This stunning graphic novel follows Mindy, a young woman who struggles with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. Her entire life, she's heard from her parents what a disappointment she is and feels like she doesn't deserve love.

The story starts at a party where you can hear Mindy's inner dialogue, breaking herself down. She's interrupted by her best friend Shaé. Shaé is confident, thin, goes to college and gets a lot of dudes. After letting drunk Shéa sleep on her couch, Mindy goes to buy some midnight snacks. She ends up adding an "Eat, and love yourself" chocolate bar.

Whenever Mindy eats a piece of this chocolate bar, she is taken back in time to witness the struggles of her younger self. She's able to understand more where this all sparked. She relives moments at her old school, her parents' house and at the psychiatrist she used to see.

This story doesn't show Mindy miraculously getting over her disorder because she suddenly realises something. At the ending, you can see she wants to break the cycle. It's a message of hope instead of an instant cure.

This is an important book about a topic that should be discussed more. It touched on a lot of subjects without becoming a depressing read. The art style was great, I'd love to see more from Sweeney Boo.

"There you are, living your life when all of a sudden, the weight of the world drops on your shoulders without a word of warning."

This is my first graphic novel in a very long time and I couldn't put it down! The book addresses the issue of body dysmorphia, an eating disorder which quite a lot of people face. I am in absolute awe of the illustrations and how the story flows flawlessly.

While reading this book, I could relate to so many feelings which the protagonist - Mindy was feeling. Body type and self esteem are something I deeply relate to because of having gone through a similar phase and I do wish to go back and tell myself how I was doing the best I could and that it'd be alright pretty soon.
Mindy is a woman who's been trying hard to not be a disappointment all her life, especially because of her weight. The book boldly addresses how brutal criticism from the people we love around us can leave the deepest scars within us.

But what I liked best about the story was the time travelling journey which Mindy had to go through in order to introspect and eventually end up accepting her journey and loving herself because of it.

If you're looking for a light read and a book to remind you about self acceptance then this is definitely your go-to book! I rate it 5 out of 5 bookmarks because how candidly this issue has been portrayed and of course because of the amazing graphics throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boom! Studios the opportunity to read this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of the graphic novel. There may have been some tears during a part. This graphic novel follows a young woman named Mindy who has always struggled with her weight. During a late night run to pick up food, Mindy selects a chocolate bar that promises consumers to relive their past. Of course, Mindy is thrown into surreal visions of her past that highlight moments that caused her grief. I think this graphic novel included a lot of societal issues for women and I think the message of this was empowering. The illustrations were incredible as well!

'Eat, and Love Yourself' was touching and just what I needed. I've been in a rut about myself and after reading this graphic novel, I really feel like I need to look at things from a different perspective. As humans, we are always our own worst critics. We pick at our flaws even when others don't notice those flaws as much. Sweeney Boo has captured what a woman goes through when they struggle with their weight. I think this is a graphic novel every young adult woman needs to read. Each page pushed Mindy - the main character - closer to realizing what has been holding her back all this time.

This is my honest review of Eat, and Love yourself graphic novel. I was able to be able to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel from the publisher via an ebook through NetGalley.

This graphic novel follows Mindy, a 27-year-old woman who has issues with body dysmorphia, an eating disorder, and other self-esteem issues. One day after walking her drunk friend back to her house she opts to go to her local mini mart to grab some food. Upon checking out she sees a candy bar being sold by a local small business. She decides to buy this candy bar to support local business- only upon eating it does she discover it enables her to relive past experiences from her childhood.

I liked that this story follows a woman in her late 20's. I think a lot of us in our late 20's deal with figuring out ourselves. This story also follows a lot of verbal abuse to the main character. I think Mindy slowly realizes this through the story. The story makes you want to tell Mindy the things people say to her are uncalled for and she should work on not only loving herself but getting a better friend group.

I do feel that this story may not be for everyone depending on what may trigger different health issues. So I would advise that their be a warning for this novel prior to reading.

The graphic novel was also well done. The cover is super cute - it drew me to this book. The colors were nice, and I liked her cat. I could see the need for this story to continue and add a second or third book to follow Mindy’s journey. 😊

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy of this graphic novel.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Body Dysmorphia, Bulimia, eating disorders, bullying, parental body shaming, depression

This was a really sweet graphic novel. I was a little hesitant, even as I was reading it that the author wouldn't be able to broach this topic with caution while still doing it justice. I was afraid that this idea of a chocolate that could solve all your problems would just be another "get skinny quick" scam and it wouldn't be able to give the message of body positivity. Mindy's parents were complete crap and I can't imagine the depression and other things she would have had to deal with as a teenager. But the author really did bring the message home and I was pleased with the ending.

