This is a beautifully drawn and emotionally engaging graphic novel. Mindy's relationship with her body and her experiences around food, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and self-worth are so, so important to portray. I wish the ending had been a little less abrupt, but overall this story shines light on eating disorders in a way that is honest yet hopeful.

First of all, I'd like to commend Sweeney Boo for tackling such a difficult subject matter. Everyone experiences insecurities about body image, but for people with body dysmorphia and eating disorders, those insecurities can feel all-consuming. Mindy's story is told with sensitivity and I personally did not feel unsettled reading it, but I would recommend that readers who are triggered by depictions of disordered eating read this title with care or put it aside until they're in a less vulnerable mental state.

Sweeney's art perfectly captures Mindy's emotional state. Even in panels without words, her detailed expressions make Mindy's emotions clear. Her layouts are dynamic and easily captured my interest, which seems challenging to accomplish in a story told mainly through restrained conversations and depictions of difficult moments. Sweeney's use of color is also crucial to the story and effectively provides separation between Mindy's past and present.

I did find that my own experiences with body image issues were echoed in this narrative. Mindy's reflections on low points in her life felt authentic. The small yet biting comments she recalls about her weight are dispensed too often to children by those who don't realize the trauma those words can inflict. I felt that the vicious cycles Mindy fell victim to were also displayed accurately. Those are incredibly difficult patterns to break, even if the person is aware they're experiencing them. Mindy's less-than-helpful experience with therapy also ties into a central theme in the narrative that self-love problems must be solved by the self, and outside help can only supplement the growth we are ready to work towards.

This book does not end with Mindy healed from her body dysmorphia or eating disorder, but she is in recovery. As a child, Mindy could not heal because she could not bare to accept herself as she was. Now twenty-seven, Mindy has the wisdom and opportunity she needs to become a person who loves herself, and when we leave her, she's finally convinced she's strong enough to begin the journey.

As a woman who sometimes still struggles with weight and body image, Eat, and Love Yourself hit home. This would have impacted a younger me tremendously, but even now I found the story compelling to me personally, although I don't suffer from an eating disorder like the main character. Watching Mindy relive her old agonies and embarrassments, face her hurt and the people who hurt her, was such a cathartic experience. The art was bubbly and vibrant (not going to lie, that cover alone sold me), and the panels weren't jumbled and flowed together well. I would have liked to see more of Mindy's life after she finally began to love herself though, and the changes her new attitude brought about.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Wow. Just wow. This comic is a snapshot into Mindy’s world where she sees herself as a failure. Not skinny enough, not successful enough, not happy. Until she eats a mysterious bar of chocolate that allows her to see herself and why she feels that way. With an eating disorder and body dysmorphia she cannot see herself for who she is, but starts to one piece of chocolate at a time. This story is so beautifully written and illustrated, it pulls the reader straight into Mindy’s world and doesn’t let go until the story is over.

This ARC was provided by Boom! Studios.

I read the description of this graphic novel and really wanted to like it. I love promoting body acceptance and body positivity. However, I thought the book would promote fat acceptance and I don't think it did. The book was more focused on Mindy's binge eating. I find this problematic because I think it feeds into the idea that fat women are 1) tragic and 2) fat because they overeat. I wish there were more portrayals of fat women who are, for lack of a better term, normal people living their lives in a fatphobic world. Mindy is so sad for most of the book and even when she has her epiphany, she still seems tragic. I also hated the idea of the candy bar helping Mindy overcome her eating disorder. It felt trite. The art was lovely but I felt the story could have been fleshed out more.

CW: depression, eating disorders, body dysmorphia

This was a fantastic read. I relate a lot with the main character Mindy and some of her depression and body dysmorphia are things I’ve had to combat first hand. I really enjoyed the magical realism and the lessons this story is teaching. I hope this graphic novel reaches anyone who is struggling because this story is ultimately about self love and combatting negative ideas about yourself in a healthy way rather than through unhealthy means.

Unfortunately this story really resonated with me... Beautiful artwork, bittersweet story. Would definitely recommend for others who struggle with body dysmorphia.

Mindy has an eating disorder, but she is so used to it she can not see what is going on. She over eats, she throws up and moves on. She sees herself as fat, while those around her don't see that.

And this goes on until she takes a bite of a magic candy bar which sends her back to her childhood, when this issue started. How she tried therapy, how she thought having a boyfriend might change things, all the horrid things that happen in high school.

Nicely done story. Often eating disorders are hidden from friends.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This YA graphic novel is about Mindy, a girl living with an eating disorder and low self-esteem. Her parents, best friend, and most other people in her life don’t seem to be a help either..

