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kiri_johnston 's review for:
Thin Girls
by Diana Clarke
This book was utterly fantastic. For a debut novel to feel so raw and real and full of love … pretty astonishing tbf. I’ve no clue why this isn’t as popular as other, colder books about mentally ill 20-somethings. Perhaps because it’s actually challenging; this author makes statements about society that hit a nerve and make us think, rather than affirming what we’ve already seen a thousand times on Insta captions.
This is a difficult read, sure, and triggering as all hell for those recovering from EDs, but it touches on many subjects in a careful and respectful way. Add onto that a collection of realistic female relationships, accurate, unflinching portrayals of mental illness and actual character growth (gasp! So rare!) and you’ve got something that should’ve been a bestseller. The author’s frustration at the systems contributing to negative body image in women is apparent on every page. As seen through Rose and her dry comments, we can acknowledge that female trauma is often collective, encouraged by everything around us. This is the rare sort of novel that inspires you to reach out to people to *listen* and engage, rather than letting yourself drown in a soup of cynicism and self-hatred.
Female friendships are portrayed as fickle, and there are a few bitchy moments - but the characters aren’t one dimensional enough to grate. As a feminist novel should, this acknowledges that women are never perfect, nor should we aim to be, but we can change and should strive to support one another. I’ve read so many contemporary novels where female protagonists treat their friends horribly, so this felt so fresh and positive. I wish more books like this became popular!!
This is a difficult read, sure, and triggering as all hell for those recovering from EDs, but it touches on many subjects in a careful and respectful way. Add onto that a collection of realistic female relationships, accurate, unflinching portrayals of mental illness and actual character growth (gasp! So rare!) and you’ve got something that should’ve been a bestseller. The author’s frustration at the systems contributing to negative body image in women is apparent on every page. As seen through Rose and her dry comments, we can acknowledge that female trauma is often collective, encouraged by everything around us. This is the rare sort of novel that inspires you to reach out to people to *listen* and engage, rather than letting yourself drown in a soup of cynicism and self-hatred.
Female friendships are portrayed as fickle, and there are a few bitchy moments - but the characters aren’t one dimensional enough to grate. As a feminist novel should, this acknowledges that women are never perfect, nor should we aim to be, but we can change and should strive to support one another. I’ve read so many contemporary novels where female protagonists treat their friends horribly, so this felt so fresh and positive. I wish more books like this became popular!!