3.5 stars. A good message about loving yourself in this graphic novel with a fantasy/time travel twist. It didn't have the emotional punch I was hoping for from the flashbacks and the book in general. This was realistic in that there's no blame assigned for Mindy's eating disorder, and there's no miracle resolution. There is positive movement towards self-compassion and personal insight which is always good. (TW: Eating disorder, purging)

So, there is absolutely no surprise that I am going to RAVE about the artwork in Eat and Love Yourself. If I was a person to have an aesthetic, this graphic novel is it in a nutshell. The entire style was calming and cool and emotional. It fit everything that the story was.

This story follows Mindy, a young woman kinda lost in life and struggling with body dysmorphia and bulimia. While the book deals with these tough topics the entire story is woven into something soft and dream-like.

This is something that could easily have felt glorifying or underplaying the severity of the topics. But instead, it felt respectful and gentle. This was played out from some mildly fantastical elements which help our MC discover and reflect on herself and the impact of her past.

My one issue with this story was the lack of a solid storyline. It is clear that this is a book that takes us through an internal journey – something of self-discovery and insight. But it felt a little airy-fairy. There was something foundational missing in the storyline for me which took away from this being a fantastic and important read.

This is my first time with these authors/artists and I’m really happy I have uncovered them (NOTE: I discovered Sweeney Boo also collabs on Rat Queens which is a long-time TBR for me). I enjoyed the book while I was in it and it will definitely be a recommendation on hand for mental health graphic novels.

But overall, I would have liked something more with this one.

Thank you NetGalley for this E-Arc

I really enjoyed the subject matter and how our main character found herself and her confidence through the novel. The art was absolutely incredible, I couldn't be more in awe as I flipped through the pages. It was a quick read that I absolutely devoured.

An excellent and slightly magical look into very serious topics such as eating disorder and body dysmorphia.

I could not open the copy to my eReader so there is no actual review for this. Just notes for publishers.

Well I'm generally not the demographic for this comic, I really enjoyed it and can wholly relate to a lot of her experiences. The artwork is great and the writing is good, too.

I think this is trying to send a good massage; love yourself.

Content warnings: fat-shaming, bulimia, bullying, eating disorders, body dysmorphia

I was apprehensive about going into this graphic novel as these topics hit close to home. Which is why I initially didn’t give it a star rating on Goodreads. I needed time to process my thoughts and feelings and come to a non-emotional conclusion.

The art style in this book is so beautifully done. I love the colours and the style used. I loved Mindy’s hair, especially.

The story itself was simple – Mindy needing to learn to love herself for how she is, and to live with that love.

The chocolate called Eat, Love Yourself helped her on that journey.

There were parts of this book that made me have to walk away a few times, as they made my heart hurt a lot.

On the whole, I think this story is a great, simplistic way, of looking at the eating disorder Mindy has, and how the outside opinions of others can affect them.

<strong>The book delivers a great discussion of body image and self-worth</strong> ➽ The main character lives with an eating disorder and relives her past when she tries out a new 'magical'<strong> chocolate bar that promises to bring about self-love</strong>. This little magical element was perfect to convey her experience with fat-shaming and her eating disorder that forged her into what she is struggling with right now. It broke my heart to see her endure a lot of snide comments about her weight made by classmates that wanted to see her hurt. Mindy is however also hearing a lot of harmful misconceptions about what her body 'should' look like from her friends at high school and her parents, though neither of them means her any harm. I liked that the <strong>book showed what an impact our words can make on people</strong>, especially if they are supposed to be well-meaning. Mindy's parents love her, but their comments about her eating habits and body further her hurt and insecurity, as she feels singled out, shamed and not understood. Even years later she has a hard time talking to them but later confronts them with how their actions have made her feel. This was definitely a nuanced discussion about how it's possible to <strong>love your body and learn to be comfortable</strong> in it, accepting the past and being able to move on. The positive messages made this book such an important read 💕

<b>I loved the main character and the supporting cast</b> ➽ Mindy not only struggles with her body image but also feels aimless about her future. She is 27 years old and working as a barista, but it seems like she never finished school, prompting her parents to ask what she plans to achieve further down the line. <strong>I honestly loved Mindy</strong> and really felt for her as she was so realistic in her struggles. She's also got a cat named Jabba and you know how much I love cat content!! I also loved her relationship with her <strong>high school friend Shae</strong> who tries to bring out the best in her, but sometimes can say careless things that hurt her. Their friendship felt so sincere, but sadly we barely got to see what happened to them after they had a fight 😞 Then there's also <strong>Elliott, a boy Mindy liked back in school</strong> and who she pushed away because she feared that he'd reject her. They meet again and manage to reconnect a bit. I loved their interactions, though it wasn't the focus of the book. A last shoutout goes to Mindy's coworker who she talks to frequently and who seemed to be very understanding!

