Am I Perfect Yet?: Finding Fullness in My Authentic Self

by Grace Patterson

Am I Perfect Yet? is a compelling memoir that delves into the journey of Grace Patterson, as she confronts the demons of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. Grace's story takes readers through the highs and lows of her life, from her time as a college cheerleader to her experiences as a semi-pro and professional cheerleader, where the pressure to conform to society's beauty standards intensified her struggles. But it doesn’t end there. Grace’s decision to move to the city of Los Angeles becomes a turning point in her life as she embarks on a path of self-discovery and healing. Immersed in the world of on-screen acting, she finds purpose unearthing a new found sense of identity. With raw honesty, Grace shares her triumphs and setbacks. Through her story, readers are reminded of the power of perseverance and the beauty of embracing our flaws. Finding happiness in who we are, not in who the world wants us to be.

217 pages, Paperback

Published April 14, 2024

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my I finished this in almost one day. Even though I can’t relate to Grace with the eating disorder, I can on never feeling good enough. I think everyone regardless if you had an eating disorder or not should read her story. Thank you for sharing your story Grace

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seriously came at the most perfect time. Although I don't have an eating disorder or danced like the author did, we both share the same issues of the self inflicted need to be perfect. It was super relatable when Grace was telling herself that she was only going to make herself sick just this one time, or that she was going to eat one chocolate covered pretzel but then ended up eating the entire bag. The lies our brains tell us in order to reach an unattainable goal of perfectionism takes over any logical thought process.

So why is this the perfect time? I was reading this book while I was making myself sick from working a gross amount just to make sure the project I'm working on is perfect. I had an emotional breakdown and my entire chest/stomach hurts from the stress, lack of sleep, and lack of self care. By the end of reading the book, I came away with three thoughts:

1. I wish I could be as kind and strong as Grace - she blames no one and takes responsibility for her obsession and takes herself out of unhealthy situations. I'm not there yet, but hope to be.
2. One robs themselves of living and enjoying life when perfection is the only thing on one's mind.
3. Your only goal in life should be to love yourself, not to be perfect.

This book is so relatable and inspiring. While it may take time, a healthier lifestyle is achievable.

[sam_inthestacks]

◽️Am I Perfect Yet?: Finding Fullness in My Authentic Self by Grace Patterson

Swipe for GoodReads Synopsis

No Rating— I don’t rate memoirs.

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of her book for review.

TW: Disordered eating.

This memoir follows Grace from a young age into adulthood and talks about her difficult relationship with food, her body, and how those both played into her dance and cheerleading career.

I was horrified to hear about the body checks that would occur. Signing a contract at the beginning of your freshman year of college that you’d maintain your weight throughout the school year? I think my body changed the most in that year outside of my early teenage years.

I think body image is something that many women struggle with, especially those of us who grew up in the early aughts.

While the writing style was not what I typically read, and some of the formatting was a bit distracting in my opinion, I was eager to see how and where Grace ended up and was rooting for her to find peace, health, and happiness within herself.

While the memoir does touch on Grace confronting that she had a problem, and showed a couple of incidents of backsliding, I do wish there was a bigger focus on how she overcame her eating disorder.

But all in all, this book is further proof that even the most beautiful and driven people, can be suffering in silence. Be kind.

This book is in Kindle Unlimited for all of your KU subscribers! ◽️

[Danielle | daniellereadslikealot · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her memoir, Grace Patterson details her struggles with disordered eating, her body image and her self worth. It’s a story that most of us can easily relate to and Grace’s conversational style of writing makes you feel like you’re listening to a friend tell you a story. It is absolutely an emotional read and there were moments where my heart just broke for her during those moments of her self loathing and pain. However, this story ends on an incredibly hopeful and happy note as she starts finding balance, letting go of things that no longer serve her and starts doing things she loves. I very much enjoyed this book, but a warning for anyone struggling or has struggled with disordered eating in the past: it is VERY detailed and written very vividly so make sure you’re in the right mental health space to read it.
CW: disordered eating, body dysmorphia, vomit

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of her book!

[BookstagramSam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Grace for sharing your story. This was a tough read for me because I could totally relate to it. I felt like at times I was reading my own words. Though I didn’t have the extreme trauma in dance/cheerleading there was always the internal pressure that I could not escape.

