title: 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl: Fiction
author:  Mona Awad 
description: A shockingly accurate portrayal of fat culture and female body shaming, this brief novel comprised of 13 short stories is like a grittier Bridget Jones's Diary mashed with Andrew Smith's Grasshopper Jungle. Lizzie obsesses over her weight. She believes that her thighs are too big and that no one could love her, and so she willingly allows her friends and boyfriends to control her. Lizzie is into online dating until the older man she meets wants a full-body shot, and she always takes what she can get when it comes to romance. When she finds a good man, she loses weight to keep him (even though he doesn't care about her appearance) and changes her name, but her self-esteem doesn't improve. The truths revealed in this work make it a difficult read, but most teens will identify with Lizzie in at least one of these tales. Some were previously published, but Awad has arranged them artfully to create a thought-provoking account of a young woman growing awkwardly into late adulthood. VERDICT A brash, realistic, and much needed look at body culture and self-esteem. Pair this with Isabel Quintero's Gabi, a Girl in Pieces.Sarah Hill, Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL
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  PENGUIN BOOKS
  
  
  13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A FAT GIRL
  
  
  MONA AWAD received her MFA in fiction from Brown University. Her work has
  appeared in _McSweeney’s_ , _The Walrus_ , _Joyland_ , _Post Road_ , _St.
  Petersburg Review_ , and elsewhere. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in
  creative writing and English literature at the University of Denver.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  PENGUIN BOOKS
  
  
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  Copyright © 2016 by Mona Awad
  
  
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