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As a big girl, I feel invested in how people portray overweight women in the media. And I just couldn't handle how stereotypical this damn book was. Liz is a big girl. She's also socially awkward, a poor educational achiever and had terrible self esteem. She's portrayed as being so desperate for male attention that she doesn't care how badly she's treated and is generally pathet
I really, really, really disliked this book. I quit about halfway through it because I just couldn't take it any more.As a big girl, I feel invested in how people portray overweight women in the media. And I just couldn't handle how stereotypical this damn book was. Liz is a big girl. She's also socially awkward, a poor educational achiever and had terrible self esteem. She's portrayed as being so desperate for male attention that she doesn't care how badly she's treated and is generally pathetic. To be honest, this fucking disgusts me. I am well aware that there are some overweight ladies who have a LOT of self esteem issues and self hate. There are equally a TON of big girls who have fabulous lives, loves and careers. I'm sick of stories only talking about the women who hate how they look and all the ways being fat fucks up their lives.
My own story doesn't include being dumb, struggling with school or being socially isolated. I've had times where I can't stand how I look (in fact, I pretty much always wished I looked differently), but it hasn't kept me from having real sexual relationships or a career or, frankly, being able to get laid when I want. And there are plenty of ladies out there who are bigger than I am who have smoking hot partners who are totally dedicated to them. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop portraying all fat characters as losers who hate themselves.
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And……..thirteen vignettes later……I found this collection to be extremely poignant, powerful and memorable. I got this from the library but I th
"13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl" consists of thirteen vignettes that are mostly narrated by Lizzie (the "fat girl" of the title) but a few of the stories are about Lizzie from another person's perspective. The first vignette was uncomfortable and disturbing in an icky sort of way – I decided to read one more vignette to see where Awad would take Lizzie.And……..thirteen vignettes later……I found this collection to be extremely poignant, powerful and memorable. I got this from the library but I think I may purchase a copy for myself to reread and fangirl over later. Why on earth does this have such low ratings on Goodreads?
Lizzie, like her mother, struggles as a young woman with weight issues. Her lack of self-esteem is heartbreaking and leads to one cringe-worthy situation after another. Lizzie manages to shed her weight but becomes obsessed with what she is (and isn't) eating. She marries Tom and transitions into Beth and then Elizabeth, a bitter, judgmental woman consumed with her appearance, her diet and anger. So much anger!
I suspect women will relate to this book much more than men. All the burdens society places on women around appearance will feel very real. I think women especially understand how obsession with appearance can lead to obsession with food, how a lack of self-respect can lead to self-loathing. The tragedy is Lizzie/Beth/Elizabeth is unhappy from start to finish, from fat to thin – just unhappy in a different way. She is rarely "likable" but she always made my heart ache for her. Even though I haven't had her exact journey in my life, I feel as though I know her in my bones.
The writing is excellent, and Lizzie is a character you won't soon forget. If you do pick this up, the first vignette may make you question whether this book is for you. Trust me - read the second vignette. I dare you to put it down.
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From the onset, I knew that I wasn't going to love this book. The first chapter was pretty graphic, and actually irritated me, but I decided to see it through, and read on, po
This book was absolutely nothing like I expected it to be. I'm not sure what exactly I was hoping to read, but it certainly wasn't this. The book consists of thirteen chapters, and each one is narrated by Lizzie, but some of the stories are involving Lizzie (The "fat" girl) but are told from another character's perspective.From the onset, I knew that I wasn't going to love this book. The first chapter was pretty graphic, and actually irritated me, but I decided to see it through, and read on, possibly out of sheer disbelief.
Yes. I'm going to rant.
I do not understand, how a "fat" woman, can be portrayed in this book as an underachiever, that also suffers from low self esteem, and, because she is so "fat" she will attempt to fuck everything in her line of sight. This character doesn't care about how badly these so-called men treat her, and why, do you ask? Let me tell you, dear reader, because she is classed as being "fat" and there is an ancient and ghastly stigma in society, that fat is ultimately a negative aspect of a person, as opposed to a slimmer individual. This book is so stereotypical, I could smell it seeping through the pages.
