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Showing posts with label Self/Body Image. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self/Body Image. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Body-Positive MG Novel Empathy-Inducing and Empowering
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Ellie Montgomery-Hofstein is used to people gawking at her—and not in a good way. She's always been bigger than her peers, which has made her the recipient of relentless bullying. Even her mother is constantly haranguing her for being fat. Now that Ellie's best friend has moved away, she's facing sixth grade alone, making her even more of a target than usual. The only place she finds peace is in her backyard swimming pool where she feels weightless and free.
When bubbly Catalina Rodriguez moves in next to Ellie and welcomes her into her boisterous Mexican-American family, Ellie discovers another safe place. With the help of her new friend and a caring therapist, she starts learning to stand up for herself. Will these new skills help her face the biggest bully in her life? Can Ellie help her mother understand that Ellie deserves to be loved just as she is? Can Ellie finally free herself from the Fat Girl Rules and embrace her big, beautiful self?
Starfish—a debut novel by Lisa Fipps—is a quick read, but one that sticks with you. Written in free verse, it's raw and honest. Anyone who's struggled with their weight, or been bullied for any reason, will empathize with Ellie's pain. Hopefully, those who bully will also be moved by her story. Starfish really is impactful as it teaches lessons about the impact that words have, for both good and ill, on other people; how bullying, whether done by children or adults, affects people; the importance of kindness and acceptance; and the empowering magic of learning to stand up for one's self. This is an important, touching read that I hope kids will take to heart.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of Wonder by R.J. Palacio)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for difficult subject matter (body shaming, bullying, and verbal and emotional abuse)
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Saturday, January 05, 2019
Funny, Authentic YA Debut Preaches Loving Yourself and Your Body, No Matter What Size You Are
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Ever since a bitter divorce propelled her mother to audition for a weight loss reality show, things at Savannah Alverson's home have been a little rough. Her mom is still obsessed with the extreme diet/exercise methods she learned on the show and she won't stop harping on Savannah about her own extra weight. Savannah could ignore the jabs more easily when Ashley, her sister and best friend, was by her side; now that Ashley has gone away for college, Savannah has to deal with it on her own. She's never felt more alone.
Savannah's senior year of high school is supposed to be magical, and it does start perking up when she meets "dorky-hot" George Smith. She feels instantly comfortable with the kind band nerd, who seems to reciprocate her growing feelings. Except sometimes, he runs a bit hot and cold. What's up with that? While Savannah tries to sort her George problem, she also has to deal with her mom's increasingly dangerous behavior, her sister's gaping absence, her boiling anger toward her dad, and a shocking news story that just might lead her to the college path that's meant to be hers. Dealing with it all won't be easy. In fact, this just might be the toughest year of Savannah's life ...
To Be Honest, a debut novel by Maggie Ann Martin, is a quick YA read that's entertaining and authentic. Savannah is an admirable heroine—she's smart, funny, and confident but she also has some flaws and issues to keep her real. The story she tells isn't anything fresh or original. However, the tale definitely promotes having a positive body image. Unlike her mom, Savannah isn't trying to lose weight; she's not even that concerned about being chubby. She knows she's a little overweight, but that doesn't stop her from dating, being involved at school, getting top marks, or putting body-shamers in their places. I love that about this book and hope that teen girls will get the message loud and clear. Overall, then, I enjoyed this read that stays funny and positive even when Savannah's dealing with hard things.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of Plus by Veronica Chambers, What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard, and Purge by Sarah Darer Littman)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (1 F-bomb, plus occasional, milder expletives), depictions of underage drinking, and mild innuendo
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Worth A Quick, Empowering Read (With a Giveaway!)
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
In a world where we're bombarded every day with images of airbrushed beauty and Instagram-staged perfection, it's easy for women to feel degraded, depressed, and discouraged. In an effort to buoy them up, Wendy Ellison penned her first book, Worth. As the subtitle suggests, the volume discusses individual worth with a special focus on how remembering our divine beginnings can help us find contentment, fulfillment, and purpose, which will lead us to the promised happy endings. Using scriptural examples, quotes from LDS leaders, and personal anecdotes, Ellison expounds on these topics and recommends ways to remind ourselves daily of our personal worth.
