| Title | : | The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 |
| Publication | : | First published September 24, 2019 |
Chubby. Curvy. Fluffy. Plus-size. Thick. Fat. The time has come for fat people to tell their own stories. The (Other) F Word combines personal essays, prose, poetry, fashion tips, and art to create a relatable and attractive guide about body image and body positivity. This YA crossover anthology is meant for people of all sizes who desire to be seen and heard in a culture consumed by a narrow definition of beauty. By combining the talents of renowned fat YA and middle-grade authors, as well as fat influencers and creators, The (Other) F Word offers teen readers and activists of all ages a guide for navigating our world with confidence and courage.
The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce Reviews
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“I have always believed that when we learn to accept our bodies the way they are - when we learn to love ourselves exactly as we are in the immediate moment - it can shift the world.” -
Angie Manfredi, Letter from the Editor
The Other F Word is an essential read for teens across the weight spectrum. Part self-empowerment, part raw confessional, 100% fat power, this book is sure to change hearts, minds and anything but bodies. If you’re open to a litany of fashion recommendations, an appropriate amount of Tracy Turnblad love and/or just feeling freaking incredible and powerful by the end, you’re perfect for this book.
For fans of:
(Don't) Call Me Crazy,
How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation,
Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens -
When I first saw this book on Netgalley, I felt that I had to get it because it’s such an important book, and I also wanted to know about the body positivity and fat acceptance movement. And I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to read this one.
To understand why I felt this book was so important, you should know a bit about me. I was once a very thin girl when I was young, who slowly became fat and I have been on a fluctuating journey with my weight since then. And it was mostly due to hormonal dysfunction in my body, and there was nothing much I could do except keep up with my medication. However, this also meant that I started listening to everyone around me talk about how sad it was that I had become fat, that I should try to control my diet and not put on more weight, that I was spoiling my already fragile health by not doing anything and how would I ever get married if I didn’t lose weight. All of this had a huge affect on me - I have gone on drastic diets, thought I was looking pretty just because I reduced some pounds, assumed I was normal now because I could atleast find some form fitting clothes (though the fact remains that mainstream fashion brands don’t know how to handle curves) and then felt utterly devastated when I put back the weight I had lost. And the last thing I did among all these disastrous things was going to a 15 day weight loss camp because my family insisted that was the only way I would ever lose weight - being forced to starve yourself or eat tasteless food and listen everyday to lectures about how we will die soon of numerous diseases because we are fat and need to do something about it. But after that, I just gave up. I will not say that I got enlightened about the body positivity movement or learnt how to love myself the way I am - I just found myself too tired to care about what everyone else thought about me or to conform to any societal standards.
And that’s why this book is important for me at this age, even though it’s focused more in catering towards youngsters. In the world I grew up in, I don’t know if this would have helped a teenage me, but I definitely need it now. This collection of essays, poems and art by fat activists and artists is necessary because first and foremost, it’s about making you realize that every body size is natural and every person deserves to be respected and treated with dignity, irrespective of their size. It’s about understanding that our worth doesn’t depend on us conforming to the society’s beauty standards. It’s about not letting the prejudiced words of others affect us and loving ourselves the way we are and living our best life. It’s about finding a community of people like us who understand each other and can help in facing the struggles we encounter everyday. And finally it’s about fighting for the right to exist and take up space in this world, without worrying about people who feel uncomfortable just because of our existence.
To conclude, I wanna say that this is brilliant collection of writings by a diverse group of people and I think everyone should read it. I loved how representative it was of race, sexuality, ethnicity and this is important because being fat is just one part of our identity and intersectionality is even more important. If you have ever struggled with accepting your body for whatever reasons and would love to find some resources, then this book has lot of information in that regard. If you want to know more about the body positivity movement or be a part of it, then this book is good beginner primer. Or even if you just want to read the experiences of other fat people who are a bit ahead of you in their journey of accepting themselves, do checkout this book. I promise you will find something in these pages that will resonate with you. -
This was super empowering and super intersectional, and while not every contribution worked as well for me, I know I'll be revisiting this when I need it and overall it was a really great anthology.
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The only question I have, really, is: When does the German translation come out? Because there should be one so I can get this for my mom as a Christmas gift.
