Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell

This was the perfect lighthearted read. I really appreciate how strong and healthy friendships was such a big part of this book. I cackled multiple times because it felt so relatable and there were many times I could see some of my friends doing and saying the same things. Even though it's a romance, this book is truly a testament to the importance of having great friends as an adult.

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eevacasey's review against another edition

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Diet culture, revenge body, jokes about unhoused people

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megs23's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny 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

3.5

I loved the main characters and the friendships. I also loved all the food recipes and imagery in the cooking scenes. I felt like I was right there in the kitchen or a restuarant with Savvy. I struggled with the fatphobia and general disordered thinking surrounding food. There was a lot of diet culture “earning” food and “cheat days”. I think this book could be triggering for someone who has experienced an eating disorder. I kept waiting for Savvy to get to the point of not focusing on a “revenge body” but rather loving herself as she was, and although she eventually got there it was so close to the end and in her “post body” that it felt rushed, didn’t address the earlier disordered thoughts, and left me wanting more. There were a couple of additional side characters introduced for only a few scenes (Beth’s tennis friends) that I could have had either more or less of in the book, as they took away from the main characters for me. I loved Spencer and Teddy and wanted more.

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flantattoo's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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lnielsen's review against another edition

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funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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brookey8888's review against another edition

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This was fine. I think my enjoyment level was lower because I listened to the audiobook and I didn’t like the narrator that much especially doing the male voices and especially during the smutty scenes. I do like the diversity included in this. There are some heavier topics so just have caution going in.

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thefatpaperback's review against another edition

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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.

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