jesticulate's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book was really frustrating for me. On the one hand, it was a fun adventure story with a clever, brave female protagonist. On the other hand, it was the most fatphobic book I’ve ever read.
The edition I read had two passages added at the end the from the author talking about her relationship with weight and it’s presence in the book. Both I think we’re added post publication and do not repair the harm of the prior 400 pages fat-shaming.
The book opens with the protagonist describing herself as a pig and a stuffed sausage. Not a chapter in the first half passed without bad self-talk regarding her weight. Worse than that though, half way through the book she starts to get more confident, useful, and powerful. This of course corresponds with her getting thinner - regardless of the authors statements, this book ties the her moral character and worthiness directly to her weight in every chapter. When other people (later, When she’s skinny) say she would be pretty if she got fat again, this is considered ‘kindness’.
I read the whole book partially because I like a fun adventure, partially because I was outraged, and partially because I wanted to leave a fully informed review.
If you have a history of disordered eating, trauma around food, or just are sick of this bullshit - please don’t read this book. It’s not worth it.
The edition I read had two passages added at the end the from the author talking about her relationship with weight and it’s presence in the book. Both I think we’re added post publication and do not repair the harm of the prior 400 pages fat-shaming.
The book opens with the protagonist describing herself as a pig and a stuffed sausage. Not a chapter in the first half passed without bad self-talk regarding her weight. Worse than that though, half way through the book she starts to get more confident, useful, and powerful. This of course corresponds with her getting thinner - regardless of the authors statements, this book ties the her moral character and worthiness directly to her weight in every chapter. When other people (later, When she’s skinny) say she would be pretty if she got fat again, this is considered ‘kindness’.
I read the whole book partially because I like a fun adventure, partially because I was outraged, and partially because I wanted to leave a fully informed review.
If you have a history of disordered eating, trauma around food, or just are sick of this bullshit - please don’t read this book. It’s not worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Blood
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