Member Reviews

Greer wanted to be noticed for her passion for mathematics, but all everyone seemed to notice were Maude and Mavis, her right and left breasts. The constant scrutiny of her body, from friends, family, and even strangers, made it hard for her to be comfortable in her own skin, but in this story, I got to cheer for Greer as she began breaking her own self-imposed rules regarding her body.

I won't lie. Greer's story was quite heartbreaking at times, and though I never dealt with her exact issue, I did grapple with body issues. I remember my sister battling with her growing chest as a young teen. She employed many of the same tactics as Greer. She wore large, oversized clothing, and hunched her shoulders in an effort to make herself look smaller. How sad, that someone is made to feel like that. I felt Greer's pain throughout this book, and there were so many times I wanted to hug her, or encourage her to talk to someone.

I appreciated that Zimmermann took us through all the difficulties people with large breasts encounter. How their top may be a way different size from their bottom. How finding a good support garment is difficult and extremely expensive, and lack of such garments is a barrier to enjoying certain activities. I have heard about the physical pain large breasted people experience, but how many other people have? Zimmermann took on the topic with a touch of humor, but there were many very real moments shared with us.

That was why it felt so good to see Greer become part of the volleyball team. She had avoided athletics in the past, because of the physical difficulties she experienced as she played. With the help of good sports bra, and an awesome home ec teacher, who was able to modify her uniform top, Greer was able to be part of a team for the first time. She was able to seen for her skill on the court, and she found a lot of support from some of her teammates as well. Jessa, the captain of the team, was especially wonderful, as she embraced her own body for its strength and what it could do, never dwelling on her size. She also spoke honestly about her body, and this was such a big thing for Greer, who always felt ashamed, and wanted to avoid anything that pertained to how she looked.

In a nutshell, this was a humorous and honest story about learning to love yourself. It was about not letting other people determine what your body can or cannot do, and wanting to be seen as a whole person, which is something everyone deserves.

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My Eyes Are Up Here is such a great book. I read this and could almost feel the same emotions as the main character. Her story was so powerful and moving and one a lot of us can relate to.
I hope everyone picks this book up and gives it a read.

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This was a great contemporary book! It focused on women’s body image, while having a super cute romance. This book is great for people to understand the struggles that other women have with their body image, so you can learn to respect what they are going through. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about a cute “new boy in town” romance or to learn about body positivity!

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I enjoyed this so much! Greer has a really strong voice and characterization, a great balance between bold and sarcastic and smart and awkward - and occasionally laugh out loud funny. As a former busty teen (now busty lady!), I really appreciated a book that focuses on the trials and tribulations involved, not something that necessarily comes up in YA (on the other end of the body-shaming spectrum, there tend to be a lot of YA main characters who are flat-chested and lamenting it); this was definitely the first time I'd come across an MC who is seriously considering and researching breast reduction. I absolutely loved how nicely sports and finding a team were portrayed as confidence-builders, and the inclusion of secondary characters (Maggie, Jessa, Quinlan) who were interesting, well-rounded, and who had their own lives outside Greer's story was so, so excellent. The romance is perhaps a bit typically YA, but hey, it's a YA book. It's still sweet and appealing, and I enjoyed the way it was based in friendship, how neither party was entirely right/perfect or entirely wrong/incomprehensible, and the way there wasn't a lot of meaningless or contrived misunderstanding - the tension came from real issues within the plot. Really good YA contemporary for those looking, and even those who don't know they are.

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Over the last year, high school sophomore Greer Walsh has given up a lot. She’s stopped wearing swimsuits, doesn’t participate in team sports, and only feels comfortable wearing an extra large gray sweatshirt that use to be her father’s. Her mother doesn’t understand what happened to the social girl who use to dress herself in tutus and dance her way through life. Her mother hasn’t looked close enough to notice that Greer’s breasts have grown in epic proportions to the rest of her body. But that doesn’t mean other people haven’t noticed. However, all of Greer’s attempts to hide her body and showcase her brains haven’t quite panned out the way she has wanted them too. As a new friendship blooms with new kid, Jackson Oates, Greer realizes that in many ways she hasn’t been hiding just her body from the world, but also holding back herself from friendship, romance, extra curricular activities and more. Can Greer overcome years of self-doubt to seize happiness and become engaged in the world around her?

VERDICT is that this is a heartfelt novel I wish I could have read in high school. I think it will be a source of comfort and reassurance for young girls experiencing many different kinds of changes in their body that they don’t understand, don’t know how to talk about, and even outright don’t like. The hardest part of this book for me was accepting the relationship between Greer and her mother. I definitely got the impression that her mother loves her and wants to be there for her, but found it extremely aggravating that she wasn’t better able to observe the changes in her daughter’s body and discuss the situation. There are a lot of resources out there for women with large breasts and at least some of Greer’s discomfort was definitely unnecessary and easily solvable. However, for the sake of this novel’s existence, Greer’s feeling of isolation and lack of resources was necessary. The female friendships Greer has with Maggie and Jessa is fun to watch evolve and these girls acceptance of their own unique bodies, as well as Greer’s, goes a long way. For me this book was really about that feeling of isolation that I myself experienced in high school, not for the same reasons, but which nonetheless left me feeling alone and uncomfortable in my own skin. This book vocalizes concerns about breast shape and size, boys, dating, pubic hair, etc, all of which many of us may find taboo at some point or another.

