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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
This long-awaited graphic memoir from illustrator Katie Green was one of the highlights of my reading year. The emotional effort it must have taken to draw her harrowing story must have been enormous. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is glad she did.
Lighter Than My Shadow is Katie’s story of her struggle with and recovery from anorexia nervosa, with the added trauma of sexual abuse during her recovery. Both taboo subjects, Katie never shies away from the struggles she endured and the story is told beautifully through her charming illustrations. It’s hard to read though, particularly if you’ve been through something even remotely similar. The early part of the book was particularly resonant for me, transporting me back to my teenage years where I was paranoid about putting on weight, hid food in my room and habitually starved myself as punishment for not “fitting in”. Katie’s journey, however, takes a far more sinister turn than mine did. The illustrations are so evocative, capturing the mind of a young girl who is aware her life is spinning out of control and her desperate attempts to control it, battling the “black cloud” that hangs over her in almost every picture.
Not an easy read by any stretch, and you might want some alone time afterwards to digest it. But it is so, so important that stories like this are told not only to expose the dark hearts of these taboo subjects but to give hope of recovery to anyone currently struggling.
While there are a lot of shadows in Lighter Than My Shadow, there is light too. It’s such a brave, emotionally honest and beautifully realised book and deserves a very wide audience.
Lighter Than My Shadow is Katie’s story of her struggle with and recovery from anorexia nervosa, with the added trauma of sexual abuse during her recovery. Both taboo subjects, Katie never shies away from the struggles she endured and the story is told beautifully through her charming illustrations. It’s hard to read though, particularly if you’ve been through something even remotely similar. The early part of the book was particularly resonant for me, transporting me back to my teenage years where I was paranoid about putting on weight, hid food in my room and habitually starved myself as punishment for not “fitting in”. Katie’s journey, however, takes a far more sinister turn than mine did. The illustrations are so evocative, capturing the mind of a young girl who is aware her life is spinning out of control and her desperate attempts to control it, battling the “black cloud” that hangs over her in almost every picture.
Not an easy read by any stretch, and you might want some alone time afterwards to digest it. But it is so, so important that stories like this are told not only to expose the dark hearts of these taboo subjects but to give hope of recovery to anyone currently struggling.
While there are a lot of shadows in Lighter Than My Shadow, there is light too. It’s such a brave, emotionally honest and beautifully realised book and deserves a very wide audience.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Powerful, dark, and at times hopeful. This book is a raw and accurate first person account of living with an eating disorder, a complex mental health issue few can really understand unless they've been there, too.
The overbearing and inescapable shadow of black squiggles swirling above and around the main character provided an excellent visual for the seemingly unshakable and ever-present prison of unhealthy and obsessive thoughts that can tumble and cycle around in a person's mind.
While this graphic novel looks dauntingly hefty, this actually helps the reader understand to some extent how long the struggle for recovery can take. I am amazed at the detail the author was able to remember and convey regarding the specific iterations of her struggles with her disorder over the years, from annorexia, to exercise bulemia, to cycles of binging and restricting. It's remarkable how well she recalls her own feelings and thought processes along the way, especially during her tween and teen years.
This is a book full of triggers and is worthy of a giant warning label for anyone trying to avoid topics such as descriptions of specific eating disorder behaviors, bullying, sexual assault, self harm, and suicidal ideation. It gives very honest and graphic first-person depictions. Proceed with caution and take breaks as necessary.
The overbearing and inescapable shadow of black squiggles swirling above and around the main character provided an excellent visual for the seemingly unshakable and ever-present prison of unhealthy and obsessive thoughts that can tumble and cycle around in a person's mind.
While this graphic novel looks dauntingly hefty, this actually helps the reader understand to some extent how long the struggle for recovery can take. I am amazed at the detail the author was able to remember and convey regarding the specific iterations of her struggles with her disorder over the years,
This is a book full of triggers and is worthy of a giant warning label for anyone trying to avoid topics such as
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual content, Forced institutionalization
Using deceptively simple drawings and a shades of gray palette, British illustrator Green relives her battle with eating disorders from a young age through to her young womanhood in this moving memoir. See my full review here.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
inspiring
Wow. Ok just--wow. This book is heavy (literally, it's just over 500 pages). I did not think--I'm not sure what I thought it was going to be. I guess about a teenager with an eating disorder. But wow, I guess I wasn't ready for how good it was going to be. How sad, how well-drawn, how devastating, how hopeful.
medium-paced
3.5 stars
This is a graphic memoir of a girl struggling with eating disorders and trauma. The artwork is simplistic and the story is sad. However, you never really understand why she develops anorexia. Why did she have a need for control? I wish she would've explored that a bit more. I'm grateful this resource is out there for people who are struggling with eating disorders.
This is a graphic memoir of a girl struggling with eating disorders and trauma. The artwork is simplistic and the story is sad. However, you never really understand why she develops anorexia. Why did she have a need for control? I wish she would've explored that a bit more. I'm grateful this resource is out there for people who are struggling with eating disorders.
Difficult to read, but really excellent. This and Heartstopper, as well as One to Watch, have made me sit with how I view my body and my thought patterns that go along with disordered eating. Especially during this pandemic. I think there are so many sides to body positivity, so many angles of approach and representation. It's not always a matter of accepting your body and that you deserve happiness. Sometimes it's about control, and accepting your mind as it is, then working to change those thought patterns.