Although the book is specifically directed at adult LDS women, it teaches powerful lessons that apply to everyone—male or female, teen or adult, Mormon or non. If you're a member of the Church, you won't find anything new or earth-shattering here, but Worth is still an inspiring read that will boost the morale of any woman. At just over 100 pages, it's a quick, uplifting book perfect for Sabbath (or any time) reading. I enjoyed it.(Readalikes: I don't read a lot of inspirational/religious non-fiction, so I'm not sure. Suggestions?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Worth from the generous folks at Covenant. Thank you!
--
Would you like more opinions about Worth? Follow along on the book's blog tour by visiting the following sites:
*April 9th: http://mybookaday.com/
*April 10th: https://www.rockinbookreviews.
*April 12th: http://www.blogginboutbooks.
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Friday, January 19, 2018
YA Anorexia Novel Not Mind-Blowing, But Powerful Nonetheless
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
In an ongoing effort to slim down, 16-year-old Elizabeth Barnes has finally starved herself into a size 0. Weighing only 90 pounds, she's elated with her "progress." The side effects she's experiencing, though, are a tad concerning. It's possible she's gone too far—it's possible she might now be "a little bit" anorexic. Alarmed, Elizabeth's parents enroll her in a treatment program at Wallingfield, an in-patient clinic for young women with eating disorders. Elizabeth, a studious good girl, plans to be a model patient, following the rules until she can get back home and continue her extreme weight loss regimen without nosy nurses looking over her shoulder.
As Elizabeth settles into life at Wallingfield, she finds surprising commonality with the other patients. While they swap tips and tricks, offer sabotage and support, the girls become a close-knit family. Elizabeth can't imagine what she'll do without them, especially when she returns home to her weight-obsessed mother. In the meantime, she's receiving care packages at the clinic from a mysterious sender. Could her ex-boyfriend be trying to mend their relationship? Or is some prankster toying with her when she's at her most vulnerable? As she attempts to claw her way back to health, Elizabeth will make some surprising discoveries—about her anonymous gift-giver, about her new friends, and about herself.
What I Lost, a debut novel by Alexandra Ballard, is an affecting story about one teen's rocky journey of self-discovery. As she attempts to achieve wholeness and healing, she really finds herself. Through Elizabeth, Ballard presents a candid portrait of anorexia, showing how difficult the disease is to control and how thoroughly it warps the minds of its victims. Naturally, What I Lost does not offer a perfect ending. It does close on a hopeful note, however, which makes it an uplifting read despite its serious subject matter. Any teen who struggles with body image/eating disorders should find this novel both intriguing, illuminating, and empathy-inducing. Issue novels abound in YA lit; while this one isn't all that original or mind-blowing, it's still powerful.
(Readalikes: Purge by Sarah Darer Littman; Never Enough by Denise Jaden; and Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs) and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of What I Lost with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
"Weighty" Novel Entertaining, Relatable
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(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Being a plus-sized teen is no fun. No fun at all. Just ask 16-year-old Ann Galardi. Her weight makes it tough to fit into the cute fashions everyone else is wearing, let alone a swimsuit that doesn't make her look like a whale. And forget about attracting a hot guy. They don't even glance her way. It doesn't help that Ann lives with her petite, perfectly-disciplined stepmother. Nope, that just makes everything worse.
When her favorite aunt asks Ann to be a bridesmaid at her upcoming wedding, Ann panics. The thought of trying to squeeze her size 17 body into some hideous gown is enough to make her break out in hives. There's only one solution: get rid of the excess pounds. Ann's only got 10 weeks to melt off 45 of them, so she needs a diet that's fast, easy and guaranteed to work. When she sees an infomercial for a miracle weight loss plan, Ann's sold. It's a spendy little diet, but she's committed. Vowing to tell no one what she's doing, Ann starts the program. As she struggles to stick with it, she makes some huge discoveries—not just about herself, but also about friendship, acceptance and her not-as-perfect-as-she-seems stepmom. Armed with this new knowledge, can Ann reach her goal in time? What if she can't do it? What if she can?
