Together these instalments form a real narrative achievement – a firm statement on how we dictate a woman's worth based simply on her dress size. Lizzie navigates the phases of her life – her relationships with lovers, partners, friends and family – all with her weight at front of mind. Told chronologically, over her stereotypically troubled teen years and then into her upright adulthood, we're privy to tiny snapshots of her day-to-day, artfully pieced together to sneakily drive home the book's larger social truths. It uses a series of stand-alone stories to follow Lizzie through her ongoing struggle (and later success) in losing weight. Beautifully told, with a profoundly sensitive understanding of the subject matter, it's clear that all of the anticipation for this particular fiction debut was entirely warranted.ġ3 Ways is deceptively simple. It's also a very accurate portrayal of how hating the way you look affects your psyche over time, making for an uncomfortable and at times disturbing read. The book depicts what it's like to endure a mandated pursuit of thinness, unapologetically facing our toxic, body-image obsessed culture head-on. It wouldn't be far off to say that reading Mona Awad's 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl is an emotional experience for anyone who looks in the mirror and doesn't like what they see.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |