13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl; Mona Awad

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl; Mona Awad

Penguin - 2016

I rarely read chick lit these days but, when I received this book for review I decided to try it.  I do  love trying debut novels and, this one was only 214 pages.

Lizzie, AKA : Beth and Elizabeth, (her name changes as she slims down) was a heavy girl growing up through young adulthood. She has always been self conscience of her appearance. Even when she slims down and eventually becomes very, very thin her view of herself is always tainted. She is never satisfied with herself or her life for that matter.

The story is both funny and shocking at times. It felt like a realistic, yet painful portrayal of someone with a poor self image and how that can affect you your entire life. Readers who have struggled with weight or body image issues may be able to relate to this story in some way.

This was a quick read but, I wasn't a fan of the writing style overall. It's written like 13 short stories about the main character at various points in her life, but,  it was hard to determine the timeframes for each. I wish that had been better defined. For me the story felt a little choppy but, the cover was terrific -- that smudge over the word fat yet, still ever present in the mind of many who once were fat or dealt with body image issues.

3.5/5 stars

(sent by publisher)