Finished Skinny by Donna Cooner. I received a copy from the publisher. (Note: there is a giveaway on Goodreads until the end of the month.)
Ever’s life is pretty miserable. A lot of it comes from the fact that she’s 15 and over 300 pounds (she gained the weight after her mom died), but a good share of the blame goes to the voice in her head. You may have one, too; you know, the voice that says that you’re not good enough or smart enough or pretty enough and that no one really likes you. Ever calls her version of that voice “Skinny.” Skinny tells Ever what other people really think of her and, as a result, Ever isn’t close to many people. She knows, for example, that her dad, stepmother and two new stepsisters would be a lot happier if she weren’t around.
And then Ever decides that she’s going to turn her life around. She’s tried diet and exercise and now a more drastic step is needed. She opts for gastric bypass surgery, and almost immediately, she starts to lose the weight. Things should be better, right? But Skinny is still around and she won’t shut up.
I can’t even tell you how much I loved this book. I cried at least four times (I would definitely recommend Kleenex nearby when you read this), because of how Ever is treated (both good and bad; I’ve said multiple times that the two things guaranteed to bring me to tears are unexpected cruelty and unexpected kindness) and because of how she (through Skinny) treats herself.
But the best part of this book is when Ever stops and realizes that it doesn’t have to be her life. I think a lot of us have that voice in our heads that tell us we can’t or shouldn’t do something, but we should never listen to that voice. It lies. And when Ever realizes that for herself? Magic. :) (And that’s when I cried again.)
Everyone should read this book. Highly recommended.