I am an individual that couldn't be put in the skinny group, and I am successful, I enjoy life, I'm confident, and I have self respect. Body shape doesn't define who you are as a person, and being "fat" definitely doesn't make you a dumbass.
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She goes from an obese teenager desperate for attention (in forms of online dating and her 40 year old boss), to a thin young adult, obsessed with food and gravely unhappy.
I wasn't
Well, that was NOTHING like I expected. I didn't know anything about this one going into it. From the first few pages the shocking and graphic content had me speeding through the chapters, disliking Elizabeth/Liz/Beth (depends on the point in time) until the very last page where I actually just felt so sorry for her.She goes from an obese teenager desperate for attention (in forms of online dating and her 40 year old boss), to a thin young adult, obsessed with food and gravely unhappy.
I wasn't sure about this book while I was reading it - it's uncomfortable, to the point where it's not enjoyable. It's like an accident and you can't look away. You just keep staring, and in this case, flipping the pages. In retrospect however, it's pretty darn powerful. Anyone that's struggled with body image issues will likely relate to at least one of the thirteen essays taken from different moments in Beth's life. The world is a scary place to live for young girls these days... And our minds? Even scarier.
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The central character of Elizabeth (who changes names as she changes size - Lizzie, Beth, etc) moves through life experiencing many of the aspects of this experience - relationships with inappropriate men, not knowing if they are just using her; the pride coming from a family member once the weight is lost (not realizing it wasn't there before); the anger from controlling your diet; the obsession of all of this and how losing the weight doesn't get rid of the negative feelings.... It's all there. It's honest, and imperfect, the way life is. Almost uncomfortably so. I would recommend this to every person who wants to see inside, and maybe gain a little empathy. But it isn't a lesson book, and I don't want anyone reading this review to get that impression. Elizabeth doesn't "figure it out" and "move on with her life" - this entire issue taints her life, no matter her size. That's as close to reality as I've ever seen, but it's not necessarily encouraging or uplifting.
This is the author's first novel? I can't wait to see what she does next.
I received a copy of this from the Penguin First Flights program through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Others described the book as 'hilarious' and 'sparkles with wit' but I had a very different experience with Lizzie's journey. I actually found Lizzie to be quite sad and depressing. There were some rather funny descriptions thrown in throughou
From the reviews and accolades that I've read about this book I was expecting a light hearted 'Bridget Jones-type' read with funny bits, a quirky protagonist and a good overall message about weight and learning to love oneself despite not being a size zero.Others described the book as 'hilarious' and 'sparkles with wit' but I had a very different experience with Lizzie's journey. I actually found Lizzie to be quite sad and depressing. There were some rather funny descriptions thrown in throughout the book but overall this was a sad read for me because Beth/Lizzie/Elizabeth (or whatever moniker she's using) comes off as an unlikeable, sad and lost character that I couldn't relate to. By the end of the book I still didn't feel like I knew Lizzie and that was disheartening.
It was hard to like Lizzie. Even when she does lose weight she still lets the weight issue control her view of others as well as herself as she continues on her path of self destruction. Whether she's fat or thin Lizzie doesn't like herself. She will always be, in her own mind, the fat girl no matter what she calls herself or how much weight she loses which is an interesting look at self-esteem/weight loss but not an easy one to read.
I also wasn't fond of the short story/vignette format (which isn't alluded to in the book description). It took me a bit to figure out that the author was using this brief snap shot format instead of a more linear story line and that definitely affected my feelings for the book. I also found it hard to determine the time frame for some of the 13 stories that illustrate Lizzie's struggles. In one provocative sexual scene I initially thought Lizzie was a tween (thankfully she turned out to be older) but I didn't get that understanding until much later in that vignette. Unfortunately this short story, choppier method of storytelling didn't help me feel grounded in the plot and gave the book a disjointed feel that I didn't enjoy.
Readers get glimpses into Lizzie's life but, like I just mentioned, there are some rather odd and uncomfortable sexual situations thrown into various stories which, I feel, took away from the overall message. I think the message that obsessing to fit into society's view of what a 'perfect body' isn't the road to happiness is a good one but these provocative sexual scenes happened with more frequency than I was comfortable with.