And I think that already tells you how much I enjoyed this book. As someone who is struggling a lot with my body, it was so, so great to hear from a diverse selection of other fat people, hear their stories or just get advice from them. And also the pictures??? So good, and so important, and ugh. No words, just good. -
I think this is an essential addition to any high school library, or any book collection teenagers have access to. Between the poetry, anecdotes, advice, and humour, there will be something here for anyone to connect to. This is really a book that could change lives, and I hope it gets into the hands that need it.
Full review at
the Lesbrary. -
not to sound emo but i feel like this book has changed my life
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CW: Fatphobia/ Weight loss/ Diet talk
I am fat. And I have the right to be fat. I have the right to love myself. I have the right to be proud of myself. I am fat and I'm so ready to finally adore everything about my fatness. 💜
The first time I went to a doctor to lose weight, I was 8 years old. Ever since then my biggest dream in life was to become thin. I can't remember a single day, when I didn't wake up with the thought that this would be the day my weight loss journey finally started. I pictured myself years from now, finally living my life, finally being thin.
Spoiler alert: I never became thin, but guess what? I started living my best fat life.
And you know what helped me the most? Fat people. I filled my Instagram timeline with fat people. Fat queer people, fat BIPoC, fat trans people, fat non binary people, just fat people...
Everytime someone went to eat in a restaurant or went to the beach or did all the stuff I never allowed myself to do, some broken pieces in me healed.
I really wish I could go back in time and give Teenage-me this book. I really wish I could share the experience of reading this book with her. I wish I could tell her that she would reach all her goals, that she would have everything she ever wanted in life. And that she did it fat. 💜
This book is an anthology with a lot of amazing intersectional and feminist essays, focusing on being fat, written by fat folks. Some of my favorite authors, like Julie Murphy, Lily Anderson or Mason Deaver participated, and I really love everything about it. 💜 I'm so thankful that books like this one exist in our world and I would recommend it to everyone. 💜 -
❖ [
booktube wish fulfillment] ❖ [
twitter exsixtwosix] ❖
#ownvoices review
I was going to go through each of these essays and give them separate ratings, but by the time I got to the middle of the book, they'd all been 5 stars. This essay collection handles #ownvoices intelligently by focusing on having fat folks talk to us about fat politics, rather than about individualized personal experiences of being fat. Idk how this seems to you, but I have read too many essay collections claiming to be about an #ownvoices topic, but then being just about how a handful of people think and feel. The authors here and well-versed on the topic. They pay attention to what the audience as a whole needs to know, and not just what they want to say, even those authors who wrote letters to their teenage selves. When focusing on an identity and the politics, hatred, and positivity around it, the editor and collaborators created an educational work that is a must-read more than just a dip in the experience pool of the fat identity.
If you're wanting another synopsis:
The editor makes clear in their introduction and throughout the work, the fat folks who wrote these essays are not just size 12 cishet white women! They are trans, nonbinary, queer, bisexual, black, asian, indigingeous, Mexican, survivors of rape, in recovery from eating disorders, disabled, AND SO ON. They discuss how sometimes one or two of their other identities are treated the exact opposite way than their fat identity. One of them even discusses what it's like to meet fatness standards only in their ethnicity but not by US standards, and another discusses what having white-passing privilege is like! I could go on and on! -
3.75 stars
I saw that Mason Deaver & Samantha Irby were involved with this project, and then proceeded to frantically request this book from my library. I love both of those authors, so I was excited to see who else they were teaming up with for this anthology. As with any short story collection, there were hits and misses.
The stories that hit were particularly strong and deeply heartfelt. I think that the book could make a real difference for teens today. The representation in this collection is incredibly vast, and I feel that it has given voice to groups of people that really need to be heard. Plus, there are a variety of storytelling methods incorporated in this bind-up. We have traditional essays, blog-style posts, verse/poetry, and even illustrations. It's a nice little grab bag of styles, and I think there's a lot of good content to be had here.
However, since there are so many different types of writing styles, statistically not every story will work for everyone. The ones that missed the mark for me seemed to be nothing more than reworded advertisements for blogs and clothing lines. Some folks might find that interesting, but it wasn't something I cared for in particular. To each their own I suppose.
I do think that the overall approach to the subject matter is doing more good than bad. Just because I wasn't in love with every individual piece of the collection doesn't mean that the book as a whole doesn't have merit. Many of the authors gave a very fresh perspective on the topics at hand, and I appreciated that.
