A review by archiebb
Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

The dynamics of this book are really hard to read in some ways but also important. Definitely a good read for anyone who hasn't experienced this level of fatphobia to learn where it shows up. 
The mom and dad do not agree on how to treat Malaya but their consistent arguing the dad doesn’t really end up protecting her like he thinks he is trying to do. There is SO MUCH fatphobio from the mom and then when the grandmom is introduced you can see how generational this is.
Malaya eventually grows to see this as well.


There are multiple showings of how horrid the doctors are
and I was so relieved for M that she didn’t end up getting pressured into surgery.


Percy dying was unexpected (to me as well as the characters) and that really encapsulates the Brooklyn being gentrified plot line that he was very vocal about. I don’t know what I think about the mom saying she’ll write the book he wanted to write after he died.


I made a playlist for this book too based on the music she name drops and I really loved to see the parts where she got confidence listening to Biggie or other music and tuning out the rampant fatphobia directed at her.

It was kind of the author to show us Malaya growing in confidence about her body, her sexuality, her art, her future at the end of the book.
I loved Malaya. 
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