So, I've noticed a lot of "weighty" fiction on the market lately. It's an interesting issue (genre?), one that's increasingly relevant, even in the teen world. These books appeal to me, especially when they're all about learning to accept yourself no matter what size you are (which most of them are). I have no problem empathizing with a heroine like Ann—anyone who's ever been swimsuit shopping or gotten stuck in a too-small garment in a too-public dressing room can feel her pain. And yet, I felt like she didn't struggle quite enough to learn her lesson about self-acceptance. Does that sound heartless? Probably, but I felt like her attitude shifted too suddenly to feel realistic. Other than that, I enjoyed 45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson. It's not going to make my favorites list, but the novel's entertaining, funny, relatable and sends an important message that women of all ages need to hear.
(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bomb), depictions of underage drinking/partying, and sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Fresh, Upbeat Perspective a Big Plus in Brainiac-Turns-Supermodel Story
(Image from Barnes & Noble)Bee Wilson loves her life in New York. The brainy 17-year-old is taking advanced classes at Columbia University, tutoring an up-and-coming rapper for $20 an hour, and dating the most caring guy on Earth. When said boyfriend drops her like a ton of bricks, Bee's shattered. If Brian, the patron saint of lost causes, doesn't want her, who would? Drowning her sorrows in thick slices of pizza, takeout from Ollie's Noodle Shop, and giant muffins at Dean and DeLuca soothes her soul, but packs 25 extra pounds onto her tall frame. She's so down that she thinks it's a joke when a modeling scout encourages her to try plus-sized modeling. Only, the woman's serious. With the encouragement of a friend (another of Brian's scorned lovers), Bee checks out t
he gig. Before she can say "runway," she's jetting off to Italy, making $5000 a day to wear fancy clothes and smile into a camera.Although modeling looks like the cakiest job around, Bee soon discovers it's a whole lot of work. Not only does she have to please picky photogs, but she has to work out with her personal trainer, attend "go sees," shun real food, and deal with jealous supermodels. There are perks, of course, like the clothes, the traveling, the chubby teenagers who look up to her, and the fact that Brian is going to come crawling back to her when he realizes how successful she is. The downside is her grades are slipping, her best friend's feeling neglected, her favorite rapper's not impressed with the new Bee, and Brian's nowhere in sight. Bee's working so hard to hold it all together - why is everything falling apart?
Everyone tells Bee the same thing: Just be yourself. But who is that, really? The Prada-clad supe grinning out at the world from billboards and magazine covers? Or the brainiac who spends all her time hiding out in the library? Is she some combination of the two or none of the above? Who does she have to be to get Brian back in her life? As Bee sashays down the runway, she'll have to decide who she is, what she wants, and where she's going. Along the way, she'll discover that things are rarely what they appear to be, disasters often beget opportunities, and the road to self-discovery can be the scariest, most exciting path a girl will ever travel.
Although Plus by Veronica Chambers delves into body issues, it's not one of those annoying how-I-learned-to-love-my-body books. Bee's not thrilled with her weight gain, but she's not obsessing about it either. She's okay with being plus-sized. The story's more about Bee finding her inner diva, summoning the strength and courage to be who she really is. I love that Plus radiates this fresh, healthy perspective. I also liked Bee's funny, down-to-Earth voice and the insider's look into worlds (Ivy League, modeling, New York glam) I have never - and will never - experience. It's a fun story. The plot is, of course, far-fetched and pretty predictable. It also meanders around quite a bit, becoming dull in places, thin in others. I got irritated with Bee's inability to see what was right in front of her (for a smart girl, she can be amazingly clueless) and I thought Chambers sometimes tried too hard to get the teenage lingo down. Plus isn't going to make my favorites list, but I still enjoyed this fresh, upbeat story about struttng your true self down the runway of life. The timeless message it preaches is always a good one: Bee You.
(Readalikes: Hm, I dunno on this one. Suggestions?)