There's such a misconception that "you have to love yourself before someone else can love you", but sometimes, that just doesn't happen. Sometimes you need someone else to see you as beautiful for you to believe it yourself. And I think this story actually did a good job conveying that.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for a review I really enjoyed this graphic novel I usually do not pick up graphic novels but this one and the characters changed my mind on them and I can not wait to read more by this authour. I thought the graphics were awesome and the story line was good and the character you can tell that she grew alot though out the story

Exploring loving the body that you're in and eating disorder, Eat, and Love Yourself should have been a great read however I was disappointed with what I got. The artwork is beautiful throughout however I felt that too much of this graphic novel was focused on the disordered ideas that Mindy, the central character, has with food. This book is definitely not uplifting and I didn't feel as though Mindy ever really found acceptance by the end of the story. This was a very uncomfortable read for me.

I think this is the kind of book that you will either love and find life-changing or you will thoroughly dislike this book as feel worse about yourself after reading it.

First, thank you to the publisher for providing me an eARC of this graphic novel via Net Galley.

Not only was this my first time reading Sweeney Boo but it was the first novel that I've read that's themes are based on body dysmorphia and depression. Eat, and Love Yourself follows Mindy, a 27-year old woman, who discovers a chocolate bar that will allow her to revisit and analyze her past while learning to love herself for who she is. She looks back at her relationships with others: family, friends, boys, and ultimately herself.

* Light spoilers ahead *

I have mixed feelings about this work. On one hand, I appreciate the ATTEMPT to talk about a bigger conversation surrounding body dysmorphia. On the other hand, I feel like it totally missed the mark. Most of the graphic novel focuses on Mindy revisiting her past self and while this is a great way to work internally on the trauma that was of her childhood, the text didn't indicate that Mindy learned anything from it. Instead, she meets an old friend and rekindles a romance. It's like the that interaction was the basis of how Mindy was going to love herself hearing from a guy that she was perfect the way she was.

There wasn't much character development in this title and it really could have been successful had the story focused more on Mindy's personal growth and actual ways to learn to love yourself when dealing with body dysmorphia, anxiety, and depression. The answers to these things aren't romance and that's why I'm truly disappointed in the work. There wasn't a concrete answer or action as to how Mindy would continue on her journey of accepting herself for who she truly was.

Also Mindy was THICK and CUTE AF, I hate that she hated her body so much. It would have been dope to see an interpretation of this where Mindy was like f*** ya'll, I love myself. That's the kind of message I want to see when it comes to body positivity but that's just me though.

I enjoyed this a lot, the artwork is great, and it’s an important story. At first I felt it was alittle judgy towards Mindy, like it was her lwn fault she was fat. and that thta was not okay. I like how in the end that turned out not to be the case. Overall definitely a good read!

For someone with the same struggles as the main character, it was very good to see your negative thoughts being put on paper, knowing other's have been through the same thing. It touched so beautifully on touchy subjects without being too triggering for someone still struggling.

Eat and Love Yourself holds a mirror up to the society that is obsessed with everyone fitting the mold of thin. The protagonist, Mindy, is a woman still stuck in the mindset of a child when it comes to her body because when you are fat, your entire identity revolves around being fat. Try as you might, that is the only thing most people will see about you and it becomes your marker. And after a point in time, that is the only thing you see about yourself too.

Mindy lives a boring. normal life working at a coffee shop; while her thin, attractive, confident best friend studies art. The novel starts with the two of them at a party where Shaè (the best friend) is enjoying herself while Mindy sulks. Right from this point, we see Mindy seeing herself as worthless and undeserving of love because of her body image. Throughout the story, we see Mindy trying hard to love herself, but she can’t because there are so many hurdles. Those hurdles do not end at her own body image. Over and over again, she is subtly or un-subtly reminded of her fatness and her ‘unhealthy’ eating habits by her best friend and parents in ways that are rude and disrespectful. And she accepts this disrespect, because she thinks that is what she deserves.

When Mindy discovers the “Eat and Love Yourself” chocolate bar, she witnesses her childhood from the eyes of her present self. She understands her young self and her decisions; which help her understand her present self more and bolster her confidence. She goes from a timid, shy, pushover to someone who stands up for herself and starts to see her value. All of this is accompanied by powerful illustrations which teleport us right next to Mindy. The character design is commendable with the look of Mindy being so soft showcasing her timid personality, while her best friend Shaè with edges which show her confident and impulsive nature.