Overall, I found this to be a fairly decent anthology. I'm happy that I was able to pick this up. -
4 / 5 stars
This was a really good anthology! All the writing was on the same level of good (i.e. it wasn't a stylistic roller coaster). I really appreciate the diversity of the writers, too. Each piece went into each person's relationship with themselves and their body, though it at times did feel repetitive.
My main issue is the organization of the essays. There was some organization–similar themes were placed together,–but it didn't feel as fleshed out as it could have been. It feels awkward to compare the talented writing to the clumsy editing. -
I really enjoyed this book and it was an insightful, quick read. There wasn’t any passages I disliked, but there were definitely ones that hit me harder than others. I liked getting to see so many different experiences with fatness and fat acceptance. I would definitely recommend this book to any fat person, and I think even non-fat people could benefit from reading this book.
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I have been waiting so long for a book like this; a book that celebrates bigger bodies, a book that tells those with those bodies, "you're beautiful. You don't need to change. It's okay to love yourself WHERE YOU ARE." I can't tell you how important this messaging is in the world today. To read these stories, to hear the thoughts that so many of us have had in silent, dark places, to voice that it's okay to be proud of who you are - ALWAYS, starting now.
In particular, I loved hearing that it's okay to write characters that look like me. That a full-bodied person can be a hero, a princess, a warrior, a love-interest. This was something that took me a long time to understand as an author, and I'm so glad that not only did I come around on my own to this, but I hope that this essay inspires others to get to that same place.
So thank you to the brave people who wrote these essays.
Thank you to Angie Manfredi for putting it together.
Thank you to libraries and bookstores that put it out front.
Thank you to my body; you've kept me safe and loved. -
I LOVED this book and so wish that it had existed when I was an awkward, fat teen! There's such a great range of essays, poems, and art (in the digital ARC I had some of the art was still TK but what's in here is already great). I love how intersectional it is and how hopeful, helpful, and angry it is. Both affirming and eye-opening. I F-ing love it.
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Not rating bc I wasn’t able to finish it all before having to return it to the library. The first half is a really solid essay (with some poems) collection that should have a prominent place in teen collections but will have a welcome readership of adults who appreciate that the human body comes in and should be loved in all sizes.
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Essential reading for everyone.
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4.5/5
Warning: emotional storytime ahead.
Needed this. A couple of the essays weren't on point for me, but most of them spoke truth to my corazón. I've struggled with body acceptance and positivity since at least age 12 and I wasn't even fat then! But when you grow up constantly hearing you should lose weight from those you love (even though you weren't fat) and compared to thinner family and friends, it can really grate on your self worth. And now, I'm the biggest I've ever been (like actually fat) and it's hard to love myself when a core memory is wanting a Green Day t-shirt from Hot Topic when I was 13 and reaching for a medium (thinking back, I could legit have even worn a small) and someone tells you, that won't fit, you need at least an XL. So you deflate and get the XL and it's huge and you're sad. And now fast forward about 20 years and this still influences how you shop. Gotta hide in my clothes. It has to be bigger because I'm big, right? Anyway, I'm in therapy lol. Thanks for reading this far if you did ♡ -
I’ve been listening to essays from this book for awhile and really enjoying it. I learned a lot and loved the focus on intersecting identities. Highly recommend this audio.
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A much-needed book in the YA nonfiction genre that will appeal to young people who are frankly tired of being told they should hate their body. Told via memoir-vignettes, poems, essays, and visual art, it takes a multi-voice approach to celebrating the miracle of the human body regardless of how much space it takes up or what shape it forms.
I would have liked to see more on the way body image is often weaponized against people of color (women in particular), or perhaps a discussion of body currency and the connection between fatness and loss of economic opportunity. It is also briefly mentions the Health At Every Size movement. More information would have better rounded the book, but at least it gives the reader something to research further.
(review does not include the book's visual art, which was not available in the ARC I received.)
arc received from the publisher -
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Other F Word is a stunning anthology. It is it hopeful, introspective, and intellectual. The Other F Word is one of those anthologies that demands to be gifted. After the first story, I knew I had to buy some copies and give it to some of my closest friends. It has it all. A diverse list of creators that examine intersectionality and fatness. Moments where they talk about the fatphobia. But it's also a love letter to your body. That's where this anthology really sets itself apart - is how the essays feel like they're talking straight to you. Holding your hand, wiping your tears, and lifting you up.
full review:
https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi... -
An excellent anthology of incredible voices, all with their own experiences, triumphs, and literary style. An important book, particularly for women, and of any size. It speaks specifically to and for Fat readers, but anyone who has struggled with body image will relate to this book and feel empowered. Alex Gino’s essay was a favorite for me; I read it again and again. But they were all wonderful, unique, and worthy of grand celebration.
