I really appreciate the discussions of fatphobia, especially moving through the world as a plus sized black woman, and how that affects adults and children. The themes of how body positivity is hijacked by white women, how wellness has an undertone of fatphobia, and even how “plus size” can still be exclusionary to certain body types are all important topics that are explored brilliantly in this novel in verse.

What challenged me is especially how me as a smaller-sized person should talk about my own body/health in an inclusive manner and examine my internalized fatphobia. Do I want to be thin because of health reasons? Or do I not want to be a specific size because I correlate size with beauty standards?

Watson’s craft as a poet really shines through. While the nonlinear and short paragraphs, vignette-like storytelling might not work for all readers, I really appreciate the almost poetry-like writing style. I’d also recommend those interested in novel in verse writing to consider picking this book up—it’s very approachable while having a great balance in prose, character, and plot