<b>I loved the art style in general!</b> ➽ It's hard to explain why but the art really spoke to me and was aesthetically pleasing! Sometimes you just<strong> really click with an art style</strong> and this was right up my alley. It had some nice dark scenes but also a lot of warm colors that looked really calming and made this the perfect comfort read 🥰

<strong>IN CONCLUSION.</strong> ➽ <i>Eat, and Love Yourself </i>is a fantastic <strong>graphic novel about learning to love your body</strong> and find your way in life. I loved the art style and relatable main character so much! I just wish this had been longer or had further volumes, as there was great potential for it to be a bigger series.

I loved the message of the importance of self-love portrayed in the story! The illustrations were also good!

I was provided an ARC by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Throughout her life, Mindy has struggled with body image and eating disorders. One night on a late-night grocery run, she finds a new line of chocolate bars called “Eat and Love Yourself.” To her surprise, each square of chocolate brings her back to a moment in her past and eventually, these trips teach her to love herself for who she is.

EaLY was a heartwarming story and quick read! I definitely related a lot with Mindy and there were moments i had to metaphorically put the book down and think. The book definitely made me re-evaluate some of my own life choices and how I view myself. It has definitely achieved its goal of trying to teach readers about self love and how to find it.

I would definitely recommend this book for people who want to get out of a book slump and/or can relate to the protagonist's struggles.

This is a story about a woman who have an unhealthy relationship to her body and to food - eating disorder and body dysmorphia. I think it was illustrated well, how it isn't a choice and how this was something that had been with her since childhood. Like, how even the smallest things, when said enough, can have catastrophic consequences. Both the description of her eating disorder, the way she handled it and how she couldn't for the life of her understand how someone would find her attractive were really well done.
Then there was the chocolate and the way it gave her flashbacks, and the luxury of hindsight, was a great way of showing how her life had developed and what had led her to her destructive ways.
The artwork was amazing, I loved it.

One thing I would have appreciated was a longer ending. Like, just a glimpse into her life after her journey of loving herself. Now we just know (hope) that she's going to try and nothing else.

Still, solid work!
Thanks Netgalley and Boom! Box for letting me read this beauty in exchange for an honest review.

4 of 5 chocolate squares

/ Denise

*Special thanks to Boom! Box for letting me read an advanced copy of Eat, and Love Yourself in exchange for an honest review.
**Content warning for discussion of eating disorders, body hatred, and fat phobia.

Eat, and Love Yourself by Sweeney Boo is a 164 page graphic novel published by Boom! Box and funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign. The graphic novel follows the life of the protagonist, Mindy, who struggles with her self-esteem due to her weight and eating habits.

Personally, as someone who struggles with her own body image, I really enjoyed reading this book and the message it ultimately portrayed. I felt like it dealt with heavy topics such as eating disorders and self-esteem issues in a respectful and beautiful way. The book begins with a spread of candy wrappers each titled with affirmations such as “You Matter”, “You are Worthy of Love”, “You are Amazing”, and a dedication to “everyone who struggles to love themselves.” I think that Sweeney Boo, and all the creative team involved in this book, did an awesome job and I applaud them for bringing this book to life. Eat, and Love Yourself is available now on Amazon and I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone interested in reading a journey towards self-love and re-parenting of the child self.

My Rating: 5/5

Eat, and Love Yourself is a lovely body positivity graphic novel.

Mindy doesn't see herself in a positive light. She sees herself as her weight, and takes offense when other people point out it. She tracks it constantly yet over eats a lot of chocolate bars. A lot of her food issues seem to stem from her childhood and various issues she's had over the years. Chocolate bars have become her fix to help reduce her anxiety.

This story shows how Mindy developed over the years and how she learned to cope and and break the cycle. Body dysphoria can be really debilitating for people, and Mindy is learning all about it.

I found that this book hits home from the get go and talks some real truths. Mindy is super relatable and cool to boot.

Other Notes:
1. The cat's name is Jabba. I truly hope it's after Jabba the Hut, just saying.
2. TURQUOISE/TEAL HAIR FOR THE WIN!

I think this is the perfect channel for communicating this message. A graphic novel not only shows the story, but it also shows the emotions of the characters when it's painted on their face.

The colour scheme of purple and yellow is absolutely gorgeous. It stands out and the tones work really well together. Add in the cartoon-y illustrations and you make for one really pretty and well illustrated story. Honestly, the style really vibes with me. I'm impressed!

Overall, this book was a great resource to show the that body dysphoria is is common. I wish it would have dove into how Mindy learned to break the cycle to really hit the message home. I think that would have been a great way to show that there is positivity on the other side, because the story mostly showed her constantly eating the chocolate and only deciding that she would change. There wasn't much action.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for supplying me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Wow this was a great graphic novel! It does have things that might be triggers for some with dealing with eating disorders and body image. But I think it is also really great and that a lot of people can relate to the talk of body image and learning to love our bodies as they are.

** Thank you NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Despite being a really short read, Eat and Love Yourself evokes so much sentiment and emotion even after the story ends. The story follows Mindy who struggles with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia, which are impacting her mental health and relationship with others. When she stumbles upon a chocolate bar that brings her back to a memory of her past, she learns to confront her younger self and ultimately learns to love herself.