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3.5 stars
I always feel a bit weird reviewing nonfiction books because I don't read that many and because I don't think I'm the person to listen to on whether or not this particular collection was good. I picked this up because I thought it would be a good starting point to start learning more about fat activism and fat resistance. But I would feel weird reviewing this book and acting as if I have any authority on those topics when I don't. So, instead, here is a list of my favorite essays from this collection.
- Chubby City Indian by Jana Schmieding
- A Body Like Mine by Mason Deaver
- Fat, And by S. Qiouyi Lu
- Write Something Fat by Sarah Hollowell
- I Wear What I Want Cause I Want To by P. S. Kaguya
- Fat and Thriving by Isabel Quintero
- Losing My Religion by Jess Walton
- To All the Pizzas I've Loved Before by Laina Spencer -
I find it difficult to rate collections since each piece is so different. Overall, I enjoyed the body positivity of this book.
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This one was a 3.5 for me, and oh, how I wish books like this had existed when I was growing up. Even for those of us who are far past our teens, the various entries are empowering and tout the value of body positivity and embracing ourselves as we are. How much is this book needed? Well, I need only refer to the reaction of my undergraduate preservice teachers this morning when I was sharing a bit about the book and positioning it among some of the other civil rights movements from the 1960s. As soon as I mentioned the title and used the word "FAT," several students winced, looked at each other or looked uncomfortable or giggled. And these reactions right after a series of lessons on empathy. Their reactions prove many of the assertions by the book's contributors that many of us seem tolerate and accepting of others--except when they are fat. The book's contents range from poetry to personal anecdotes and essays and even artwork and style tips, more than 30 in all, and all created by middle grade and YA authors or bloggers or thinkers who also happen to be fat. The voices represented here are as diverse as their contributions and experiences, and while many have had similar experiences, each one's journey to acceptance has been unique. There is inspiration, there is joy, and there is community offered in the lively pages of this book. Like the other F word-feminism--it's high time we reclaim that word--fat--and remove all the negatives associated with it. I loved how the authors all urge readers to love and trust themselves and not allow others to put them down, and how the photographs of the contributors celebrate them living life largely and not squeezing themselves into a small space to fit others' expectations. This book was long overdue and sure to help many struggling teens embrace themselves as they are, not as others might want them to be.
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A surprisingly good anthology and more than worth the price I found it for at a discount store. I didn't realize it was geared toward a YA audience at first, so some of the essays resonated more than others, and there were a few entries with similar formatting, i.e. "letter to my younger self," that felt a bit cloying after a bit, but the read was still very worthwhile. I think it would have helped me a lot if I had been able to read this at a younger age, so I'm glad that it exists for kids now.
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Most of this book did exactly what it was trying to do. There were a few of the stories that were more self promotion and trying to sell their book/blog/etc. but overall, this was very powerful and empowering. I loved the LGBTQ+ representation of the authors in this anthology. A very enjoyable read.
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I'm so glad I read this book. It's incredibly diverse, examining the fat experiences of people of different races, genders, abilities, and sexualities. I think anyone reading this will learn at least one thing about the world and one thing about themselves. I hope fat people reading this can figure out the next step to loving themselves, and thin people can learn to be more compassionate and be an ally to the fat community.
I also thought it was cute how a lot of the authors in this anthology cited each other as inspirations.
p.s. all the pieces written by miguel m morales were beautiful and amazing and i loved them so much!
I have a lot of time on my hands, so I did little reviews for each piece written in this book. I added content warnings to some of them, but only for the ones that really impacted me. If I missed important warnings I'm sorry.
Body Sovereignty: This Fat Trans Flesh is Mine by Alex Gino
A strong start to the anthologie that explains the importance of doing what you want with your body, not what others want you to do. The intersectionality of fat and trans is something I think more people need to know about. Creating awareness that there can be difficulties transitioning due to doctor prejudices against fatness is really important, but also knowing that that fat body is yours and you deserve to love it and do what you want with it is really powerful.
