13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl follows Elizabeth through different phases of her life, chronicling her relationship with her body, food, and self-image. The narrative unfolds through interconnected stories that show Elizabeth at various weights and stages, from her teenage years through adulthood. Elizabeth's transformation from an overweight teenager to a thin adult comes with unexpected costs and complications. Her pursuit of thinness affects her relationships with friends, lovers, and family members, while her internal monologue reveals the persistence of her struggles despite external changes. The book explores the intersection of weight, identity, and societal expectations through Elizabeth's perspectives and interactions. Through her character, the novel examines how body image shapes a woman's sense of self and her place in the world, suggesting that the relationship between size and happiness is more complex than cultural narratives suggest.

Readers note the raw, honest portrayal of body image struggles and complex relationships with food, weight, and identity. The book's dark humor and unflinching examination of self-loathing resonates with many who have experienced similar challenges. Readers appreciated: - Realistic depiction of dieting cycles and societal pressures - Sharp, witty writing style - The interconnected short story format - Authentic character development Common criticisms: - Repetitive focus on weight/body image becomes tiresome - Main character remains unsympathetic throughout - Some found the tone too bitter and negative - Lack of resolution or growth Average Ratings: Goodreads: 3.4/5 (13,000+ ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (200+ ratings) "Raw and relatable but exhausting to read" appears frequently in reviews. Multiple readers commented that while the writing is strong, spending time with such a self-critical protagonist becomes challenging. Several noted the book accurately captures disordered eating thoughts but may be triggering for those with eating disorders.

Dietland by Sarai Walker A woman's journey through body acceptance intertwines with a feminist uprising against beauty standards and the diet industry.

The Woman in the Mirror by Cynthia A. Graham The story follows three generations of women who grapple with body image, self-worth, and the pressure to conform to societal expectations.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay This memoir chronicles the relationship between trauma, weight, and self-perception through experiences of a woman's life.

Shrill by Lindy West A cultural critique weaves through personal narratives about navigating life in a larger body within a society fixated on thinness.

The Not So Subtle Art of Being a Fat Girl by Tess Holliday The narrative traces a path from small-town bullying to plus-size modeling while examining society's treatment of fat bodies.

🔖 Despite its novel-like flow, the book is actually structured as 13 interconnected short stories, each showing a different period in protagonist Elizabeth's life 📚 Author Mona Awad drew from her own experiences with body image and weight struggles, having gone through significant weight changes herself over two decades 🏆 The book won the Amazon Canada First Novel Award and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2016 💫 Each chapter title begins with "When she was..." reflecting how Elizabeth's identity shifts with her changing body size and the way others perceive her 🎭 The protagonist goes by different names throughout the book (Elizabeth, Beth, Liz, Lizzie), symbolizing her changing relationship with herself and her identity