This was the most relatable Graphic Novel I have ever read.

Growing up in the 2000s as a woman just fucked up the body image of an entire generation. So I guess mostly every millenial woman (and of course others as well) will find theirselves in this book to an extend. I really enjoyed following along on this personal journey and it was a nice reminder that we are not alone with our issues and also that issues can be overcome.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good. It was interesting to see the author's journey, particularly in a graphic novel format. I've never really read books like this before, but this one makes me want to!

I found a lot of this book very relatable and it sparked a lot of memories, good and bad, of growing up in a similar time and with similar experiences (albeit in the UK for me). I think the author does a good job of saying out loud the things that many of us grew up thinking, but wouldn't let anyone else know. However, I also found that several sections were somewhat repetitive and drawn out for no reason. Honestly, I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been 50-100 pages shorter, with events described in a more concise way. I also found some sections just a tad too "buzzwordy" for my liking. Nevertheless, I'd still give it 3 stars for the nostalgia and for the author's courage for speaking openly about tough issues like eating disorders, body dysmorphia, mental illness, toxic relationships, and so on.

I received a free copy of this eBook from the publisher, Andrews McMeel Publishing, for review purposes. Full of Myself was released on 2nd April 2024.

Some of the messages Gallagher got growing up: Thin is better. Conformity is better. Your body is not right. You are not right.

In "Full of Myself", Gallagher talks about growing up uncomfortable in her body—or, more to the point, being made to feel uncomfortable in her body—and what it meant to be a young woman in an image-driven society that both sexualizes and shames girls. The pop culture references will probably land best with millennials (why hello there), but I love the "years in fashion" pages—they'll feel retro to a younger crowd, but millennials, take note, the closet of your past is calling.

Gallagher's art style is generally pretty simple, but I really like the way she draws herself. Lots of expression in a few simple lines of the face. I wondered, reading it, how differently this book will ring for someone who is plus-size versus someone who is straight-size—it'll be relatable to anyone who has struggled with body image and/or an eating disorder, but frankly probably more relatable to people who have spent more time on...let's call it the thinner side of the American average? No criticism here, just guessing that it will feel different for someone who is a size 8 vs. a size 18.

Three and a half stars, and I'd be curious to see what sort of fiction Gallagher might come up with.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Though packaged in bright colours, Siobhan Gallagher’s memoir details the intense and brutal experience of growing up fat in a culture where “thin is in”. As a fat, queer woman who grew up around the same time as the author, the earlier segments of the book really hit home for me and renewed the ache of growing up “not enough” and “too much” at the same time.

She covers topics like eating disorders, self-harm, poor coping strategies, depression and anxiety while tying them tightly to her body image. This book will be deeply relatable for many who grew up fat, particularly with the lasting effects it has on your self-worth even decades later.

The second and third quarters felt a bit flat for me. Gallagher spends a lot of time laying out the compounding experiences of her life that battered her sense of self. I think my issue was with a lack of emotional weight to her language choices. I’m someone who really loves emotional depth, and this book grazed the painful surface of too many experiences instead of granting depth to the really formative ones.

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There are some books that you can read and feel like you can relate to parts of the story or the characters - there are others that are shockingly so similar to your life experiences and thoughts that you have to close the book and take a deep breath when you realize you can’t hide from those thoughts you buried for years because they are right in front of you and someone else had them too.

I am so appreciative of this book and of Siobhan for telling her story. I loved every part of it, even when it made me feel sad. There were parts of her story that really had me thinking back to my childhood and growing up and she quite beautifully crystallized highlights of various eras in terms of fashion and whatever other fad there was. It’s impressive and beautiful, what she did.

I loved the message of this one, but it dragged on a bit too much in some areas to the point it disrupted the pacing and flow of the story. This could've been 60 pages shorter and gotten the exact same point across.

wow... just.. wow. I have no words for how healing and honest this graphic novel is, probably in my top 5 books I've read this year so far. Read it, read it, read it!

Trigger warnings for depictions of depression, smoking, drugs, alcohol/alcoholism, self harm and body image issues such as body dysmorphia and eating disorders.