Grade: B-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for mild language (no F-bombs) and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Plus from the generous folks at Razorbill. Thank you!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Printz Contender Like Good, Old-Fasioned Comfort Food: Warm and Satisfying
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Virginia's read about stuff like this. It happens sometimes - a nurse accidentally hands the wrong newborn to the wrong couple. Obviously, this is what happened to her. How else could a short, plump blonde like her have ended up in a family full of tall, thin brunettes? Clearly, she was switched at birth.
Welcome to the world of Virginia Shreves, the 15-year-old narrator of The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. In a family of beautiful overachievers who are dedicated to looking like beautiful overachievers, Virginia's a bit of a misfit. She's not super skinny like her older sister; she's not popular like her older brother; she's not a golf-toting club member like her father and she's certainly nothing like her gym-rat-child-psychologist mother. She's smart enough, sure, but she's also boyfriendless and lonely now that her only friend's been whisked off to Oregon by her vagabond parents. With no social life to speak of, she's been spending her time surfing the Web and downing Doritos, neither of which help with her biggest problem - her weight. Viriginia's not grossly obese, but she's chubby enough to get picked last for any kind of team in P.E. She's "heavy" enough that her calorie-conscious mother has to remind her about it every single day. Virginia's getting the message loud and clear: she is the fleshy blight on what is otherwise a perfect family.
Then, one night, the phone rings. And changes everything. The caller delivers horrifying, unimaginable news. While the rest of the Shreves are busy hiding the unsightly accusation behind their blemishless facades, Virginia's imploding. Facing the ugly truth about her flawless family means confronting the cold, hard facts about herself. As terrifying as the process is, it might just be the one thing that can free Virginia to be the only person she really needs to be - herself.
Virginia Shreves is one of those characters that girls recognize instantly. With all of her doubts, her self-loathing, and the tremendous pressure she puts on herself to look a certain way, she's an EveryGirl who will jiggle her way into the hearts of all girls, whether they're a size 2 or 20. She's the perfect antiheroine - funny, but self-deprecating; sweet, but sarcastic; sympathetic, but not pathetic; smart, but often clueless. Her story resounds not because it's terribly unique, but because her voice makes it so. While The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things didn't completely blow me away like other Printz Award contenders, it's still an appealing read. In fact, it's a lot like good, old-fashioned comfort food (something Virginia would no doubt appreciate): warm and satisfying.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of The Girl With the Mermaid Hair by Delia Ephron)
Grade: B
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language, sexual innuendo/making out/sexual references
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Thursday, March 04, 2010
The Girl with the Mermaid Hair: I Love It Even If I Don't Exactly Know Why
Check out that title - see how I didn't mention drugs once? Guess that means I'm feeling better!
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
So, I'm still trying to figure out exactly why Delia Ephron's The Girl with the Mermaid Hair is such a brilliant novel. Because it is. Brilliant. It's one of the simplest, but truest books I've ever read. Plus, it's funny. And the deftness of the characterization (caricature-ization?) astounds me. I guess that's the winning combination right there: Ephron's created a story that is simple, true, and funny, populated by characters who are pop-off-the-page real. It works. Brilliantly.
Our heroine, 15-year-old Sukie Jamieson, lives in a world of seamless order. She glides from her sparkly new development home to her brainiac high school to her tennis lessons at the club with a practiced grace. Because she "[is]n't only in the world--the world [is] watching" (62), Sukie must appear flawless at all times. No one can know that she's been up since 3 a.m. trying on dozens of outfits (then rehanging them "precisely - the collars on blouses and jackets turned down and matching, all shoulders even, jeans clipped so the legs fell to the exact same length" [133]), conditioning her hair (for "the exact recommended time for fortifying and softening and after rinsing" [136]), and blending foundations to the right consistency needed to "successfully [doctor] her most exotic feature" into absolute blandness. She must be immaculate, impeccable, defectless. And she is. With her lustruous mermaid hair, her creamy complexion and a figure so svelte it moves Hudson Glen's quarterback to declare, "I like your body-fat ratio" (6), she's as unblemished as Barbie. And when she faltered for half a second? Well, "She didn't like to acknowledge any situation in which she was less than perfect" (20).
