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A review by sidpeanut
13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad
3.75
“13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl” is not a happy book. I think the reason behind so many of the negatively scathing reviews is the assumption that reading the book will leave you with a general sense of happiness. The book is not a comedy; sure, there are some embarrassingly funny moments, but everything that happens in the book has an underlying sense of monotonous dread—and that’s the point.
Elizabeth is not supposed to be overly likable, nor is she supposed to be extremely unbearable. She’s supposed to be human, and she is. As someone who has been fat, lost weight, gained weight, and held within the confines of disordered eating and societal standards, I found her thought processes especially relatable. Maybe to some people, that makes me a bad person, but I sympathize with Elizabeth and everyone else who has gone through similar struggles.
If you’ve never been fat, this book is a great look into how it messes with someone’s mind. Obviously, not every fat person goes through these experiences (I certainly have a VERY different life than Elizabeth does), but I do believe that much of Elizabeth’s mental turmoil and struggle reflect an unfortunate commonality throughout those affected socially by their size.
I would give this book 4 stars if I was able to come to terms with it. The book is so realistic and depressing at points, but as I spend lots of time avoiding negative emotion as much as possible, it made me fearful to continue reading (even though I could not put this book down). This book should really get 4 stars from me.
Elizabeth is not supposed to be overly likable, nor is she supposed to be extremely unbearable. She’s supposed to be human, and she is. As someone who has been fat, lost weight, gained weight, and held within the confines of disordered eating and societal standards, I found her thought processes especially relatable. Maybe to some people, that makes me a bad person, but I sympathize with Elizabeth and everyone else who has gone through similar struggles.
If you’ve never been fat, this book is a great look into how it messes with someone’s mind. Obviously, not every fat person goes through these experiences (I certainly have a VERY different life than Elizabeth does), but I do believe that much of Elizabeth’s mental turmoil and struggle reflect an unfortunate commonality throughout those affected socially by their size.
I would give this book 4 stars if I was able to come to terms with it. The book is so realistic and depressing at points, but as I spend lots of time avoiding negative emotion as much as possible, it made me fearful to continue reading (even though I could not put this book down). This book should really get 4 stars from me.