This book follows the life of a young woman with severe self-image issues. What I'll take away from this book is the idea that a happy life and self-esteem aren't a guarantee once you fit into a pair of size 4 jeans. You have to be happy with who you are - weight be damned. Unfortunately I didn't find reading about Lizzy's continued journey of self-loathing an enjoyable read. Other people may get more out of this book but for me this was a miss.
My Rating: 2/5 stars
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Penguin Canada for providing me with a complimentary paperback copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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There isn't even a point to
Awad seems to have written this book to capture every single negative stereotype about women of all sizes in one fell swoop - fat women are all bitter, unhealthy, maladjusted try-hards; thin women are all vapid, or bitchy, or vapid and bitchy; those in between are frumpy, unattractive, pathetic things that are barely worth mentioning. To try and better yourself is pathetic and senseless, according to Awad, but to accept yourself and "let yourself go" is even more so.There isn't even a point to this. Awad isn't telling us anything we don't already know - that women can never do right, that there is no correct way to exist as Woman without the scrutiny of others - and she isn't offering a solution. No, she's reveling in this miserable pit of a story like Lizzie's mother accuses her of doing with her depression in her teenage years - she isn't confronting the way women self-objectify themselves, perpetuating the male gaze even in the absence of men. She isn't confronting the treacherous way women navigate self-image under duress in this day and age. She isn't confronting the fraught relationships women have with one another. I'm sure that's what she intended with this book, but what she actually did was simply show us a miserable, wretched woman who spends her life hating herself and every woman around her. That's it.
This is not a funny story. There is very, very little wit, and absolutely no "bright spark of humor." I don't know what book the reviewers read, because it wasn't the one I did - the only real saving graces of this book are that it is mercifully short, and Awad's prose is smooth enough to rip through quickly. If I'd had to spend much longer on this, I would have simply put it down.
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If this title rings a bell to you . . . .
Or, at minimum, you are someone with a decent memory because it is very similar to the poem by Wallace Stevens. If you feel so inclined to Google said poem, you'll find that Wiki says . . . .
The poem consists of thirteen short, separate sections, each of which mentions blackbirds in some way.
Such is the case with 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. Intertwined vignettes where our MC (and
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/If this title rings a bell to you . . . .
Or, at minimum, you are someone with a decent memory because it is very similar to the poem by Wallace Stevens. If you feel so inclined to Google said poem, you'll find that Wiki says . . . .
The poem consists of thirteen short, separate sections, each of which mentions blackbirds in some way.
Such is the case with 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. Intertwined vignettes where our MC (and, more importantly, her body) interacts with friends, co-workers, children, sexual partners, store clerks, her mother, her husband, the perfect Diane von Furstenberg dress, other women, etc. We watch as Lizzie morphs into Beth who then changes to Elizabeth who then becomes Liz as she grows from high school aged to adulthood and from fat to thin. We see how she views herself through these various ages and stages as well as how others view her via different perspectives being presented rather than Lizzie's alone.
I picked this up pretty much immediately after reading the über bizarre Bunny because it was undeniable this was an author who could write . . . I just wasn't smart enough to get all that she was putting down. This one, however? Holy crap. Talk about powerful and obviously someone who JUST. GETS. IT. Not to mention all the emotion is delivered without resorting to tragiporn or some pathetic trope or making us wallow in a billion pages. Mona Awad????? You are amazing.
Seriously. I want to crawl inside your brain and live there.
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In this time of almost viral fat shaming and girls and women obsessed with body image it is certainly relevant to tell a story of one whose entire life has been defined by her weight and self-loathing.
It was just such a dark read, though perhaps worthwhile for some needing to take a closer look at how they see themselves and others. I don't believe the subject matter should be f There's a lot of truth in this book, like it or not, but I did not find it "hilarious" nor did I find Lizzie "lovable."
In this time of almost viral fat shaming and girls and women obsessed with body image it is certainly relevant to tell a story of one whose entire life has been defined by her weight and self-loathing.
