Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - You Are Not a Before Picture: How to Finally Make Peace with Your Body, for Good

So, this is the first non-fiction piece of writing I’ve read out of personal preference. I want to start diversifying my reading list, and I thought what better way to start it off than with something I’m very passionate about? Luckily, body positivity is something that I can really understand and get behind, but there’s still so much to learn, so I thought what better way to get educated than read memoirs? Also, it helps that one of my assignments is to write about various different non-fiction texts. And, overall, I can say I really enjoyed reading it.

I would definitely recommend this book, especially for people looking to broaden their horizons and expand their knowledge on TW fatphobia. There are a lot of triggering topics discussed in this book, like TW eating disorders, fat shaming, body dysmorphia, and other topics like that, so if you’re likely to be affected by that sort of information, it’s probably not the best read for you. However, I think it’s very informative, and it’s really good to read about things like this.

One thing that I really liked is that she wrote about it from the heart, and you can tell that from the start. Right from the get-go, you can tell that Light is chatty, and has a conversational tone, and it really forms a relationship, between us as readers and her as the author. She creates a safe environment, free of judgement, and sometimes it’s really refreshing to hear the same things you’ve gone through, but from someone else’s perspective; it really helps you to feel less alone. Personally speaking, I found her words, although very deep and something uncomfortable, very soothing at times, because sometimes it feels nice, realising you aren’t as alone as you feel you are.

Throughout this book, Light refers to the opinions of other people, as she recognises that, although she does experience fatphobia, as a white, able-bodied cis-gendered woman she will experience it on a different scale to other people of different genders, cultures, race and disabilities. I really like how she acknowledges her privilege, and then uses her book as a platform for other people to use their voices. All in all, I just really loved this book. It was emotional but informative, it was a safe environment, and it was also very helpful to read, from a personal perspective. All of her facts and statistics were backed up, and she gives lots of other people to follow that also experienced the same thing. Overall, I would definitely recommend the read.

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madamegeneva's review

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inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

I’ve previously read some of the recommended texts in the back of this book, so I didn’t really learn any new information. That being said, I really liked the compassionate yet direct tone from the author, it made it enjoyable to read.

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staceyinthesticks's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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blackcatkai's review against another edition

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challenging informative slow-paced

4.0

CW: fatphobia, body shaming, disordered eating, misogyny, diet culture

i initially listened to the audiobook then, as soon as i finished it, i purchased the physical hardcover so i could flip through it in the future when needed. so much of this book was so validating. i dont, personally, have the same history with diets as most fat people do (especially in this book specifically) but i definitely have a long history with negative self talk & low self worth when it comes to my appearance/weight. so though a few points in this book overall really don't apply to me, the majority of it does and brings up some amazing points.

Alex Light not only goes through a detailed account of many aspects of diet culture/beauty standards and their history, but also gets some input from other types of marginalised fat people in the BIPOC & Queer spectrums. i wish their were a bit more of their bits overall, but having that view represented at all can be so rare in a book like this. Alex also talks about her own experiences with eating disorders & fighting against internalised fatphobia & diet culture. she also gives actual real world advice and how to actively work on curating social media feeds, adjust self-talk & talk of food/weight/etc in general, finding ways to enjoy movement for movements sake, and overall coming to a better relationship with food and yourself.

i will absolutely be returning to this one again and again on my own journey to self acceptance & body neutrality & i highly recommend giving it a try.

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keishac13's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

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lydiavsbooks's review

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challenging informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

A really brilliant deconstruction of fatphobia and disordered body image. A perfect combination of being informative, biographical and self-helpy. Such a compassionate yet often humorous and just down to earth writing style that makes it feel like a chat with a friend.

A must read I think for everyone, especially women. I would say its maybe not aimed at those currently experiencing 'high level' eating disorders, instead maybe for further along in recovery, or for those with disordered eating or disordered relationships with their bodies that are in a place of actively wanting to deconstruct and work on this area.

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poindextrix's review against another edition

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hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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