Although this story made me root for Mindy, the concept of why she is fat made me feel a bit weird. She is shown as a careless eater who cannot be helped. And that seems like the reason of her being fat; instead of her resorting to junk food because of it. It makes being overweight seem like a choice, which it mostly is not. So, as much as I appreciate and like this story, that one facet of it pricks me like a thorn. There is a subtle nod to the fact that Shaè is as much of a careless eater as Mindy, yet she remains lithe and slim; but I do not believe that is enough.

That being said, Eat and Love Yourself is the kind of story we do not get to see often, and it makes me happy knowing that there are people out there writing protagonists who are not the Hollywood archetype.

The entire time I was reading this one I was worried about the ending. Was it going to be another book about a fat girl who just "gets better" by being thin or with the validation of a boy? Spoiler alert! It's not. The ending is perfect in my opinion. And I truly don't think I'm ruining anything for future readers when I tell you that it ends on a vaguely hopeful note which is fitting because eating disorders and body dysphoria and fat-shaming aren't things that you get over immediately, if ever.

So this graphic novel follows Mindy, a woman in her twenties who has been suffering from fat-shaming, bulimia, and body dysphoria for her entire life. Comments from her family and friends have been less than supportive and those microaggressions are dangerous.

Mindy finds a chocolate bar one night called Eat, and Love Yourself, which unbeknownst to her, would take her back in time to see herself as a kid and teenager during rough times. During these "dreams" Mindy is able to see how harmful the comments and actions of those around her were for her and how dangerous her behavior had become. She could see how hurt her younger self was and it helped her to gain a little hindsight about her eating disorder.

There were a lot of things I really loved about this graphic novel. First off, the artwork is phenomenal. I loved the way Mindy was drawn and how unapologetic the artist was with her body. secondly, I appreciated the inclusion of multiple eating disorders. So often society forgets that fat people can and do have eating disorders and that only ever showing thin people with anorexia isn't a diverse representation. Mindy deals with both over eating and bulimia, as well as starving at times. Thirdly, I like that while there was some interactions with men, it wasn't a turning point for Mindy to start loving herself. Too often we see books where the fat main character is only able to love herself after a boy tells her she's beautiful. That's not the case here and it was a nice change.

This is a powerful book for me because it made me think back on my own childhood growing up. When I was younger, I was very thin, but I went through an extremely tough summer when I was around 12 and gained about 50 pounds. For a teenager it was absolutely detrimental to my mental health and body image. I hated myself and I proceeded to hate myself for 10+ years. I never lost the weight, I only gained more. In high school I had started starving myself and then binging, which of course never helped lose any weight. During college, I overate and stopping caring about my health at all. Nothing felt worth it and my mental health got to the lowest it's ever been. I truly didn't want to continue and felt that no one would want me anyway because of how fat I was. I had absolutely zero self worth and spent my days hating my body. It wasn't until I was 23 and had moved away from my home town that I really started to actively work on body positivity. After I came out I found a reason to keep going and started to see myself in a different light. I had found a community that was welcoming no matter what and it was what I needed. Over the last year or so my identity has continued to change but my own body image is the best it's been since I was 12 years old.

The current state of the world isn't helping right now but I know we'll make it through. I'm putting this here because its something we need to remember as we are self-isolated and our bodies may change during this time. It is not okay to say that you're scared of getting fat or gaining weight during this quarantine. It is harmful and dangerous to those around you. One thing this graphic novel makes very clear is that the words of others have a tremendous impact on our own self-image. If we constantly hear people claiming about how fat they are or how scared they are of being fat, it can be detrimental. Please be mindful of your words and actions all the time, and especially right now.

I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for giving me access.

Wow! This hit home. As a woman that suffers from body dysmorphia (lets call it BD for short), I related to this so much. Not only is the main character a little 'bigger' than the 'average' person, she also suffers from having an eating disorder.

Sweeney Boo does a wonderful job a painting a picture of how people feel when they suffer from BD. I have, on more than one occasion, felt exactly like Mindy. Boo shows us that BD brings us more than the idea of ones hate for their self image...it can bring eating disorders, anxiety, lack of social construct.

Not only do we follow Mindy's struggle, we follow her growth on her personal wellbeing.