It was just such a dark read, though perhaps worthwhile for some needing to take a closer look at how they see themselves and others. I don't believe the subject matter should be funny but this was a mega downer with a mean-spirited character who was her own worst enemy unable to look beyond the fat.
But I'll say it again, a lot of truth in the pages which just might help set someone free. As a woman I greatly admire once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ...more
Lizzie broke my heart. Her self-esteem issues prevent her from having a full and satisfying life. She thinks her weight is what keeps her from having meaningful, lasting relationships, but really, it's the horrible way she feels about herself that keeps her from being truly content. Even when she is finally at her goal weight, she still feels unworthy. Some of the vignettes were a little bit repetitive so I had to dock a star, but overall, I appreciated reading such an honest account of a woman on the brink of loneliness and self-destruction.
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I wasn't sure that I could fit it into my review schedule and I wasn't sure it was something that I really wanted to read. However when I did the special feature, I completely rethought my decision!
After reading the discussion questions of the feature, I was intrigued. This book sounded like it was going to be raw, honest, and dark but yet poignant an
This book came across my desk for review a couple of months ago and initially I passed on it for review and agreed to do a special feature instead.I wasn't sure that I could fit it into my review schedule and I wasn't sure it was something that I really wanted to read. However when I did the special feature, I completely rethought my decision!
After reading the discussion questions of the feature, I was intrigued. This book sounded like it was going to be raw, honest, and dark but yet poignant and meaningful. This book was all of these things and more!
For me, this book was much more sad than funny. Lizzie has a very honest voice and I loved that about this book. I never felt like she was trying to hold anything back or manipulate the situation for the readers benefit and comfort. This was a book that was completely honest about the struggles of women. While I wasn't always able to relate to Lizzie, I think that her experiences were so honest that I felt her pain and struggles acutely.
I personally liked the parts of the book about her struggles with weight and body image which took up the first half of the book. The second half was about her weight loss and for me the first half was much more raw and sad. I thought many times 'finally, someone who is willing to address the pressures that women/girls feel about their bodies' but then the second half didn't quite do that for me as the first half did.
That said, the writing is still powerful and engaging, I just felt like the first half was much more strong and alluring to readers. The first 'story' really hooked me and I hoped that each chapter would follow a similar pattern. And thought they didn't always follow the same structure, each 'story' was important and advanced the plot in some way.
I liked that this book made me slightly uncomfortable as a reader. The whole time all I could think of was 'somewhere out there, there is a girl going through this exact situation' and it made me so sad. I think almost all women can relate in some way with the struggles of body image and the demands of society. This is a raw, honest look at society and body image and it definitely makes the reader uncomfortable but it's so hard to ignore the blatant honesty in the pages.
This story didn't have a conventional plot, climax, and resolution that many readers might expect. It didn't have likable characters or a happy ending either but I felt satisfied with how the book ended. It gave me a lot to think about and digest long after it ended. I like book that make me sit up and think and hit me with a raw honest voice. This book did just that, not to mention it read quick so I didn't feel trapped in the story. I was able to finish it and continue to think about things and issues raised by Lizzie.
This is not the kind of book that I normally read but when I find books like this I think they are hidden gems in the literary world!
See my full review here
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DNF @ 80
Ehhhhh... I was pretty excited to read this because I feel strongly about societal body-shaming and whatnot. I didn't like this really that much at all.
It's a collection of short stories revolving around the same girl/woman. But they feel very disjointed and the setting is very unclear. One was written from the perspective of another person, but most were written through the narration surrounding the main character.
I mean, some of it was a little funny (in
I got an advanced copy of this.DNF @ 80
Ehhhhh... I was pretty excited to read this because I feel strongly about societal body-shaming and whatnot. I didn't like this really that much at all.
It's a collection of short stories revolving around the same girl/woman. But they feel very disjointed and the setting is very unclear. One was written from the perspective of another person, but most were written through the narration surrounding the main character.
I mean, some of it was a little funny (in that dark humor way), but overall... Not "hilarious." It was more just depressing.