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4.5 stars
MY EYES ARE UP HERE was a hilarious and relatable story that I honestly adored. Greer was an incredible main character; while her situation was different from others’, I think everyone can relate to her in some way. She was so charming and her narration was amazing. I laughed out loud so many times while reading and felt connected with Greer throughout the story. The side characters were developed so well, as were the relationships. This book has empowering female friendships, a family that has its struggles but is there for each other in the end, and an awesome romance that is so sweet and builds over the perfect amount of time. The story was so much fun but also incredibly meaningful; Greer’s journey to finding and accepting herself was so well done and heartwarming. I genuinely adored this story and I think everyone can fall easily in love with it too.

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“My eyes are up here.”

There’s a very good chance, especially if you’re a woman or a girl in today’s day and age, that you’ve uttered this phrase at some point in your life. Or at the very least, you’ve thought it.

That’s exactly the case for Greer Walsh, the main character of the soon-to-be-released (due out June 23rd, in fact) YA novel My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann. My Eyes Are Up Here is, at its simplest, about a young woman who’s a sophomore in high school and struggling with some body image issues. But I assure you, it’s also much more than that.

Before I get further into the review, a big, big thank you to Penguin Teen for inviting me to read this e-ARC! I really appreciate it & I'm so excited to have gotten early access to this novel. You all know I love a good YA contemporary!

Now, more about the book:

Our MC, Greer, is known for a few things at school—being incredibly good at math, being the best friend of the eternally outspoken Maggie, and pretty much always wearing the same baggie hoodie.

But the reason she hides inside her baggie hoodie is exactly what she doesn’t want to be known for—the size of her breasts. At such a young age, Greer is already suffering not just from the emotional stress of having inconveniently large breasts (or as she describes them, “bigger than her head”), but also the physical toll, as well. And just the general logistics of getting dressed and going about her day to day life. Despite the fact that she doesn’t want them (she has named them “Maude and Mavis”, by the way) to be her defining characteristic for others, they are very much her defining characteristic to herself. She thinks constantly about how they feel physically, how much they hurt, how to deal with them, how to hide them, and the things they prevent her from doing and enjoying—like playing sports or or dating the cute new guy or buying a nice dress for the school dance.

This contemporary YA follows Greer as she learns more about herself and how she fits into the world around her as more than just the girl with the huge breasts, and learns to accept herself how she is and not let her body image problems stop her from living her life—even if she does have to live it a little differently from other people.

In my opinion, the three best things about this book are the characters, the humor, and the uplifting message.

You all know I love a good character-driven book. I prefer it, actually. The plot could be anything (or nothing, for all I care). To me, if the characters are good enough and are written well, they alone can be the driving force behind a story. And My Eyes Are Up Here is not lacking on wonderful, well-developed characters. Greer Walsh is great as a main character because she is someone a lot of young readers will find extremely relatable—but not just young readers. The way she talks about her image of herself, her own anxiety, and the way she wishes she could fold in on herself are aspects that I think a lot of people can identify with, no matter what their age or what their insecurities. Whether you struggle with body image issues like Greer, or insecurities about anything—skin, voice, hair, the way you talk—the author speaks through Greer about these feelings in a way that you will be able to nod at and say, “Yes. That’s exactly it. I feel that.”

But Greer has a great supporting cast backing her up, too. Her best friend Maggie, for one, is hilarious but lovable. Lovable like a porcupine. Maggie is fierce and woke and ready to fight anyone, anywhere about any injustice. Whether it’s animal rights or feminism or societal expectations or environmental activism, Maggie is there, and she’s loud, and she’s proud, and she will not back down. Everyone in school knows her because she has something to say about everything and while her classmates roll her eyes at yet another of her outbursts, you can’t help but laugh along and kind of quietly cheer her on. In the vein of Gremma from The Hearts We Sold or Reagan from Fangirl, Maggie is exactly the type of BFF you want on your side.

But funny enough, one of the smaller side characters ended up being probably my favorite character in the whole book, and that was Jessa. When Greer eventually works up the courage (and finds the right bra) to try out for the volleyball team, Jessa Timms becomes her JV captain. Jessa is loyal and confident and instead of being a stereotypical, flatly written jock character, she’s a lowkey badass who really stands out. She helps teach Greer that it’s okay to talk about the female body—after all, it is your body. There’s this moment where all the girls leave volleyball practice and Jessa waits with them to make sure every single player on the team gets picked up safely before she leaves, and even though it was a small gesture, it made my little heart grow three sizes too big when I saw how much she cared about her girls and was looking out for them. She’s probably one of the best people in the book. She’s one of those side characters I’d read a whole novel about if there was one.