One day while out shopping she buys a new chocolate bar that makes her dream about a different past event in her life every time she takes a bite. Now she can see how she views herself and how the other people around her make her view herself, and she can learn to love herself.

The illustrations in this graphic novel are bright and bold, even though the subject isn’t. It packs a punch on the topic of how people treat the ones they love, and how an eating disorder can be life altering. I enjoyed the writing style and the message!

Thanks to Net Galley, Sweeney Boo and the publisher first this ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with this arc. I loved the drawings, they are really nice, This theme is kinda tricky and I wish I could have seen Mindy's mind evolution a little better, it was a little abrupt. Still, I enjoyed it and I'll give it a 3,5 stars.

Eating disorders is one of the top mental heath issues in the US. This book explores Mindy's journey. She struggles with body dysmorphia and is a bulimic. Her friend and family make comments that hurt and harm her. This story details how she deals with the challenges.

If you are struggling like Mindy is know you are enough, you are beautiful and loved. This book contains resources you can use for help as well as affirmations for you. All of those who struggle or know someone who is struggling should read this book,

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I don’t know what to say about this graphic novel. I liked it but at the same time I didn’t. I loved the art style and I liked that the couples pulled purple. I was intrigued by the story because I do like to learn about the mental health associated with body dysmorphia/ eating disorders. But I also felt like this poor girl was treated like shit by everyone and they are mad at her for it. Her parents always were saying she’s fat and eats too much, blah, blah. Even her best friend was doing the same. I’d be dropping that negativity fast. The only person who loved her for her was Elliot and we don’t even know if they end up together. I just feel bad for her.

<i>Eat, and Love Yourself</i> is a graphic novel about Mindy, a girl who has to live with an eating disorder, body dysmorphia and some anxiety issues. One day she stumbles upon a chocolate bar that advertises to solve all of her problems...

The book is packed with women-positive graphics, vibrant colors and lots of empathy. I love the art style - cartoonish but full of details, purple-ish tones and not-so-perfect in their appearance characters. Mindy - the main character - is the sweetest person and reading about her problems with accepting herself was tough and heartbreaking. I read it all at once and would read again with pleasure.
<i>Eat, and Love Yourself</i> shows that the world is judgemental and sometimes all we need is just some space, and that's ok!

What I loved:
• Magical realism to show real-life issues
• Art style and colors
• Body positivity
• Cat companion! 😺

<i>Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own</i>

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting story about body dysmorphia, eating disorders, how we see ourselves, and how things people can say affect us. I enjoyed the drawings and the colour schemes.

This graphic novel is about a girl named Mindy who has always struggled with her weight and body image. In the story the reader is introduced to Mindy's closest friend, her parents, and her potential love interests. Mindy struggles with body dysmorphia and bulimia, and everyone around her seems to contribute to her problems by the way they talk to her. One day, she buys a candy bar from the store that tells her to eat and love herself. Mindy then has a series of flashbacks that may help her change her outlook on life, if only she can turn off those negative voices in her head...

Just like Mindy, I have struggled with my weight and perception of myself for most of my life. I sympathized with her, was angry, and was sad to the point of tears as I read her story. The artwork was powerful and thought provoking, and I believe the art added so much essential emotion and impact to the story. While I don't endorse the life choices made by the characters or the profanity used, the biggest thing that bothered me was that Mindy's story stopped abruptly and it didn't seem like much was going to change for her. I don't think her parents or her best friend really understood what they were doing to her when they made snide comments about her weight or eating habits. At least Elliott cared for Mindy because of who she was as a person and not just because of her appearance. I recommend this book with hesitation because the author did shed some light on how awful it is to have an eating disorder and not have any positive support, but at the same time, I don't think the abrupt ending portrayed a positive outcome because some loose ends were left untied.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I like that this comic shows how the people you love can say very harmful things without meaning nor realizing it, with subtle subtext. I also really like some of the scenes composition and the colors.
I would have liked the character to really be fat and not just athletic thick, like she has a very small waist.
But, like a lot of books, I think this comic doesn't go far enough or deep enough. I would have liked the story to focus more on the learning of self-love. We never really go deep in the toughts of the character so we never really get to see her learning process.

I got extremely excited when I saw this cover and read the synopsis. The comic covers an extremely important topic that is such a personal issue for so many people who have struggled with their weight, and loving and accepting themselves. So I'm pretty sad to say that the story gave me pretty mixed feelings and that ending was especially disappointing because it was so abrupt. I checked to see if this was a series but I couldn't find any information on it. I'm kind of hoping that Mindy's journey will continue but I have a feeling it won't?

