Discuss '13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl' with MashReads

[MJ]

"The universe is against us, which makes sense. So we get another McFlurry and talk about how fat we are for a while. But it doesn't matter how long we talk about it or how many times Mel assure me she's a fucking whale beneath her clothes; I know I'm fatter. Not by a little either. Mel has an ass. I'll give her that, but that's all I'll give her."

So writes Mona Awad in her new novel, '13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl.' The book tells the story of Lizzie, a suburban girl from Mississauga (which she calls "Misery Saga"), as she struggles with her weight and her relationships over the course of her life. The book is told through a series of short story-esque vignettes, each tracking different stages of Lizzie's life as she attempts online dating, confronts her relationship with her mother and grows into an adult, all the while exploring physical attraction and body image. Yet, as Lizzie grows up, she learns that conformity and happiness aren't necessarily the same thing.

Blunt and funny, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl is a refreshingly honest look at how society views physical appearance, how we internalize those critiques and how that affects the way we navigate the world.

We hope you'll read along with MashReads! Tell us what you think of the book below!