Chubby City Indian by Jana Schmieding
A beautiful essay on how surrounding yourself with your culture and people like you can help you shine and how european beauty standards are bullshit.
How to Be the Star of Your Own Fat Rom-Com by Lily Anderson
This was a fun and empowering step-by-step on being the main character in your own life and navigating the world of romance. After every step was a trope to avoid pertaining to the step. For example, Step 3 involves surrounding yourself with friends and family and the trope to avoid is The Frenemy.
The Story of My Body by Renée Watson
A poem about the author’s “fat, black, girl body” and how much it has experienced in life.
cw: mention of sexual assault
Brighter Than Starlight by Jiji Knight
Super cute illustration of a fat girl with a little blurb about the artists influence.
A Body Like Mine by Mason Deaver
Nonbinary author Mason Deaver laments the exclusivity of the fashion industry and what it’s like to be a fat clothes shopper. They also talk about how things are changing and suggests ways to help the change progress.
Fat, And by S. Qiouyi Lu
This piece talks about identity and how people often label themselves or others as fat without looking any further into who the person is. It stresses that fat is one aspect of oneself but people are so complex and multifaceted that it isn’t the only aspect or identity they have.
Write Something Fat by Sarah Hollowell
Sarah Hollowell writes a letter to her past self encouraging her to write fat characters and telling her she is capable of living any life she wants and she can do it while fat. This was really sweet to read.
7 Things I Would Tell Eleven-year-old Me by David Bowles
I loved this so much with my whole heart. David Bowles talks to his past self with so much love and compassion. It’s beautiful.
cw: mentions of an eating disorder
Black, Fat, Fem: The Weight of a Queen by Jonathan P. Higgins, ED.D.
I was a little confused by this one but I believe the author is speaking to the reader? Basically a reiteration of all the other contributors thus far about embracing your fatness and accepting yourself.
The 5 Things You Need to Start Your Own Rad Fat Babe Revolution (from Someone Who Knows) by Virgie Tovar
A fun guide that demonstrates how fat people are capable of having loud, joyful, glamorous, and loving lives, without losing weight.
I Wear What I Want ’Cause I Want To by P.S. Kaguya
A lovely message about finding confidence and loving yourself. I liked the way this was written in a tone that really encouraged the reader to find self-love. It was like “Hey! This sounds possible!”
Fatness & Horror: The Match Made in Not Heaven by Hillary Monahan
This explores the inequality and disrespect of fat characters in horrorー especially comedic horror. The message was super important but there were some graphic examples of horror that made me really uncomfortable. If you’re like me and don’t have the stomach for horror, maybe skip this one or just proceed with caution.
cw: graphic death and violence
A Poem That’s About Nature and Fatness by Miguel M. Morales
I love a good nature comparison and this poem delivers perfection. It talks about how people don’t judge trees and flowers, etc. and so fat bodies shouldn’t be judged either because both are natural and beautiful.
For the Love of Ursula’s Revenge Body by Julie Murphy
I actually really liked this essay. Murphy’s complicated feelings towards Disney’s Ursula and ultimately finding her an empowering figure was really interesting. Also, the fact that Ursula was inspired by a drag queen has always been one of my favourite facts, so, shout out to Julie Murphy for letting the world know!
Fat Prom by Shelby Bergen
Another illustration. This one depicts a multitude of fat teens dancing at a prom. It’s fun and has a lot of energy. The artist briefly talks about being a fat artist and giving herself and others fat people in drawings that are out in the world having an awesome time.
Fat and Thriving by Isabel Quintero
This one went a little over my head, but I believe it had the continuous message of this anthology of loving yourself and owning your beautiful fat body
Can’t Find Your Community? Create Your Own by Bruce Sturgell
This was super cool. I’ve never heard of Chubstr (fashion blog for fat men) before and the whole idea and story behind its creation is pretty neat. I love the idea of just going online and creating such an awesome community and resource. It’s kinda inspiring.
Your Journey to Being #fatandfree by Saucyé West
Not sure if I’m totally on board with the self-love activity Saucyé West recommends. Honestly I think basic cognitive behavioral therapy to change your negative self-talk would be better than putting up negative Post-it notes to remind you of what you don’t like about yourself. I get the idea was to keep it in mind so you want to change it, but many therapists I’ve talked to say writing down negative thoughts without writing an immediate challenge can be more harmful than good. It would probably be better to write challenging Post-it notes. Like instead of writing “my belly is too big” write something like “my belly is soft and comforting” so every time that negative thought comes into your mind you can remember your positive note.
