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A review by vespurr
Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton, Sona Charaipotra
3.0
When I went to read this the second time, I was a bit surprised I had only rated it three stars. I recalled liking this book quite a bit, and didn't know why I would be interested in the sequel if I found it to be mediocre. Reading through it twice now, however, I recall why I only gave it three stars.
This book is primarily about mean girls doing terrible things to each other - a trope which I am always a big fan of. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for these stories. And overall I enjoyed the plot quite a bit. However, I personally struggled with the descriptions of June's eating disorder and the way these 100 lb girls think they are overweight and feel they are eating too much. While the book tries to shed light on why this is a problem and does not glorify these issues, it is difficult for someone like me (who has always struggled with being overweight) to read this kind of thing and not feel extremely uncomfortable.
Additionally, I was very put off by the character of Henri. While the girls were all terrible to each other in ways that mean girls are, Henri's behavior came off as sexual harassment. I struggled to put him in the same category as the others. The way he intimidates Bette is in a different category from the behaviors of everyone else and it troubled me a bit that the book didn't seem to see the difference.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot, but I am going to leave the 3 star rating, as the parts that bothered me felt significant.
This book is primarily about mean girls doing terrible things to each other - a trope which I am always a big fan of. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for these stories. And overall I enjoyed the plot quite a bit. However, I personally struggled with the descriptions of June's eating disorder and the way these 100 lb girls think they are overweight and feel they are eating too much. While the book tries to shed light on why this is a problem and does not glorify these issues, it is difficult for someone like me (who has always struggled with being overweight) to read this kind of thing and not feel extremely uncomfortable.
Additionally, I was very put off by the character of Henri. While the girls were all terrible to each other in ways that mean girls are, Henri's behavior came off as sexual harassment. I struggled to put him in the same category as the others. The way he intimidates Bette is in a different category from the behaviors of everyone else and it troubled me a bit that the book didn't seem to see the difference.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot, but I am going to leave the 3 star rating, as the parts that bothered me felt significant.