bunix's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This graphic novel was much different from what I expected. I got rather emotional in the end as I somewhat relate to her story. The novel was a book that showed me that sometimes the flaws of parents aren’t intentional and that sometimes it can just be their form of showing us love. Even through all of this I really enjoyed the story and like how they made the story about her without using romance/crush to be a big part.
Graphic: Eating disorder and Mental illness
Moderate: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, and Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent
befrazzledenby's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
As someone who's struggled with an eating disorder for most of their life, I was pretty disappointed by this graphic novel, which was a surprise. It was so fast-paced, and felt so shallow but also way too deep at times, like the pace of the novel couldn't contain the intense emotionality of everything happening in the plot/character. It just didn't feel realistic or very human to me. I've had patrons rave about it, though, and the illustrations (colored pencil, I think) were really lovely and fit the theme. The pacing was too off for me, though.
Graphic: Mental illness, Eating disorder, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Child abuse
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Vomit, and Body shaming
charmainelim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this is such an important book for young women to have, particularly in Chinese culture.
We're often thought of as petite and thin, but it's unfair and unreasonable to expect well over 500 million women in the world to all be the same size. Bodies change as hormone change and that needs to be accepted.
While I never struggled with an eating disorder or an outright unhealthy relationship with food, I did have thoughts about whether skipping meals would help me "maintain" a certain weight that was really me being underweight. It wasn't healthy, but it meant I was "thin."
I wish I had this graphic novel when I was younger. I wish my friends had it. I think some of us would be a lot better off if we'd known more explicitly that it was okay for our bodies to change and that it's nothing to be ashamed of, even if culture says otherwise. Culture is the one that's wrong here, not us.
We're often thought of as petite and thin, but it's unfair and unreasonable to expect well over 500 million women in the world to all be the same size. Bodies change as hormone change and that needs to be accepted.
While I never struggled with an eating disorder or an outright unhealthy relationship with food, I did have thoughts about whether skipping meals would help me "maintain" a certain weight that was really me being underweight. It wasn't healthy, but it meant I was "thin."
I wish I had this graphic novel when I was younger. I wish my friends had it. I think some of us would be a lot better off if we'd known more explicitly that it was okay for our bodies to change and that it's nothing to be ashamed of, even if culture says otherwise. Culture is the one that's wrong here, not us.
Graphic: Death of parent, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Self harm, Mental illness, Grief, and Body shaming
Minor: Vomit
livlamentloathe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A surprisingly complex story about a teen girl struggling to love herself when her definition of love isn’t the same as that of her family. I appreciate the candid portrayal of bulimia and disordered eating. I also loved that the focus was mostly on the friendship between Val and Jordan, rather than on a romance. The art was absolutely lovely, and I liked the writing style used for the story. A great book about love, loss, eating, and acceptance.
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Body shaming
Moderate: Vomit, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Death of parent, and Grief
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