Pretty Face by Mary Hogan

via Goodreads

Rated: 4 stars Recommends it to: Young adults, particularly girls who are over weight and have a problem with it. Guys, you too. You need to see how some girls think.

A note before you read: Like literally all reviews are, this one is subjective and may be too … harsh? I don’t know, but I want to say that the story had components that I feel strongly towards. Also, I mean no disrespect to the people of California or anyone else. It’s been a bad day but don’t let me spoil yours 🙂

~*~

Hayley’s over weight, her mother nags her constantly over the fact and it got on my nerves. No matter how much she tries Hayley can’t give up the food she enjoys for the tasteless yucky tofu (or at least I think it’s yucky, I’ve never tasted the stuff) Gwyn, the mom, forces down the throats of the whole family, the kitchen’s the most avoided room in the apartment. I can’t imagine living like that, my mom’s not the best cook but she’s a decent one and I always manage to worm myself out of not eating cook-up (a local dish, not sure if it has any other name).

Another thing what I didn’t like was Hayley’s hatred of herself for being the ‘f’ word. Fat. I can understand, this something I closely empathize with, if not entirely. I know what it’s like to be Chubby Dean, what it feels like to be constantly reminded that I needed to lose weight and the feeling of momentary loathing of those tell me and the more lasting dose for myself. What was wrong with me? Does being fat make me uninteresting, an eyesore? Unlikeable? Does it make who I am less important? One of the lessons I’ve learned last year was the answer to these questions: Nothing. No. No. No. And. No. There are worse things to be.

Advertisement

Wait a second there weight

Source: bodestoreproducts.com

I’m going to be honest and say that I’m self conscious about my body weight (amongst a few other things), a lot of people are. Why am I so worried that I don’t have a flat tummy like the other girls or like the models in the magazines? I thought that people would love me more, nobody likes a fat kid, I mean those women look beautiful, slim, graceful and lithe. Society has painted this picture that skinny or slim women are beautiful and desirable and I was mesmerized by the pretty colours and wanted to be in that painting.

There was a point in my life, around 7th grade, that I began to eat less and less (I did not stop eating at together) and exercised more than I should when I should have gotten more sleep instead. I got my results, I dropped a few pounds, yippie, though I felt much weaker physically and mentally. The dreaded pounds caught up with me again after a while and by now I was just frustrated and more self conscious than before.

I read a lot, all kinds of books with all kind of stories and information and lessons the authors have learned over their years. I can’t remember exactly what I had read or what I had seen on television that had snagged my attention. The question was why was it important to be skinny? I stated my reasons above. But it got me thinking, is it important what people thought about me if I was fat? Shouldn’t it be about the person who I am inside? I could lose weight and gain it all back again  but the person who I am will not change. Skinny does not necessarily mean smart or, as I’ve come to accept, beautiful or even healthy.