The graphic novel does a beautiful job at showing Mindy’s character development, portraying her inner monologue and tumultuous thoughts as she struggles with her self-perception. Through each bite back into her past, she gains more self-awareness and understanding.

Full of emotion and heartbreak, the graphic novel brings to light a lot of issues around body image and eating disorders, but ultimately ends on an inspirational note.

Sweeney Boo’s illustrations are on point; the color palette and character design are amazing.

This will definitely join as one of my favorite graphic novels. I definitely would recommend a read. It’s a short read, but heart-felt and inspiring.

TW: Eating disorders
This is a fantastic graphic novel. The artwork is so well done and the colors are absolutely gorgeous. This graphic novel is about Mindy who is living with an eating disorder. She gets a chocolate bar called "Eat and Love Yourself" which allows her to see moments in her past as a observer. She sees some of the most difficult moments in her life that have shaped her into who she is. This is a great work of magical realism that tackles a tough topic.

Good things: the artwork is super cute, the protagonist is a curvy dreamboat, and the message embodied by the title is one I can certainly get behind. Bad things: the story isn't as compelling as I hoped, and the protagonist doesn't go on much of a journey. I was hoping to see a big transformation: how she starts in a place of hating her body, goes through various experiences, then comes out accepting herself (as the title suggests). But for 3/4 of the book, she's stagnating – eating, puking, eating, puking, over and over without changing at all. It got quite samey and I don't know what I was meant to be getting from it. It was nice to see her accepting herself at the end, but it felt pretty sudden and unearned.

before i started this i knew it would get too close for comfort, but somehow that didn't turn out to be a bad thing. even though mindy's entire life is not universal, i'm sure everyone can relate to her to some extent, because she felt as real as you and me

i finished this book 30 minutes after picking it up, bawling my eyes out like there was no tomorrow. it started and ended the exact way i wished it would, i wouldn't change a thing (except maybe the diversity in there, but i'll let this one go because i liked it so much).

TW: Depression, Bulimia, Body Dysmorphia, Eating Disorders

This was a powerful and realistic story about a girl who deals with her depression and self-hatred by turning to a disordered eating pattern. It is a rather raw story and I in particular related to her body dysmorphia and her depression. I often feel the same as she did in the story like she has no particular purpose and like she is a disappointment to her family. I liked the premise of her eating a candy bar that helps her confront her issues, importantly the issues with her family, which were pretty toxic.
I did not like the ending of the book, however, which is why I feel I can't give this graphic novel the full 5 stars. First, I felt the ending wrapped up much too neatly and quickly for it to be realistic. While Mindy did start to realize that she needed help with her thought patterns and disordered eating towards the end of the story, she had a very convenient reemergence of Elliott into her life and seemed to be "cured" when he validated her body and said that he liked her.

I feel like this is an unhealthy way to end this book, especially for readers who may be struggling with similar issues. I feel like readers need to understand that validation by people is not a cure. Often times, eating disorders and mental illness requires that people get treatment, medicine, and therapy. And that is okay. We didn't see Mindy get any sort of therapy or treatment at the end of the story. We only saw her being "cured" because a man said he likes her body. I don't think that in itself would help her love herself fully, and so the ending left me kind of unconvinced.

In addition, we never see what happens with Mindy's other relationships, especially with her parents, who were very toxic but "only want the best", and with Shae, who could also be toxic at times.

5/5⭐️ for Eat, and Love Yourself by Sweeney Boo

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boom! Studios for giving me early access to a digital copy of this graphic novel!

**Trigger Warning: eating disorder (specifically, bulimia) ~ explicit depiction of bingeing and purging of food**

Holy Crap! I freaking loved this graphic novel! I’m already calling it my #1 for 2020, and easily top 5 of all time! It is set in Canada (likely Montreal), and follows Mindy. Mindy has always been on the larger side, never has had a great relationship with food, and has to deal constantly with negative comments re: her body & eating habits. One day, she discovers a chocolate bar that takes her back to specific moments in her life. These moments have formed who she is, but reflecting on these moments and choices may give her the strength to change her life for the better and start healing.

Art Style: 10/10 - colour palette and character design were ON POINT!

Characterization: I loved the emotional journey our MC Mindy takes through this book, and how she grows from beginning to end. Side characters, especially BFF Shae help bring the story to life and convey the message of the story.

*Potentially Spoiler-y*
There is a scene where Mindy does see a psychiatrist to help with her eating disorder, but I think it would have been great to see her also confide in someone else who is a part of her daily life such as a close friend or co-worker. I do not personally suffer from an eating disorder, but some people I talked to say that it can be immensely helpful to have extra people in your corner supporting you. This may be because Mindy is not at a place where she’s ready to do that, but that’s probably the only thing I would add to this book.

Again, thank you so much to Sweeney Boo for creating this beautiful and important graphic novel and I hope this helps a lot of people ❤️