I personally did not enjoy this, but some people may love it (and some people do, according to the reviews on the outside covers of the book). So have at it if it sounds interesting, but don't say I didn't warn you.
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My relationships with both weight and food have been complicated and mountainous for as long as I can remember, so when I heard about 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, I couldn't have been more excited to read it. Whether you struggle with your weight or not, I'm sure you're familiar with the obsession our culture has with physical appearance. The way we view
I've included a few spoilers in this review, but mostly they're thematic rather than details about the specific plot. Proceed at own risk.My relationships with both weight and food have been complicated and mountainous for as long as I can remember, so when I heard about 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, I couldn't have been more excited to read it. Whether you struggle with your weight or not, I'm sure you're familiar with the obsession our culture has with physical appearance. The way we view our bodies and reduce their value to the hypothetical sexual desires of others is quite ridiculous. I couldn't wait to see what Mona Awad had to say about the issue.
First and foremost, this book is well-written. There were several one-liners that, as a writer, I felt almost jealous that I hadn't come up with them myself, namely this golden nugget:
"My wide slash of bared stomach feels like an emergency no one is attending to."
I mean, how great is that?
Aside from the well-crafted language, the pacing was good. I liked that this was more a collection of vignettes from Elizabeth's life, rather than a straightforward narrative. Much like a struggle with weight, it was unpredictable and confusing. In that way, the organization was a real strength.
Mainly what I had a problem with was this hopeless despondency we are left with at the end. Everything our protagonist does to lose weight, she does for other people. She isn't trying to be happy, boost her health, or feel good about herself. She just wants strangers to approve of her appearance, for men she has no interest in to find her sexually desirable. She has no real friendships, no real career, and she lets the only successful relationship she has fall apart, all because she has entered indentured servitude to her Gazelle and her food scale.
I understand what it's like to be a slave to the calorie, I really do. I understand what it's like to have a metabolism that seems almost sentient in its attempts to screw you over. It isn't easy, by any stretch of the imagination, and Awad definitely captures the frustration, guilt, and self-loathing that comes with the territory, even though I think there are a lot of things this book gets wrong about being a "fat girl"--mainly, the weird sexual aspect of the story. I'm not squeamish when it comes to sexual themes in literature, but that element in this particular book was just bizarre and felt rather forced.
I was hoping for a more uplifting message, one in which Beth/Elizabeth/Lizzie/Liz learned to appreciate herself and embrace being healthy, because when she is thin she is definitely not healthy, physically or mentally. Instead we are left to assume she spends the rest of her life alone, punishing herself for not being someone else's idea of perfect. She even begins to dehumanize other people who are overweight to make herself feel better! That's a very damaging idea, and really one I found off-putting.
I wish I could recommend this book, because as I said before it is quite well-written and the topic is both relevant and important, but the underlying message is just too disturbing to pass along.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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No doubt it's a book that will stay with me awhile... like that well-worn black sweater you keep when you don't know what else to wear. Even when you know it doesn't look good anymore, or maybe even when you know it never did.
It was a tough book to read. At times melancholic, sad, funny, pathetic, judgmental, honest and cathartic.No doubt it's a book that will stay with me awhile... like that well-worn black sweater you keep when you don't know what else to wear. Even when you know it doesn't look good anymore, or maybe even when you know it never did.
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— Amanda Kay Oaks
from The Best Books We Read In September 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/03/riot-r...
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Suburban girlhood into womanhood hounded down to the pique of humor, Awad has our body obsessed culture nailed. The opportunity and danger of the female body, the power and vulnerability is alternately humorously and scathingly examined in this debut novel. Lizzie and her best friend Mel navigate the male gaze, their own sometimes cartoonish desire, and weighing the shocking boredom of everyday life against the dangers of adventure. I am loving every minute of reading this book.
— Hannah Depp
from The Best Books We Read In March: http://bookriot.com/2016/04/04/riot-r...
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A) get it over with
B) be prepared for relevant tutorial/lecture tomorrow
C) no really, just to be done with the damn thing.
There's 4 hours of my life I'll never get back, but hey. It's finished.
