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thefatpaperback's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
First off, this really isn’t a romance. It’s a fiction book with a romance subplot. Overall, I just don’t think this was a book for me, as it is about one’s journey to self love. It will likely resonate with readers who are beginning a journey toward accepting and loving their bodies. However if you, like me, enjoy reading books where someone’s fatness is either not problematized in the plot OR the MC is already confident in their bodies and combats stigma, then this likely isn’t the read for you. It will also likely be a difficult read if you struggle with an eating disorder and/or body image concerns.
Savvy’s character describes on-page her negative feelings about her body, and much of the plot is focused on Savvy achieving a “revenge body.” There are discussions about dieting, clean eating, using exercise as a way to “earn” food, implementing workplace wellness programs, and some mentions of weight loss. While her “revenge body” plan is supposedly not about losing weight, there are later comments in the book about Savvy wishing the scale would show her progress.
A pro for the book is that it discusses some of the very real ways fat people face stigma, but a con is that it doesn’t push toward breaking down that fat stigma. Instead, the book and Savvy’s character focuses on prioritizing health, even at the risk of perpetuating some anti-fatness and ableism, such as jokes about sugar intake and diabetes.
It’s a complicated read for me because I love reading about fat people and our experiences—and Savvy Sheldon does illustrate real experiences for so many of us. She also gets the happy ending, which is delightful for fat readers. This book will likely resonate with many, but if you struggle with an eating disorder or have complicated feelings about the “revenge body” concept, I encourage you to proceed with caution.
Savvy’s character describes on-page her negative feelings about her body, and much of the plot is focused on Savvy achieving a “revenge body.” There are discussions about dieting, clean eating, using exercise as a way to “earn” food, implementing workplace wellness programs, and some mentions of weight loss. While her “revenge body” plan is supposedly not about losing weight, there are later comments in the book about Savvy wishing the scale would show her progress.
A pro for the book is that it discusses some of the very real ways fat people face stigma, but a con is that it doesn’t push toward breaking down that fat stigma. Instead, the book and Savvy’s character focuses on prioritizing health, even at the risk of perpetuating some anti-fatness and ableism, such as jokes about sugar intake and diabetes.
It’s a complicated read for me because I love reading about fat people and our experiences—and Savvy Sheldon does illustrate real experiences for so many of us. She also gets the happy ending, which is delightful for fat readers. This book will likely resonate with many, but if you struggle with an eating disorder or have complicated feelings about the “revenge body” concept, I encourage you to proceed with caution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Abandonment
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