Reviews

The Denim Diaries by Laurie Boyle Crompton, Laurie Boyle Crompton

sunshinepolarladybug's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

4.0

panda_incognito's review

3.0

This powerful coming of age story is written in free verse, with little sketch illustrations on the side. This is classified as YA, but it's more New Adult, given how much of this book deals with the author's early adult life. Because the memoir is at an accessible reading level and starts out when the author is younger, this may attract some younger teens who won't be ready for where the book goes later. People need to know that in addition to covering the author's eating disorder and body image struggles in detail, this book also includes some graphic depictions of both consensual sex and sexual assault.

sassylynne's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad

4.0

lily_hamilton's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense

4.0

barnesbookshelf's review

4.0

Crompton's poems give an in-depth look into the thought process of a person with an eating disorder. It's fascinating to watch her go from a carefree little girl to a young woman struggling so much. The style and subject matter within the poems reminded me of a mix of Amanda Lovelace's poetry collections and Jessica Valenti's "Sex Object".

I wish Crompton had included more poems about her life after her recovery journey started, but maybe she's saving that for the next memoir.

Thank you to Lerner Publishing Group and Library Thing for the gifted copy!

lucy_cowboyqueen's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

annaelvira713's review

3.0

3.5

sngspicysword's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book is a memoir I didn’t expect. Seriously, thought it was a coming-of-age fiction story. But I’m so glad I did. The poetry diary entries of her life are so beautifully written. It is graphic, but that is beautiful too. It makes you feel…less alone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Vomit, Medical content, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, and Vomit