This becomes a problem when her mother gifts her a family heirloom, an antique mirror which she predicts will become Sukie's "best friend and worst enemy" (3). It's a beautiful piece. Suddenly, Sukie - who checks herself in every reflective surface she can find - can see herself like she never has before. How did she never notice the way her nose ramps up instead of sloping gracefully? No wonder her mother resorted to plastic surgery to change the one feature she and Sukie have in common. And why, oh why, does her butt, normally "neat, round, and tightly packaged in jeans, waist size 27" (47), suddenly resemble "twenty-pound ham hocks?" (47). Is the mirror broken? Cracked? Distorted? Or is it Sukie's vision of herself that needs a transformation?
An honest look at her life reveals what Sukie's "selfies" (the camera-phone pictures she snaps constantly to make sure she has no makeup smudges, food in her teeth, mascara clumps or any other potentially-humiliating imperfections) cannot: The masks behind which Sukie hides - her Cover Girl face, her charming parents, her activity-filled lunches, her gorgeous boyfriend - have all been carefully constructed to hide the terrible, stunning truth that Sukie is insecure, friendless, unoriginal and, perhaps, the phoniest in a family of flakes. Can the obsessed teenager cope with this startling imperfection or will the knowledge cause her, like her lovely mirror, to crack, forever ruined?
I know it all sounds deadly serious, but it's not. Exactly. Ephron writes with a wit that makes the novel both sardonically entertaining and undeniably true. Because her story people are more caricature than characters, they're instantly recognizable, easy to laugh at - until, like Sukie, we receive a startling revelation: They are us. We are them. Obsessive-compulsive-neuroticness and all. Only when this truth sneaks up and hits us in the face can we understand the real brilliance of this novel. It's simple, complex, true - I love, love, love The Girl with the Mermaid Hair.
Now that my brain hurts from the effort of waxing eloquent, let me give you a little taste of the genius that is Delia Ephron. I don't generally love animals in my fiction, but the following characterization is so clever, so colorful, so spot-on that this dog leaps right off the page (not that he would do anything as undistinguished as leaping). It's a perfect example of the brilliance that makes this novel so compelling. The passage is long, but trust me, you're not going to care:
Sukie, her mom, and her younger brother, Mikey, turned to their dog, Señor, who sat at the head of the table.
When they all looked to see what Señor thought - and it was not the first time - Señor didn't bark. He wasn't a trick dog. He didn't bark once for yes and twice for no. And he wasn't a talking dog, there's no such thing. Medium-sized with a thick white coat, short pointed ears that were rosy pink inside, and a long graceful snout, Señor had powerful silent communication skills and an incredibly intimidating manner. He never licked anyone. None of that grateful happy kissing for Señor. No one had ever seen him roll over for a tummy rub, and his tail, which curled up over his back, did not wag. No one had ever seen him fetch his red rubber ball either. Every so often Mikey threw it for the amusement of watching Señor ignore it. "Is this your dog?" people would ask when they entered the house, even though Señor was clearly the Jamiesons' dog, what else would he be doing there, but there was something about his elegance, his reserve, the way he observed without moving a muscle that made people question whether he was a pet, anyone's pet. When one night he climbed into the chair at the head of the table, no one questioned it. Sukie's dad simply slid his place setting out of Señor's way and over to the long side of the rectangular table next to Sukie's. Her mom, at the other end, did likewise so that she sat next to Mikey. Señor, at the head, had the only chair with arms.
Did Sukie have a phone addiction? The family awaited Señor's verdict. His watchful gray eyes did not narrow, a good sign, and his mouth dropped open slightly, revealing small, even bottom teeth and the tip of his pink tongue.
"No," said Sukie tentatively. "No, I don't. No problem. I'm fine!" She jumped up and hugged Señor, gunking up her red sweater with white hairs. It was Señor's shedding season (9-10).
See? It's impossible not to adore this book. Even if I'm not exactly sure why - I love it.
(Readalikes: It reminded me of the movie Clueless and will probably be similar to its companion book, Falling to Pieces. I'll get back to you on that one.)
Grade: A
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for language and some sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received a copy of this book from the generous folks at HarperTeen. Thanks!
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