do feel comforted by the fact that many people on Goodreads seem to share my frustration with this novel, though. This novel is set up in 13 vignettes, all set in different periods […]