I would have loved to learn more about your journey to healing as I’m sure it’s a forever ongoing process.

I wish more people would not be ashamed to talk about their struggles.

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an inspiring read! I read this book in one sitting because I was so engrossed in the story. It was enlightening to read about the author’s journey to self acceptance and learning to love herself. There were so many relatable aspects to the author’s story that I feel everyone can take something away from.

This memoir covers topics such eating disorders, pressure to conform to unrealistic standards, and self-discovery.

This one is definitely worth the read.

[kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir takes you on Grace Patterson’s struggle with how her eating disorder started and dealing with weight comments from adults. This book starts out when Grace is young and becomes friends with her neighbor, whom Grace thinks is the absolute coolest. She follows her friend’s ways and starts living a life that she never thought about: counting calories and running to lose weight.

While reading this book, you learn what Grace deals with when she has her first boyfriend and when she joins her college cheerleading team. It was incredibly heartbreaking to read what adults have said to her and her peers about their weight as if words don’t effect people.

The entire time I was reading this book, I just wanted Grace to get better, overcome her eating disorders, be surrounded by supportive people, live a happy life, and have a healthy relationship with food.

While this sad is really heartbreaking, it shows how strong Grace is and how she overcomes her eating disorders and how she has flipped her life around. I recommend it for those who love to read about strong women.

TW: Eating disorders, anorexia & bulimia

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a minute since I read a memoir so this came at a perfect time! The author dives deep into the journey of confronting the toll of eating disorders and the pursuit of perfection.

I definitely cried a few times, I just felt like i resonated with so many things throughout the book! I loved the vulnerability and rawness of it…it had me taking a deep look at myself. All the pressure I have put on myself to strive for perfection at the expense of my happiness. Also a childhood filled with trying to make everyone else happy while hiding all the pain I was experiencing. It was super inspiring to read the author overcoming their past and changing to get to this place of self love. I’m going to start looking at my smile lines the same way she does ❤️

I enjoyed the poetry throughout as well, especially at the beginning. I saw thoughts/feelings that I haven’t been able to express out loud in years finally described in words.

[Leah | LookLeahReads]

✨No rating for memoirs✨

AM I PERFECT YET by Grace Patterson hit me right in the heart 💙 Even though I can’t relate personally when it comes to an eating disorder, so much of what Grace shares about feeling “not good enough” in life felt incredibly relatable. Her journey through self-discovery and learning to embrace her own worth is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Her honesty had me pausing, reflecting, and even laughing through the tears. This isn’t just a story — it’s a reminder that perfection is overrated and authenticity is everything.

If you’re looking for a memoir that’s real, reflective, and unapologetically human, this one’s for you.

Thanks again, Grace, for sending me a gifted copy of your book! 🩷

[Darcie R · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑨𝒎 𝑰 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒀𝒆𝒕? | 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ (5/5)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Author: Grace Patterson
Genre: Memoir

* There are a few content warnings within this book. Feel free to message me if you’d like more info before reading *

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
Whew - what an emotional read! The author did an amazing job at detailing her experience as a cheerleader growing up, and the pressure which was put on her to have the ‘PERFECT’ body and look.

As someone who danced competitively growing up, I was no stranger to how this pressure of body perfection played a role in many younger girls lives. While my team was very inclusive of all body types, and there was no pressure from the instructors to have the perfect body type, it was evident that some other dance companies were a bit more strict with how their dancers ate and looked.

In this memoir, the author really opened up about her struggles with food starting at a young age. It was very emotional at times while reading, knowing that there are many other young girls out there who went or are going through similar situations. The best part about this whole memoir, was reading about the authors personal growth as she got older. It made me tear up reading about how she finally decided to do the things that made her feel good and happy, and eventually just accepted herself for who she was.

I would highly recommend this read to anyone who wants a great memoir to dig into, especially those readers with young daughters.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- ✍🏻 Memoirs
- 💧 Emotional reads
- 👑 Books where the lead finds herself

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: Charmat Rosé - Ravine Vineyards🍷

[Lauren | Wordsbetweenlines · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Despite having vastly different life experiences there was so much of this book I related to, particularly her thoughts around food and her body . Grace depicts her experiences with disordered eating and the environments that perpetuated it.

