From Powells.com
Staff Pick
I loved this spare novel with its dark, engaging account of living in a female teenager's body — growing up, having sex, and negotiating female friendships. I've rarely read such a seething indictment of dieting! Recommended By Moses M., Powells.com
This book is written for those of us who struggle in our skin. Awad beautifully describes how we never truly shed that skin, and how it affects us through the years. Her portrayal is truthful, and not necessarily what we want to hear, but rather what we need to acknowledge. Recommended By Emily D., Powells.com
13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl is a brave book full of great sentences, direct and substantial. It’s a cathartic read for anyone who’s struggled in their body. Recommended By Britt A., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Growing up in the suburban hell of Misery Saga (a.k.a. Mississauga),
Lizzie has never liked the way she looks — even though her best friend Mel
says she’s the pretty one. She starts dating guys online, but she’s
afraid to send pictures, even when her skinny friend China does her
makeup: she knows no one would want her if they could really see her. So
she starts to lose. With punishing drive, she counts almonds consumed,
miles logged, pounds dropped. She fights her way into coveted dresses. She
grows up and gets thin, navigating double-edged validation from her
mother, her friends, her husband, her reflection in the mirror. But no
matter how much she loses, will she ever see herself as anything other
than a fat girl?
In her brilliant, hilarious, and at times
shocking debut, Mona Awad simultaneously skewers the body image-obsessed
culture that tells women they have no value outside their physical
appearance, and delivers a tender and moving depiction of a lovably
difficult young woman whose life is hijacked by her struggle to conform.
As caustically funny as it is heartbreaking, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl introduces a vital new voice in fiction.
Review
“Touching . . . Behind the title of Awad’s sharp first book, a unique
novel in 13 vignettes, is brazen-voiced Lizzie, who longs for, tests,
and prods the deep center of the cultural promise that thinness, no
matter how one achieves it, is the prerequisite for happiness.” Booklist
Review
“Assured and terrific.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“A painfully raw — and bitingly funny — debut...[Lizzie] gets under your
skin, and she stays there. Beautifully constructed; a devastating novel
but also a deeply empathetic one.” Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Review
“In this dark, honest debut, Awad sharply observes — everywhere from
online chat rooms to office break rooms — the struggles of growing up,
growing out, and trying to slim down, at any cost.” Marie Claire
Review
“Announces [Mona Awad] as a writer with real insight not only to the mind, but also to the heart.” Bustle
Review
“Honest, searing, and necessary.” Elle
About the Author
Mona Awad received her MFA in fiction from Brown University. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s, The Walrus, Joyland, Post Road, St. Petersburg Review,
and many other journals. She is currently pursuing a PhD in creative
writing and English literature at the University of Denver.