liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Lovely art, though I'm sorry this wasn't longer. It sort of falls into the common mental-health-book trap of going 'problem problem problem problem oh by the way I got better the end'. There's a lot of material that I would have loved to be explored in more depth: for example, what is it like to grow up in the (shadow of the) glitz of Las Vegas? How, if at all, did religion influence Awada's body image struggles? (I've read plenty of books with a Christian perspective on this, and there's a liiiiiittle bit of 'religion made my life better' here, but I'd be curious about more specifics.) What about being a person of colour with an illness often associated (incorrectly, but still) with rich white girls? The emphasis here is also on body image rather than Awada's very serious eating disorder, and I'm curious about that choice, though I'm guessing it was heavily influenced by the publisher.
So overall interesting, but room for a lot more complexity/analysis.
So overall interesting, but room for a lot more complexity/analysis.
bookishb1tch's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book, it touched on great topics that need to be heard more. But I would definitely suggest getting a physical copy instead of reading it on Libby or some other app because the font is small and the pages don’t fill the screen.
I didn’t like how abruptly it changed from normal pictures to magical/devil pictures.
Pretty good otherwise though! (:
I didn’t like how abruptly it changed from normal pictures to magical/devil pictures.
Pretty good otherwise though! (:
krissyronan's review against another edition
2.0
Over-simplified and didactic. Love real people sharing their stories to make complex issues real, and putting that into a graphic novel/memoir format could be interesting but this feels overwrought.
ashley_1206's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
3.75⭐️
such a wonderful novel to sit and review! i cant wait to read other graphic novels like this one that cover such important topics like suicide, racism, and transitioning. i love how the main character was a muslim girl (the representation of this book collection is amazing)
i love that my school has free resources to books like these because it could help so many students!
such a wonderful novel to sit and review! i cant wait to read other graphic novels like this one that cover such important topics like suicide, racism, and transitioning. i love how the main character was a muslim girl (the representation of this book collection is amazing)
i love that my school has free resources to books like these because it could help so many students!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Vomit
archaeolibraryologist's review against another edition
4.0
A well-written story that is important to share with people, especially those who may be struggling with body dysmorphia.
vinceyface's review against another edition
3.0
Not a fan, it's a good story and worth telling/reading. I know teens and tweens will find this book and find in it courage and strength. Maybe I had my expectations set from the beginning when it opens explaining how the publisher hopes it will be used in classrooms and the teacher section in the back. I just felt like this was middling for what it was, it feels like I'm reading a book that is screaming out, "hey kids like comics let's put real stories in them to educate them". The art is fine, I wasn't a fan but it didn't dislike it, the story is fine but it's so breezy and rushed. This book is meant for someone, but that someone clearly isn't me.
tabby2920's review against another edition
4.0
Another powerful graphic novel that talks about a difficult subject.
tinkeringlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
It’s an educational book, and not one I think is a recreational read, but I’m also pleased to see these issues addressed in memoirs by diverse voices. This is a good tool for educators.
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