This was my first experience reading a graphic memoir and I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself heavily relating to a lot of the experiences Siobhan went through because they mirrored my own experiences growing up, as well as many of the other issues that me and my fellow millennials can definitely relate to. At times I felt like some of the pages were extracted from my own childhood/teen diaries and because of this it made the book extremely relatable and just goes to show how no one is really immune to the pressures of society and growing up/finding yourself including body dysmorphia, sexism, mental health issues, etc. I found the graphic format enjoyable to read and I'm not sure it would have resonated the same way without the pictures. This book definitely makes me interested in trying other books in this format.

The style is very unique and fun! I commend the author on being vulnerable and honest through this memoir, but i do think this book dragged at some points and overall felt a little too long.

Siobhan Gallagher holds nothing back as she takes us on a tumultuous roller coaster of self-discovery and self-acceptance. Through unique, captivating graphics, Siobhan illustrates her struggles with different mental health conditions and attempts to find her purpose as a woman in today's judgmental, patriarchal society.

If you've ever felt lost or overwhelmed at any point in your life, this book is for you! Siobhan will make you feel comfortable and accepted as she teaches you a lesson or two about her years on this earth and the life lessons she's learned so far.

i am OBSESSED with this. i cannot say enough good things. it's relatable, it's funny, it's heartbreaking, it's heartwarming. it is everything we need in the world right now and it is everything every teenage girl (or teenage girl in her mid-twenties) needs to read.

this was extremely relatable. when the author was telling about her experiences from childhood to adulthood, from body dysmorphia to ED, from school to career, self doubt, creepy men, stalking girls you knew from school or from exes… I felt so seen. Siobhan is so open and raw and you can feel everything she has been going through. The art style is so fun and original, I especially loved the spreads with different decades and years of fashion. I am giving this a 5! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

big thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a kick in the (figurative) nuts!!!

It's like reading a diary of every young child who doesn't get the love, selflove, support or encouragement they need.

I know about eating disorders and self harm.
I have seen it, felt it, been around it, lived with it...
Not just myself but people around me as well.

So this was a very confronting and comforting comic to read.
Because if our older selves could tell our younger selves about all the things we know now and all the (unnecessary) hardships we've gone through, our lives could have been lived so differently.

But it is what it is and you'll learn to live with the hand that was dealt to you and you'll make the best of it either way.

The author did a beautiful job addressing so many different topics about body image and the way we think of our bodies. I enjoyed the illustrations and the dialogue. Reading this book hit a little spot in my heart. We look at our bodies and judge every part of ourselves. I loved this story.

At it's core, it's a fine book. It just wasn't for me.
At this stage, I've already read numerous books - including graphic novels - that discuss the enormous pressure young women, who gre up in the 90's/00's, felt about their body. For that reason, I found the book boring and it didn't offer me anything that I haven't already seen/read/heard about a million times over.

The illustrations were lovely. I enjoyed the layout of the pages and how different they were from one another. There was, however, often a LOT of info packed into every page, which meant a slow reading pace. Again, not my style when reading graphic novels. I simply was the wrong audience for this book.

what an interesting memoir!
the drawings are nice and her life is, sadly, familiar to mine and I can relate personally.
it's a very raw, honest, graphic novel and I loved all the details, going through the eras with her, the chapters and just feeling like I know her in depth.
a great memoir for everyone that doesn't fit the beauty standards.

The visuals and illustrations were incredibly smart, colorful, and absolutely hilarious! It hit home a little more closely than I expected, but for that I'm grateful.

Reading this graphic novel memoir was so cathartic! The author Siobhan and I must be the same age since it seems like we both finished high school in 2007, so seeing her draw the fashions, have the same insecure thoughts, and go through similar instances of body image insecurity just shows that we might think we’re the only ones but we’re not. Still to this day we all have our insecurities and body image issues but it’s so hard when you’re a teenager especially and you think you’re the only one. I really love the art and colors and how the book digs deep. It really made me think about how focused we all are as a society about thinness and how we’ll be perfect one day once we’re thin and it’s not true. We’re all already perfect! Loved this book!

I received an ARC for "Full of Myself: A Graphic Memoir About Body Image." I found this graphic novel thoroughly enjoyable as it chronicles a woman's journey through the years, highlighting her struggles and triumphs. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a relatable narrative for the "average" female experience.