First of all, this art work was fantastic. I loved the colour palette and I loved the drawing style. It has a modern edge to it but it's a little bit more "rough" than I usually like but I really enjoyed it in this graphic novel. I thought Mindy was drawn well. She's shown as having a very curvaceous body type although I don't know that I would identify her as having a "big" body. Still, I liked the way she was drawn and her style in particular was great!

Now, on to the more serious content… My weight and self-image is something I've struggled with my whole life, even now as a 31yo, so Mindy's situation was entirely relatable and really hit so close to home. This comic made me feel so much--sadness, anger, happiness and hope. I experienced so much of what Mindy went through, although I'm thankful (I guess) who've always had friends who've told me that they loved me the way I am without then going on to give me backhanded compliments about my eating habits and body. But when it comes to family, the toxic words that came out of their mouths were mirrors to what used to come out of my parents' mouths, and wow. Those were some really tough scenes to read. You can feel Mindy crawling into herself and wanting to drown her feelings in the one thing that gave her comfort: food.

Mindy experiences flashbacks after eating this chocolate bar called "Eat, and love yourself". I thought the concept was really cool--imagine discovering such a chocolate bar! The flashbacks show us when she started purging for the first time, how she stopped eating in front of others but binged in private, how she went to therapy to try to deal with her bulimia but stopped going, and how until now she has never learned to love or accept herself because of the hurtful things her family and friends would say to her. These moments were so painful to see, and my heart broke for Mindy (and in a way also for myself) but with each one I was really hoping that we would get to see more growth in her character. I know how we see ourselves doesn't change over night but for a premise that promises a journey of acceptance and self love, I have to say that we don't really experience it.

That's not to say that Mindy doesn't experience any change. She stands up for herself to her parents and it was a scene that had me screaming "HELL YES, MINDY! You tell them, girl!" It was an empowering scene that I felt in my bones! She also started to realise in later flashbacks towards the end just how much damage she was possibly doing to herself, but just as things were getting better the story just ends. I was expecting more positive changes to come, especially with the rekindled friendship/romance between Mindy and Elliott, but the story cuts off seemingly mid-positive thought and let's just say it was pretty underwhelming and unsatisfying.

Overall, I think that this story has a great message that's very important to talk about and I'm glad this graphic novel exists. That said, I think it could stand to be slightly longer so that Mindy's change and growth can be fully realised because unfortunately, I wasn't near convinced she had accepted herself with that ending. It felt too much of a "beginning" than a satisfying ending.

Tw: eating disorder

Thank you so much for the Arc from NetGalley!

Basically loving the art, the drawing, and the story. Talking about body change and how the character sees herself. How it affects her in her life and with her confidence in everything. I think this comic talk about an important subject but I also feel I needed a little more.
Anywho I feel like you should read it and understand how people can feel.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing this e-arc!

A story about Mindy, a woman living with an eating disorder who has to learn how to love herself again. Whimsically, she goes back in time recollecting memories of her as she tackles body dysmorphia. I liked the story. It was fine. But upon reflection i have decided to bum my rating up thanks to the author's subtle ways of adding diversity and tackling various problems.

Oh wow.. I did not expect this!

Now, listen to me. I'm speaking from the perspective of someone who is overweight, who did and does struggle with eating disorders and who has suffered and still does sometime because of how she perceives herself and how others do.
I am not of the opinion that carrying extra weight is okay. Not from an aesthetic point of view, but from a very objective health perspective.

However

What I would love for everyone to understand: we are work in progress. And the way we relate to ourselves and to those around us affects how that progress goes.
If you find yourself in my place or Mindy's, you will never love yourself if you can't love yourself as you are in this moment. Loving someone does not mean washing all imperfections or ignoring them. It means being able to accept and embrace someone with and as they are, and lovingly helping them achieve their best self. And so you must do with yourself. You must accept who and what you are now, understand that your value is not those extra or too few kilos you have or that acne or those scars, and then, from that point on, decide on how you can bring this body to its best, healthy shape, to be able to enjoy it for many years to come and to cherish it.

If you are friends with or have family members who struggle with their bodies, pointing it out, judging their every bite and move, won't help. It will just feed their anxiety. Instead, talk lovingly to them, show them you accept them as they are, but are willing to do more and go the extra mile and be there for them if they need your help in getting better.

I loved that this book managed to portray the inside turmoil we go through. Also, it showed how food is not just food sometimes. Food becomes the only thing that offers comfort when you feel at your lowest and so it gets you in this vicious cycle of eating, feeling bad, eating for feeling bad, feeling worse. And it showed it so well.

I'm getting way too deep into the subject but I appreciated this book. Kudos to the author