Conversations with the Fat Girl

This was a really thoughtful and introspective read. Conversations with the Fat Girl started a little slow for me and I'm not a huge fan of the title, but it ended up surprising me in a wonderful way.

I think many readers will be able to relate to the insecurities, fears, and challenges that our heroine Maggie faces. I loved Maggie's growth through the novel and how she really came into her own.

"If you can't even choose yourself, how can anyone else?"

This quote was such a turning point in the novel for me. The complexity behind such a simple statement really struck a chord. As Maggie faced off with all of her blue buckets, I also evaluated my own life and perceptions of self. The message of self-worth and value was so important and I appreciated that Liza Palmer addressed it in a realistic and honest way. The collapse of Olivia and Maggie's friendship was a painful reminder that you actively choose who you let into your life and history alone does not dictate your relationships.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Kate, Peregrine, and Solo, and there were some hilarious pop culture references. There are quite a few laugh out loud moments and it was a bonus for me that the book took place in Los Angeles. Palmer's writing was witty and entertaining and I enjoyed this heartfelt read.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of the 2019 edition of this book*

This was such an inspiring read! It makes you realize how important being confident can really be! I recommend this book to everyone 100%!! 5 stars! bravo!

Conversations with the Fat Girl is one of the most emotionally honest books I’ve read in a long time. Liza Palmer does a fantastic job of conveying body image issues, childhood friendships, and confidence in an organic, relatable way. There are parts of this story that are so raw and relatable to me that they were heart-wrenching and I absolutely loved that. Maggie is twenty-seven years old, has a master’s degree, and her life is stagnant. She works at a coffee shop and gazes from afar at the cute guy she has a crush on, afraid to put herself out there personally or professionally. I sympathized with Maggie and I yearned to see her find confidence, to break out of her comfort zone and go for what she wants.

The other big storyline in Conversations with the Fat Girl revolves around Maggie being the maid of honor in her childhood best friend’s wedding. Olivia and Maggie were a dynamic pair as teenagers, two plus size girls who were outcasts but who also were true and close friends. But after her gastric bypass, Olivia became obsessed with becoming her ideal self, which is a size two with a fairytale past she has dreamed up. Maggie doesn’t fit into the fantasy world Olivia has created for herself and again, I loved the way Ms. Palmer handles this. Maggie tries to cling to a friendship that isn’t there anymore; what is there is something sad and toxic. It’s understandable why Maggie fights so hard for her friendship with Olivia and it’s a great examination of a complex friendship that has so much history but has come to an end.

There is a lot to love about Conversations with the Fat Girl. The emotions it brought to the surface for me make this a story I will definitely remember. So why four stars instead of five? Well, I didn’t expect or want Maggie to be the perfect heroine, but her flaws did tend to grate on my nerves. She can be childish, petty, judgmental, and her attitude frustrated me quite a few times for reasons which would be spoilers. One non-spoiler example is, while I understand why she gets annoyed with her boss’s attitude in some areas, you cannot blame a supervisor for being irritated that you’re always late for work and seem to spend a good part of your shift chatting in the back room. There’s also a romance element to this story which fell kind of flat for me. Perhaps if Domenic had been better fleshed out and their interactions more developed it would have been a more interesting part to the story.

I have a soft spot for protagonists with body image issues and rarely have I seen it handled so well as it is in this story. I also found the exploration of childhood-to-adulthood friendships where two people have grown far apart engaging and relatable. Maggie did frustrate me at times and if it weren’t such an emotionally vulnerable story I might have rated it lower. But when this book shines, it shines bright and I think that’s what makes it special.