4.5 stars

Eye-opening and informative while still being lighthearted and witty, Gina Tonic speaks honestly, unapologetically, and eloquently about her experience as a fat person in a fatphobic society. She describes how being fat affects every single aspect of one’s life, from clothes shopping to eating disorders to sex and relationships to medical discrimination, combining personal anecdotes with research to create almost a manifesto for the fat experience. She puts into words so many feelings that I have had as a fat person and it was so validating to read. I think that everyone, fat or not, should read this book.

Love this book. A totally unique voice and hilarious. I recommend every woman reads it. Excited to read what comes next from this author.

I'm not sure I can review this book as I do other books. I don't want to comment on the flow or the writing or the story etc. This is the kind of book where I review it in terms of what it means to me and how it made me feel.

I am a fat woman. I always have been, and no matter what diets I go on, I can never stick to it. But it doesn't bother me. At school, kids would comment things like "Oh I can't see who is behind her", wanting to get a rise from me, but I'd just stare back and say "Oh that's because I'm fat", and they wouldn't know what to do with that. I don't find fat an insult, it's a description. But I know for some people - mainly girls but of course boys too - that their fight with body size and weight is an ever-consuming battle, and I think this book is an amazing thing to exist. If only younger girls have access to something like this I think it would really help.

And if we're being honest, as much as body positivity and inclusivity has become more vocal, it is still on the edges. Calling someone fat as an insult is still an acceptable form of discrimination.

And this book really shows where society has gone wrong in terms of fat-ism. In some countries, the bigger the woman the more desirable she is. And in the not so distant past, if you were bigger, then that meant you were richer and higher up in society. But in somewhere like Hollywood, you need to be toned, skinny, restrictive. Which shows that we're not born with this idea that thin means beautiful, it's about wat we grow up with.

I know skinny people, I know fat people, and I know people in between, and from an outside perspective, there is no difference between them. I'm not friendlier with someone because I can see their ribs, and I'm not more disgusted by the person who wears size 30 trousers. It doesn't even enter my head, maybe because I'm on the heavier side, I know what being fat in a society that's scared of fat people is like.

There was so much that Gina has written that I have experienced. Not being able to fit into the cute pretty teenage clothes, being head and shoulders above your classmates (I was my tallest at 11 and have only shrunk since), being diagnosed with PCOS, and, the big one, that every single woman (I can't say for men), has experienced is that every single medical problem, no matter how severe or not, is because you're fat. Broken toe? Fat. Chest infection? Fat. You've got an eyelash that's fallen out? Fat. That's it. You're fat so why are you surprised you have these issues. Lose weight and I can guarantee you'll never have a rash on your elbow again. And the frightening thing is, and is something Gina mentions, is how dangerous this way of thinking can be. If someone attends with abdominal pain and the Dr says it's to do with their weight, they might have missed a tumour, a twisted bowl, an ectopic pregnancy.

One think I was jealous of, and I know to some it may seem weird to be jealous of, but I'm jealous of Gina's fat friends. I have friends who are bigger than others, but I am by far the biggest person in my friendship group. The way Gina talks about the fellowship she has with other fat people, it's so wonderful to have this relationship and I wish I had it. Because most people don't realise what it's like to be the only fat one in a group. To have someone that gets it without explanation.

I think this would be interesting for, not only fat people, but thinner ones too. There may be people who don't know they're being fat-phobic because they can't imagine something is even a something to worry about - cutting through a gap in a crowded room becomes very difficult for a larger body.

It's not appropriate for young readers due to the quantity of swearing and sexual conversations, but I do think the message behind it is vital for young people to learn.

This made me cry far more than most fictional books. It's so real. I'm basically reading about my life, my experiences. It's so powerful. 'm not sure how I can ever make Gina aware of how much this book has meant to me, has meant to the fat little kid hidden inside this far woman.

I feel like I've become best friends with Gina after reading it. She doesn't know it or not, but we have become best friends. She's a beautiful human being, in every possible way.

I have followed Gina (and quite a few of the pals she mentions in her book) for years on social media and when I saw that she was releasing a book I immediately requested an ARC. I love Gina’s writing style and see so much of my own life experiences in this book - I loved it. I spent most of a Saturday afternoon lying in bed and absolutely devouring every page. It felt like chatting with a good mate and putting the world to rights.