I read another reviewer note that "Awad seems to have written this book to capture every single negative stereotype about women of all sizes in one fell swoop". This is one of the most accurate statements about this novel I've read. It was like no one could do anything right. No ma
Read in one sitting to:A) get it over with
B) be prepared for relevant tutorial/lecture tomorrow
C) no really, just to be done with the damn thing.
There's 4 hours of my life I'll never get back, but hey. It's finished.
I read another reviewer note that "Awad seems to have written this book to capture every single negative stereotype about women of all sizes in one fell swoop". This is one of the most accurate statements about this novel I've read. It was like no one could do anything right. No matter who you were and what you said (even if it was meant in a positive way) Awad made it sound like whoever they were, they were just an insulting human being for existing around the main character. It was so frustrating to read.
What pissed me off was that there was no lesson. We didn't learn anything, we just listened to this woman (I'd write her name, but she changed it... I think... 4 times in the book? For no apparent reason) bitch about how everyone was horrible. As a person who's had a very near brush with an eating disorder, I could sympathize with some of the things she was saying. I understand this is important subject matter. But nothing. freaking. happens. She's pissed, she yells, she has sex with highly inappropriate men (more on this later), makes assumptions, bitches some more, pushes every helpful and caring person out of her life, blames everyone else, and learns nothing. The reader learns nothing except how not to write a novel.
One more thing. You're telling me, no one - no one - thought to take this girl to a doctor? A therapist? The word therapy was not even breathed about in an entire book of a woman struggling with an eating disorder who went rapidly from obese to underweight and was clearly unhealthy. People noticed that she was behaving questionably, and it wasn't even brought up. Another huge error on the author's part in my opinion. It's another opportunity where a lesson/moral could've come out of this. I'm not saying she should've seen a therapist and then *poof* she's well again, end of story YAY! Of course not. That's not how it works. I'm just saying I think the option should've been at least mentioned somewhere in these 200+ pages.
The ending also pissed me off. It was like in the last dozen pages Awad realized "Oh shit, I'm actually gonna have to wrap this up. Umm... okay... well, let's have her change her mind after 25+ years of thinking this one thing, take this 180 degree spin that happens for no discernible reason, and then end with a pretty picture looking off into the sunset towards a happier tomorrow. Yes. Done." It was utterly ridiculous and made no sense after being in this woman's mind throughout her entire life, for her to just out of blue decide to completely change her perspective on the last 10 pages. I guess this was Awad trying to give us some lesson to take away, but it just came off like a slightly laughable Hail Mary.
So you might be wondering what has put me over the edge from "Yeah, I didn't enjoy this" to "Yeah, this was just stupid and offensive". Well there's lots to choose from, but the final straw was this: our main character decides while she is still in high school to have sex and have long-term and short-term relationships with men who are easily double (if not triple) her age. Repeatedly. Was this ever frowned upon? No. Was this ever questioned by anyone in her life? Once, by a not-close friend, in a passing comment which was quickly brushed off and forgotten. Did people know about this? Oh yeah. Did anyone call the police.? Of course not. Was her Mother aware? Yes, she knew perfectly well that her own boyfriend had taken full body photos of her (and possibly slept with her, it was unclear). The main character mentions several times that these men were old enough to be her Father. This doesn't seem to bother her - or anyone else for that matter. I am still revolted and disturbed. The fact that this is just put forth as something a young girl can do without question scares me. Authors: if you're going to put a young girl in this situation in a novel that will be read by young adult readers, you bet your ass that you put something in there so the reader understands that this is not okay.
Overall, this novel just made me very angry (can you tell yet?) I kept waiting for witty remarks, or a swooping plot point to pop up and make me like this book in some capacity. But I was left waiting. Yes, there were some redeeming qualities. The prose itself, style wise, was nice to read through. I did become attached to one of the characters - I loved Tom. I wish a Tom. That'd be really nice. He was just a super good guy who loved deeply and wanted to do everything he could to make his wife feel beautiful. (view spoiler)[I really, really hope he found someone after the divorce, because he deserves them. (hide spoiler)] And yes, we do get in the toxic and saddening mind of a very ill girl/woman, and that is very important. But for this novel to have been well written, it needed some ultimate message or moral, and there was none. This read just seemed infuriating and pointless and ultimately a missed opportunity.