Confidence by Corissa Enneking
Yeah this was awesome. This essay talks about how you should prioritize self-love over confidence because once you’ve got the self-love part down, the confidence will follow. I especially liked the author’s take on non-judgmental thinking. It’s so true that once you stop judging others you judge yourself less!
Make Your Own Self-care Kit by Rachelle Abellar
Super cute and helpful illustrations of what to put in a self-care kit.
Losing My Religion by Jess Walton
This poem is about how unhealthy losing weight can be for your mental health and how beautiful your body can be when you accept it.
You Are Loved by Ady Del Valle
Some positivity about how fashion makes one feel fierce and how the author is out there living his plus-size male model life, so don’t give up on dreams. Fat people can do anything.
Fat Acceptance is (Really) Real by Evette Dionne
This was so cool. This article explains what the fat acceptance movement is. What made this so awesome were the amount of facts used. There was an honest-to-goodness reference page after the article, so you know this is the good stuff.
50 Tips from a Fat and Fabulous Elder by Miguel M. Morales
Mr. Morales is out here dropping some sage wisdom and I’m loving it.
Does this poem make me look fat? by Miguel M. Morales
Another beautiful poem. I had to read it out loud the second time I read it just to hear how well the words flowed.
Elephant, Hippo, and Other Nicknames I Love by Jes Baker
I love reading people’s personal journeys to loving themselves. This one was really neat because it talks about reclaiming and reframing words people try to use as insults. Hippos really are crazy awesome animals!
cw: mentions of eating disorders
Love You by Mel Stringer
An illustration of popular big bodied characters from various media and a little message about finding curvy bodies in media and creating your own fat media.
To All the Pizzas I’ve Loved Before by Laina Spencer
This one was about being fat and aro-ace. Short but affirming.
From Your Fat Future by Adrianne Russell
Another letter to the past. This included the struggles the author experienced with accepting her weight and saying how it won’t be like that forever.
Fat. Boy. Walking. by Miguel M. Morales
Gorgeous little story of walking while fat and all the wonderful movements of the body.
Reasons to Hang in There by Samantha Irby
Funny but also totally real and valid.
Baltimore… and Me by Amy Spalding
One of the previous pieces in this book mention Tracy Turnblad from the 2007 movie Hairspray, but Amy Spalding goes much deeper into the impact and inspiration Tracy had on her and the positive representation she brought to the screen. Also I just have to say Amy’s cat dress in her author photo is stunning! -
2020 Book Riot Challenge: Read a YA nonfiction book
When I was in high school I was 5'5" and weighed 160 pounds. I was hardly fat, but believed that I was gargantuan, a hulking beast. It didn't help that I'd been put on my first diet when I was five years old, or that I was once told that it didn't matter how much time I spent on my hair and makeup because, so long as I was fat (I was maybe 135 pounds at this time and 5'2' or so) I wouldn't really look good. Nice, right? It's no wonder that I spent the next forty or so years in a deep state of self-loathing. I wish I'd had this book back then. But, although it's geared towards teens, I found a lot to love as an adult. The writers? Fantastic! The advice? Spot-on. The self-love and lack of shame (shame that they shouldn't feel, anyway, because "fat" doesn't equal "shameful") is refreshing and affirming. I recommend it for all readers, no matter their body size. We all can benefit from the love that emanates from these pages. -
I feel so lucky that a book like this exists for me and lots of other youth to read! Obviously this collection can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone - but the experience of reading about super cool people practising fat-acceptance as a kid is something special. I know that a work like this can have such an incredible impact on a reader’s outlook on their life, and their (glorious) body. That being said, the highs in this collection were high, but (in my reading experience) a good portion of the writing fell victim to repetition and didn’t hit me differently in any way. I did appreciate the diversity of contributors - it’s always great to see.
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With a catchy title like The (Other) F Word, this book is begging to be picked up and read. And for good reason. It’s a unique collection of art, poetry, and other writings that celebrate what it means to be fat. I loved seeing the stories of each writer and artist, all so different from one another, come alive. This anthology is aimed for teenagers and young adult readers, but can be enjoyed by all.