It is raw and heartbreaking as you read how she desperately wants to be loved for herself.


TW: disordered eating

Thank you Grace for a copy of the book 🤍🤍

[Hailey Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys, I really loved this memoir. It’s such a beautiful story of the struggles of life, growth, and becoming your true self. I was captivated from the very first page. Please do yourself a favor and grab a copy!

[Lark _thebookchamber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir from Grace so much and I think that if you’ve ever struggled with self image, self worth, or any type of eating disorder you know how difficult it is and how much of a struggle it can be!

I loved seeing Grace find her way and enjoyed reading about her journey to finding her true self! Perfection is unattainable, and this story reminds you that regardless, you can find happiness!

Thank you Grace for the copy to read and review. It was truly an inspiring read 💖

[Amanda S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this memoir about the journey of a young woman coming into womanhood and battling an eating disorder. There were some really tough moments to read through during this book but it made her triumphs that much better. I loved Grace’s writing and the poems included before each chapter. This is an inspirational story for woman of all ages!

[Britta Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the time I was reading this memoir, I just wanted to hug the author and tell her she was perfect as she was! Unfortunately, the world of teenage girls, competitive cheerleading, college pressures, and dance teams left Grace feeling desperate to do more, be skinnier, work harder, make more people happy, and eat less instead of enjoying what should have been wonderful experiences. Her candid reflections are eye-opening. As the mom of a high school cheerleader, I appreciated Grace’s honesty about eating disorders, friendships, goals, coaches, and her parents. Her story will stick with me as I try to protect my own daughter from some of the same heartbreaks she endured.

[JessABookNook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredibly vulnerable, raw and emotional. It took me a while to read it because it made me reflect on my younger self and current self, so I had to digest it in spurts as it left me reflective and made me stop to think.

"I wished I could let go of my need for control and just let life happen, but that seemed like something my brain would never let me do." This quote stood out to me and resonated with me in so many ways. I'm someone who really struggles with control. I want to have a plan for everything, know exactly what we're doing when and whose going to be there. I want to arrive early so I have time and unplanned items. This book made me contemplate my own vulnerabilities in a way.

I struggled a lot in high school with depression, body image and self confidence. Today, I still struggle with all those things, but much like the author, I handle them drastically differently than I did when I was younger. It made me think of the personal growth I've had with myself and how, like the author, a slight shift in mindset and giving yourself grace can go a long way.

[Amberleigh Million • a.millionbooks]

𝘼𝙢 𝙄 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙔𝙚𝙩?: 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙮 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛

"𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴 - 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦."

This was such a brave and inspiring read. I love reading memoirs because it's so obvious how much love goes into them and this one was no exemption. Grace's memoir is about her journey to overcome eating disorders that started in childhood. As she grows into an adult, she feels even more pressure to have the "perfect" body as a college and then pro cheerleader. I have never had an eating disorder but grew up during the early 2000s when there was an extremely high societal pressure on women to be thin. In pop culture especially, if you weren't skinny then you weren't considered beautiful. So I was able to relate to a lot of the feelings of being physically inadequate.

I've seen several posts today by friends hoping to read more memoirs in May. This would be a great addition to your list.

Thank you to the author, Grace Patterson for gifting me a copy of your book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great, well written memoir about learning to love yourself. Although I can’t personally relate to the experiences with eating disorders that the author went through, she wrote about it in a way that I think everyone can find a way to connect with her story. This was an excellent read that I read in one sitting and I think many readers will find her story to be very inspiring. If you are looking for a nonfiction read, I recommend picking this one up.

Thank you to Grace Patterson for sending me a copy of her book for an honest review.

[Jessica Rampersad · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book]

Am I Perfect Yet? is a memoir by Grace Patterson that offers a deeply personal and vulnerable look into her struggle with eating disorders (specifically anorexia and bulimia) as well as her journey toward self-acceptance.

I don't usually read memoirs, so this was outside my genre, but still an interesting read! The book is relatable and inspiring, and I appreciate Grace's honesty, vulnerability, and bravery for discussing topics that we just don't talk about enough these days.

[Okewu Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love most about Am I Perfect Yet? is its hopeful message. It reminds readers that perfection is not the goal; instead, the real beauty lies in the process of becoming, growing, and accepting who we are.