Skinny by Donna Cooner

For years Ever has been that girl, the fat girl who everyone laughs at, the one that people don't want to be around.  Ever weighs over 300 pounds and everyday is a struggle, not just because of the things that happen around her, but also because of the voice only she can hear - the voice of Skinny in her head telling her she is fat, that everyone laughs at her, that she is the butt of everyone's jokes.  It is no way for a teenage girl to live, and while Ever knows gastric bypass surgery is an option she has always been too afraid of the complications to really consider having the surgery - until something happens and she can no longer ignore what her weight really means to her.  The surgery is not a magic bullet though, Ever will have to make some serious changes in her life, and she will have to face some truths that she may not be ready to face yet.

Skinny is a personal story and based on the authors bio it appears to be at least a little autiobiographical.  Normally I don't like books like this because they seem more than a little preachy and holier-than-thou, but in this case I felt really connected to Ever as a person rather than just as a character - and there is a lot of depth to her character, rather than just the element of her being morbidly obese.  This book will not appeal to all readers, but it is an interesting read because Ever has her flaws and her strengths and while she does get a happy ending it is not the delirious happy ever after you might expect. 

This book is remarkably difficult to review because it is a very niche book - even though the characters have a wider readability and audience it is at heart a book about a teenage girl who takes drastic action to deal with her weight.  If you are interested in reading about teenagers who have a drastic change in their appearance and have to face their inner (and outer) demons, then this may just be the book for you.

If you like this book then try:

• Cut by Patricia McCormick
• Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher
• Stuck in neutral by Terry Trueman
• Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
• Fix by Leslie Margolis
• Empty by K.M.Walton

Reviewed by Brilla