The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
senpai_no_lie's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A series of short stories where just about every woman character is fat or struggling with their self-image regardless of their weight. No one is truly happy. I didn't enjoy reading this, but it wasn't bad. Just not really my type of story.Â
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Death of parent
withlivjones's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
A series of vignettes depicting moments in a fat girlâs life from her teens to her late twenties or so.
Let me preface this review by saying that this rating has nothing to do with the quality of the writing in this book. I love how Awadâs writing feels psychedelic, like a fever dream, I can only describe it as wading through something thick and fluid. And I also love how she creates complex, flawed characters, the tone of her writing is quite apathetic so thereâs a little bit of disgust felt for each character, but at the same time you still feel some sympathy for Lizzie, our protagonist, because although sheâs a pretty awful person, you can see how her complicated relationship with her mother and the way she was taken advantage of by older men as a teen has shaped her into the adult she is. A lot of her experiences are so relatable as a fat girl - not wanting to look in the mirror for fear of ruining how you think you look in the outfit you picked out; subconsciously scrutinising other peopleâs bodies because youâre so used to picking out the flaws in your own; feeling frustration and despair in a clothing store changing room; the hideousness of plus size fashion!!
So, the writing is definitely five stars. Itâs a good book. But itâs not an enjoyable book. I felt a deep sense of discomfort and despair the whole time I was reading this book. It explores some difficult and potentially very triggering topics in a lot of detail. Itâs message seems to be that if youâre fat and youâre not content with the way you look (or even if youâre thin and not content), youâre never going to live a fulfilling life, but at the same time if you donât do anything about your weight people will look down on you and youâll die of diabetes or heart failure - you canât win! Itâs depressing. Maybe I would have liked it more if there was more of a resolution at the end.Â
So overall, five stars for writing, two stars for personal enjoyment. Iâm glad I read it, but Iâm not going to be reaching for it again any time soon, nor would I recommend it to someone else.Â
Let me preface this review by saying that this rating has nothing to do with the quality of the writing in this book. I love how Awadâs writing feels psychedelic, like a fever dream, I can only describe it as wading through something thick and fluid. And I also love how she creates complex, flawed characters, the tone of her writing is quite apathetic so thereâs a little bit of disgust felt for each character, but at the same time you still feel some sympathy for Lizzie, our protagonist, because although sheâs a pretty awful person, you can see how her complicated relationship with her mother and the way she was taken advantage of by older men as a teen has shaped her into the adult she is. A lot of her experiences are so relatable as a fat girl - not wanting to look in the mirror for fear of ruining how you think you look in the outfit you picked out; subconsciously scrutinising other peopleâs bodies because youâre so used to picking out the flaws in your own; feeling frustration and despair in a clothing store changing room; the hideousness of plus size fashion!!
So, the writing is definitely five stars. Itâs a good book. But itâs not an enjoyable book. I felt a deep sense of discomfort and despair the whole time I was reading this book. It explores some difficult and potentially very triggering topics in a lot of detail. Itâs message seems to be that if youâre fat and youâre not content with the way you look (or even if youâre thin and not content), youâre never going to live a fulfilling life, but at the same time if you donât do anything about your weight people will look down on you and youâll die of diabetes or heart failure - you canât win! Itâs depressing. Maybe I would have liked it more if there was more of a resolution at the end.Â
So overall, five stars for writing, two stars for personal enjoyment. Iâm glad I read it, but Iâm not going to be reaching for it again any time soon, nor would I recommend it to someone else.Â
Graphic: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Grief, and Misogyny
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual content
So much internalised fatphobia and misogyny from the protagonistour_lamp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Emotionally draining and vicious in a way thatâs completely necessary. Awadâs simplistic words are cutting and sharp, they stab at you like little knives of uncomfortable truths. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl is simultaneously both a delicate character study and a brutally realistic examination of the way society treats women and girls, something only Mona Awad could do in just thirteen vignettes that make up a 214-paged debut. Each slice of Lizzieâs life hits you like a punch, always inevitable in its haunting bluntness and always in a place unexpectedly vulnerable. Lizzieâs voice is muffled, drowning in constant obsessions of her physical self and that of others she idealizes and/or loathes. Not only that, but her endless attempts at perforating beauty consume her, as does her incessant need for validation. Though perhaps not a âlikableâ character, never is Lizzie not chillingly relatable. Awadâs debut is a portrayal of reality that growls and bites and snaps at you with its plethoric teeth so accurately that it constantly penetrates skin and draws blood, but never too much to allow you to become forgetful of its power.
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Misogyny, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Emotional abuse
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