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Me and my coworker read this around the same time and our conversations about this book were mostly concentrated on the main character Liz's mental health and just her lack of logic and how it relates to society.
It was a crazy ass story that was incredibly relatable in the first sections, but completely not relatable in the second section because like it's almost like she learned nothing of all this misery and unhappiness. That's not realistic is it ? There's usu
Yo this book was fucking crazy.Me and my coworker read this around the same time and our conversations about this book were mostly concentrated on the main character Liz's mental health and just her lack of logic and how it relates to society.
It was a crazy ass story that was incredibly relatable in the first sections, but completely not relatable in the second section because like it's almost like she learned nothing of all this misery and unhappiness. That's not realistic is it ? There's usually something to learn when you've made progress and struggled for success (in this case, her own weight loss).
Maybe I'm just a proponent of this new school body positivity movement and I can't compute the fact that people wouldn't look for or find the silver-lining in their outlook on their own life when they've made progress and have succeeded in their own self-prescribed goals. I'm glad I think like that I guess. It helps me. Progress is progress. But I feel like that's a reasonable viewpoint, which is where my disconnect with this book came in. I mean Liz obviously had an addiction and also super trauma from her mom and that whole situation. But damn.
It's also crazy because as a fat girl, this book makes you look at your life and be like — this girl is crazy. She got everything she could have possibly wanted; what most fat girls want. A life of health and love with a loving partner who actually liked her for who she was and she just blew that shit. I dunno shit just was crazy.
I'm still all over the place when it comes to this book honestly lol — it was a mess. Liz was a mess. It was a good read but not a great one.
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My main critique is that first half is quite a bit stronger than the second half; the character's stagnation is a bit grating. Regardless, I highly recommend this book. I was really moved reading it.
This book is sad and lonely and emotionally raw in a way that was beautiful and also, at times, uncomfortable to read. I can't imagine any woman reasoning this and not identifying with the main character at times (thus the discomfort).My main critique is that first half is quite a bit stronger than the second half; the character's stagnation is a bit grating. Regardless, I highly recommend this book. I was really moved reading it.
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My favourite piece was "My Mo
A frustrating, contradictory reading experience. On the one hand, Awad is definitely a talented writer, on the other hand, these episodes do not resonate with each other to achieve a larger whole. They are not short stories and the book is not a novel. It is perhaps 13 ways of looking at a character who is perhaps not the same person? How to explain this mess? My experience as a reader was increasing distance from the material. It did not grow on me; it receded away.My favourite piece was "My Mother's Idea of Sexy" which introduced the girl's mother, a strong domineering character. But where is the mother in the rest of the book? (Oddly, this section is not one that was previously published).
Setting was also a missing element. Despite the "Misery Saga" of the opening piece, setting is obscure and confusing. US or Canada? It is all very vague and unsatisfying (and in contrast to the opening promise of the "Misery Saga" reference to Mississauga).
Three stars for the writing.
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Also I have to go bump my reviews of her other books to 5 stars bc who am I kidding
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THAT SAID, I think it's important to acknowledge it and then take steps to have a healthier mindset. It ain't easy. We are not just w
I have mixed feelings about this book. I have both been a fat girl (like right now, hello!) and a fat girl who then lost weight, so although this book is crass in a lot of ways I couldn't help but see myself in it in some ways. We are taught again and again and again that fat=bad so it's no wonder this young girl/then woman was defined by it. I get it. I really do.THAT SAID, I think it's important to acknowledge it and then take steps to have a healthier mindset. It ain't easy. We are not just what society says we should be. Poo poo on that.
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She earned an MFA in fiction from Brown University and an MScR in English from the University of Edinburgh where her dissertation was on fear in the fairy tale. In 2018, she completed a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and English literature at the University of Denver. She currently lives in Boston.
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Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25716567-13-ways-of-looking-at-a-fat-girl
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