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guylou's review against another edition
4.0
In BIG GIRL by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, readers are taken on a poignant journey through the life of Malaya Clondon, an eight-year-old girl growing up in Harlem. The book skillfully captures about a decade of Malaya's life, highlighting the challenges she faces as an immensely obese girl in a society that judges women based on their bodies. Despite having a seemingly idyllic life with loving parents and a comfortable lifestyle, Malaya's weight becomes a constant source of scrutiny and pressure. Sullivan expertly portrays the struggles Malaya encounters, from dealing with diets imposed by her mother and grandmother to navigating a world that is unkind to girls, especially Black girls. Through vibrant and lyrical prose, the author captures the essence of Malaya's journey, weaving together themes of body image, self-acceptance, and societal expectations. Sullivan's debut novel presents a powerful and urgent narrative, shedding light on the challenges faced by girls like Malaya while offering a compelling exploration of identity and resilience.
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megpancoast's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
renaplays's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. It is detailed and unrelenting in its portrayal, yet somehow also lacking in psychological insight. After all that, I don't understand this character's motivation. I'm still surprised...
candiedpams's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bridge_enginerd's review against another edition
2.0
This book was hard to get through, not because it wasn’t incredibly well written (it was!), but because it dealt with a lot of very serious and hard subjects. I wish the message at the end had not been coupled with weight loss - it kinda ruined it for me.
elemee's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
clairegordon211's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
brandie_shanae's review against another edition
4.0
This a phenomenal book! In this book we are introduced to Malaya who lives in Harlem with her mom and dad. As we get to know more about Malaya her mom Nyela takes her to weight watchers meeting because she is overweight, but her dad Percy does not feel that she needs to constant focus on Malaya's weight and just let her be a kid. So since he feels differently than Nyela they constantly have these fights in front of Malaya and soon Malaya feels that she was the cause and the root of the problem. Along with her parents fighting and seem to be drifting apart the only comfort that Malaya has is music. One of her favorite songs is by Biggie. As she is still trying to figure out life and what truly defines beauty she then loses the one person who accepted and treated her normal regardless of her weight. And so later we come to understand her mom Nyela and why she was treating Malaya a certain way and why she was proposing that Malaya get gastric bypass surgery. With this book it opened my eyes to many things and one was that there is always a source that causes your problems and that it is up to you to fix them.
sarahswenson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I bawled my little eyes out it is always so shocking and upsetting to see how fat girls experiences are so similar