Jessa has a lot of standout moments in the book, but I don’t want to spoil the whole thing, so you really just have to read it to see how much of a badass she is and how much she helps the other characters throughout.

I also absolutely loved the humor in this book. As you may also know, there are few things I adore more than a snarky YA character, and Greer fits that bill perfectly (as do some of her friends). Despite her insecurities about her breasts, she brings a lot of humor to the situation, as well as a lot of wry, hilarious observations about high school, other people, and the world around her. You will be touched by the messages about self-love and body image in this book—but you will also be laughing your butt off as you go.

Which leads me to my other favorite thing about this book—the overall message. Greer learns a lot throughout the book, and I think readers will, too. Like life, this novel is an ongoing journey of tough experiences and personal growth. But the messages of loving yourself, of female empowerment, and of sticking up for yourself (even when your worst enemy lives inside your own head) are enduring. I think this will be a great book for young readers who are struggling or learning about body confidence. But again, you don’t have to be a teen to appreciate these messages. I felt so uplifted by the confidence and attitude coming out of this book, it was hard not to close my e-reader cover without uttering a triumphant “hell, yeah!” in honor of these characters.

If I were to say anything negative about this book, it would be that Greer mentions her favorite childhood toy a couple times, and I was absolutely horrified. She notes that she used to love playing with her American Girl dolls and at one point says that Maggie’s baseball loving brother Max would pitch them pine cones and they would swing at them with their American Dolls. Horrified by the image of a pine cone exploding into shards across Josefina Montoya’s face, I highlighted the passage on my e-reader in pink and added a digital note that said “YOU DID WHAT?! THOSE DOLLS ARE EXPENSIVE.” So I’m officially either old or frugal or both.

I jest. (I mean I really did make that note, but I’m joking. I had to laugh, both at the passage, and at my own reaction to it.)

I don’t see any reason to rate this any less than five stars. It’s great. My Eyes Are Up Here is out June 23rd from Penguin Teen, and I highly recommend it to any fans of YA, contemporaries, feminism, and body positivity. Zimmermann did some excellent work here, and you will not be disappointed.

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“I am ashamed of being ashamed of being ashamed. And that is the part that no one else understands.”

My Eyes are Up Here is such an amazing book. I felt every emotion in this book and I could totally relate to the main character Greer. She was such a well-developed character and so relatable. She is a sophomore in high school and her chest has not only filled out, but she has ginormous boobs. She has even named her boobs (which I thought was hilarious). Greer wears oversized sweatshirts 365 days a year and slouches so no one notices her breasts. She is super self-conscious; I mean who wouldn’t be and is trying to deal with that.

I really loved how realistic this whole entire book was, Greer’s thoughts, her awkwardness, and just about everything else. I loved the female friendships. I WISH I had some amazing friends like Greer has. Jessa and Maggie are side characters, but they have so much to do with this story and are amazing friends to Greer. What Greer goes through especially in a high school setting happens to so many other girls and women. In this world so many people are judging people by their looks, and this book goes to show that you should never judge anyone ever by their looks. Greer is so much more than just a teenage girl with big boobs, I loved her transformation.

I knew romance would play a part in this, but it was such a side note that it made me love it even more. Greer does not change because of a boy, she learns so much and becomes such a better more confident girl because she wants to. Her friends and mother help her gain confidence and are there for her. Yes, the romance was very cute, but it didn’t overshadow the main point of this book.

I really can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed this book. I think many girls/women of all ages will appreciate this book and love every character. I have to admit some parts are heavy and my heart ached for Greer, but that’s the point. High school and life are hard enough without people judging you for how perfect your makeup is, your hair, and how big your boobs are.

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I couldn’t put this book down. It’s so funny. Don’t go into it expecting a compelling plot, because that’s not really what this book is. It’s a hilarious story about a girl ranting about her huge boobs for the entire book, & it’s brilliant. For those of us with a similar experience, this is a book that is both sad and funny at the same time. It’s written in a very funny witty way while also raising the stakes and making the reader feel the urgency of clothes not fitting and all other conflicts that arise with an unconventional body type.

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Greer has a couple of giant problems she tries to hide. Greer’s breasts are size 30H and it makes her feel like no one can see anything else. She tries to hide under old XXL shirts she takes from her dad but when you are an H cup there really is no hiding. This is a beautifully honest tale of adolescence and how awkward and alien a girl’s body can feel. Greer’s mother is a relocation support person so Greer helps her meet a new family with a boy her age that she knows could never like her. Greer also decides to go out for the volleyball team after finding a magical bra called the stabilizer that makes her feel like her body is hers after all. This was a brutally honest story and I loved every page! All of the embarrassed horror of high school came flooded back as Greer figures out we all have something we try to keep hidden.

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As a sophomore in high school, Greer already has enough emotions. Now her boobs are out of control ginormous- she has even named them “Maude and Mavis” and has a mission to find a bra to help tame them.
When she meets a new transfer student, Jackson, Greer isn’t convinced he is interested in her rather than her boobs.
Lots of laughs and humor in this YA book. Learning to self accept and dig deep into friendships.

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