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astoldbybex 's review for:
If It Makes You Happy
by Claire Kann
3.5 rounded up! Thank you to XPresso Blog Tours & Swoon Reads for providing me with an ARC copy of If It Makes You Happy in exchange for an honest review!
Note: Any quotes used in this review are from the ARC copy & may not match up with the final copy!
Lemme get the negative out of the way so that I can get to raving about If It Makes You Happy. The plot & scene transitioning felt messy at times — one second, we’re in one place & the very next, we’re somewhere new. This is honestly such a small nitpick, and the only complaint that I have on this Contemporary read.
If It Makes You Happy has quite a bit of representation (Black! Fat! Queer! Poly!), which is what sticks out most in this read. & all of this representation is from our main character, Winnie. I love Winnie. She’s unapologetic & confident & fights for what she believes in. She makes a lot of comments on what it’s like being a fat girl & wow, as someone who’s in the obese range (uh? Screw the BMI is what I always say) — her commentary is absolutely relatable.
I adored all of Winnie’s relationships; her romantic interest in Dallas, her queerplatonic relationship with Kara, her sibling relationship with Winston (which I’ll get to in one moment!) & her relationship with her cousin, Sam. There’s such a strong bond between Winnie & everyone mentioned — honesty & communication is key when it comes to any kind of relationship & it’s something that’s practiced a lot in this book (– although, there is conflict in terms of lies, but spoiler alert: things work out, because that’s just the kind of book this is).
My all-time favorite relationship in this book isn’t romantic whatsoever — it’s the relationship between Winnie & her younger brother, Winston. I’ve always been a sucker for a good bronamic (Get it? Bro? Dynamic?..) It’s clear that Winnie & Winston would do anything for the other, and I absolutely adored them throughout the entire read.
If It Makes You Happy tackles a lot of topics such as racism, misogyny & fat-shaming & to me, Claire Kann tackles these topics well. As mentioned above, her commentary on being fat is extremely relatable. At one point, Winnie discusses how ‘everyone hates fat people’ & when a fat person pisses them off, their weight is the first thing they go for when they retaliate. Let me tell y’all — I’ve pissed off a lot of men in my lifetime & their comeback seems to be them finding some unique way of calling me fat.
There’s also a couple of minor things that I enjoyed about If It Makes You Happy, such as the fact that the restaurant is called Goldeen’s, named after the Pokemon! Plus, I’m a sucker for books that have a restaurant setting, because I can relate to busy lunch shifts & all that fun stuff.
If It Makes You Happy is your typical YA Contemporary filled with representation — it’s a quick & easy read, and I’d definitely recommend!
Note: Any quotes used in this review are from the ARC copy & may not match up with the final copy!
I wasn’t sure why I loved myself as much as I did. Never really questioned it.
Lemme get the negative out of the way so that I can get to raving about If It Makes You Happy. The plot & scene transitioning felt messy at times — one second, we’re in one place & the very next, we’re somewhere new. This is honestly such a small nitpick, and the only complaint that I have on this Contemporary read.
If It Makes You Happy has quite a bit of representation (Black! Fat! Queer! Poly!), which is what sticks out most in this read. & all of this representation is from our main character, Winnie. I love Winnie. She’s unapologetic & confident & fights for what she believes in. She makes a lot of comments on what it’s like being a fat girl & wow, as someone who’s in the obese range (uh? Screw the BMI is what I always say) — her commentary is absolutely relatable.
I adored all of Winnie’s relationships; her romantic interest in Dallas, her queerplatonic relationship with Kara, her sibling relationship with Winston (which I’ll get to in one moment!) & her relationship with her cousin, Sam. There’s such a strong bond between Winnie & everyone mentioned — honesty & communication is key when it comes to any kind of relationship & it’s something that’s practiced a lot in this book (– although, there is conflict in terms of lies, but spoiler alert: things work out, because that’s just the kind of book this is).
You’re a jerk & I love you.
My all-time favorite relationship in this book isn’t romantic whatsoever — it’s the relationship between Winnie & her younger brother, Winston. I’ve always been a sucker for a good bronamic (Get it? Bro? Dynamic?..) It’s clear that Winnie & Winston would do anything for the other, and I absolutely adored them throughout the entire read.
If It Makes You Happy tackles a lot of topics such as racism, misogyny & fat-shaming & to me, Claire Kann tackles these topics well. As mentioned above, her commentary on being fat is extremely relatable. At one point, Winnie discusses how ‘everyone hates fat people’ & when a fat person pisses them off, their weight is the first thing they go for when they retaliate. Let me tell y’all — I’ve pissed off a lot of men in my lifetime & their comeback seems to be them finding some unique way of calling me fat.
But I am. It’s not a bad word to me at all. I get what you hear when saying it: I’m calling myself ugly or unlovable or it’s the horrendous state of slovenly being. That’s not what I’m saying, and it’s not my fault almost everyone has been conditioned to think that way.
There’s also a couple of minor things that I enjoyed about If It Makes You Happy, such as the fact that the restaurant is called Goldeen’s, named after the Pokemon! Plus, I’m a sucker for books that have a restaurant setting, because I can relate to busy lunch shifts & all that fun stuff.
If It Makes You Happy is your typical YA Contemporary filled with representation — it’s a quick & easy read, and I’d definitely recommend!