This is a wonderful story that everyone, and I mean everyone should read. We need to break the cycle and love ourselves regardless of how we look.

This graphic novel hit me in all the feels. I adored Mindy and could relate to her. There’s a lot of important topics in this and it was so refreshing to see these topics in this graphic novel, I feel like we often as a society avoid talking about eating disorders and depression because it makes us uncomfortable but it’s important to talk about it. Really enjoyed this one and I loved t beautiful illustrations as well.

Would definitely recommend but of course make sure you know the trigger warnings going in before you read!

This book is about Mindy who has disordered eating and follows her along a journey to self-love. The message and topics within this book are heavy and relevant to a lot of movements today focusing on body positivity and the like, however I think this graphic novel just scrapes the surface. I felt the pacing was a little off, the characters flat, the motivations behind Mindy's actions unclear at points (like her tiff with her best friend), and a lot of tell not show within the dialogue. The journey through the story didn't bring out any depth in the plot, and the conclusion, while positive, didn't feel earned. I wanted more.

Overall I'm giving it three stars because it was still a fine read. I loved the art style, the concept was intriguing, Mindy was cute, and the topic important. I just wish the story and characters had been more fleshed out/developed so the weight of the topic could be fully felt.

This is a very raw and emotional look at a young woman struggling with her self esteem, mental health and an eating disorder. The magical chocolate bar takes her back to moments in her life which have shaped who she is today. The reader sees the way her parents have treated her and the very mixed messages they've given her about food. You see the unhelpful comments her friends make. You see her self-sabotage her romantic relationships because she doesn't feel worth loving. The book was very intense and moving, but didn't have enough resolution. I wanted to see Mindy fight back more, put up more boundaries within toxic relationships and see herself more clearly before the book ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sweeney Boo for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy of Eat, and Love Yourself in exchange for an honest review! Pub Date: April 2020

TW: Body dysmorphia, eating disorders

Eat, and Love Yourself is a contemporary graphic novel that follows Mindy, a 27-year-old who struggles with body dysmorphia throughout the book and goes on a journey of self-love. Plot twist: there is a magical chocolate bar that allows her to witness her childhood memories when eaten!

Rating: 4/5 stars. I don't tend to read graphic novels, so I was immediately intrigued by the art in this book. The illustrations were stunning and made this book stand out for me! Although this book discusses a difficult subject matter, the author strikes an effective balance between informing readers about self-love and body dysmorphia without being preachy. I read this book within a day because I could not stop reading! The only thing that was kind of a let down for me was the ending, which seemed a bit abrupt. I would have liked some additional pages in order to get more closure from the main character's journey to self-acceptance. Overall though, I would recommend this book if you want a fast read, amazing artwork, and deals with an important subject matter.

This is a beautifully drawn graphic novel with strong themes. Throughout the story, the main character travels back to relive moments of her past as an outsider. We experience her current struggles with body dysmorphia and bulimia, as well as seeing moments of her childhood that contributed to the problem. The moments are very realistic and something that I can really relate to myself from my own childhood. An important graphic novel, with a hopeful air and ending! Would recommend this to anyone!

3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

TW: Eating disorder, body dysmorphia, low self-esteem

I was really drawn towards the art style and after reading the description I decided I couldn’t let this one pass by! First I want to have said that the artwork was absolutely fantastic. Though I realise everyone likes different styles, this was exactly right for me. I loved the colourful experience, and everything was just beautifully drawn!

I personally don’t necessarily think I would identify Mindy as having a ‘big’ body, though she is curvy, I wouldn’t say that. But then again, it really shows that body dysmorphia can start at any size and, which is important to remember too.

There’s this really cool and unique concept of a chocolate bar that let’s Mindy experience flashbacks to relationships she’s lost and mistakes she’s made. It gives her the chance to revisit her journey towards self-acceptance. I do want to say though that I would’ve liked more details from that journey. It kind of felt like I saw the start, and the older Mindy looking back when she was further on her journey, it was kind of an abrupt end too. Another thing that bothered me a little was that, how I saw it, Mindy started to love herself a bit more only after a boy validated her. I would’ve liked to see it not be an outsider’s approval but more of her own acceptance. However I was really happy with the fact that she did get there in the end. It showed some positivity that hopefully will help other people on their journeys as well.

All in all, this was beautifully drawn and emotionally engaging, and I’m really glad I got the chance to read and review this in advance.

I really liked this. The graphics were amazing and the message was powerful. This is definitely something I would have loved to read as a teen (still loved reading it as an adult)