A review by tristatereader
Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

‘Big Girl’ by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan spans the childhood and early adolescence of Malaya Clondon, a young, Black girl who is labeled “obese” at just 8 years old. As generational trauma regarding weight seems to seep into her family, Malaya is forced to attend Weight Watchers meetings and encouraged to engage in unhealthy eating habits by her mother and grandmother. But after a traumatic loss, Malaya starts to realize that maybe the women in her family use weight as a measure of happiness due to deep-seated self-acceptance issues, and she begins to recognize that her weight loss and happiness are not mutually exclusive. 

This was a heavy read, but one that I encourage everyone to pick up. This story explored Malaya’s struggles in such relatable facets of life including body image, sexuality, school, and family life. The author’s writing style can be described as poetic and her words captivated me. I’m a Jersey girl with family and friends in all 5 boroughs and the imagery the author flawlessly executed in this book instantly transported me to NYC. Anyone who has been around the city for the past 3+ decades can tell you it’s not the same. The author did a brilliant job explaining just how the gentrification of Harlem began and it’s true affect on both businesses and residents. 

This was a coming of age story and with every turn of the page I became more and more hopeful that Malaya would gain the self-acceptance that she deserved. I was thrilled when I started seeing this subtle change and enjoyed watching Malaya start to take charge of her own life and recognize what truly defined her happiness. And I audibly whooped when she stood up to Ma-Mère toward the end 😏Other things I loved included all of the 1990s references that the author so seamlessly scattered throughout the book and Malaya’s deep connection to music and art, as these have always been therapeutic to me as well. I would have enjoyed reading more about Malaya’s experience in school and LaFamille.

Huge thank you to Hear Our Voices Tours and the author for the gifted copy of this book.