GIVEAWAY & MORE of Debut Novel 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A FAT GIRL by Mona Awad

Top Ten LibraryReads Pick (February)

Bustle’s Most Anticipated Books of 2016

ELLE’s Novels by Women Everyone Will be Talking About in 2016

Penguin Books Original
On-sale February 23, 2016  
ISBN: 9780143128489
$16.00

SYNOPSIS

As an overweight teenager growing up in the suburbs, Lizzie has never liked the way she looks, even though her best friend Mel says she’s the pretty one. She dates men online, but is too insecure to send them pictures, convinced that no one would want her if they could really see her. After high school, with punishing drive, she begins to shed the weight, counting each almond consumed, each mile logged, each pound dropped until she can finally fit into the dresses she could never wear growing up. Now thin, she continues to navigate her complicated relationships with her mother, her friends, her husband, and her reflection in the mirror, but their validation isn’t enough. When she looks in the mirror, will she ever see anything but a fat girl?

While 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A FAT GIRL explores specific issues around women and body issues, it also speaks to the universal coming-of-age experience, from the brutal angst of adolescence to the struggle for self-acceptance and fulfillment. Caustic, hilarious, and heartbreaking, 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A FAT GIRL introduces Mona Awad as a major literary talent.

REVIEW

What an amazing, unique read. It's written in thirteen individual short stories about Lizzie’s weight influencing every aspect of her life. Starting with the title, the author never holds back creating a crude, brazen, enlightening look into the mind of a woman who from this reader's point of view loathes herself, no matter what. Having no self-esteem the author makes Lizzie's ways of getting attention repulsive and self-destructive. Whereas, the stories tend to be dark the comedy will make you pee your pants:

“Oozing from the V in the front and the V in the back, the volume of my ass threatening to crack the little bows along the fault line...Maybe if I wait long enough, if I am patient, I’ll just ooze out. First the fat, then maybe we’ll find a way to coax the organs...it’ll be a slow process.”

What I took away most from this book is that it shouted out a fundamental message to readers of all weights. If you cannot find peace and happiness on the inside you can be as big as a house or stick thin yet changing your weight will not bring you the happiness you are looking for.  

“My wide slash of a bared stomach feels like an emergency no one is attending to, my feet like they’re doing bad porn under the table”

This is Mona Awads debut book. Her writing quality blew me away by thinking outside the box and creating a read I will never forget. Do yourself a favor and start your spring reading with this book.  

“I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER BUT THE REVIEW & THE 

OPINIONS ARE MY OWN” (who else could come up with kind of crazy)

COCKTAIL

The von Furstenberg

If we can’t pull off the wrap dress, at least we can pull off one of DVF’s favorite cocktails.

Tequila, Lime and Jalapeño Cocktail

1 shot of ice cold tequila

1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon of agave nectar1 tablespoon of roughly chopped cilantro

A couple of slices of jalapeño chili

1 cup of good quality sparkling wine

Mix the tequila, lime juice, agave nectar, chili, and cilantro in a glass and stir vigorously.

If you have a cocktail shaker, shake with some ice and pour into a glass. Then add the sparkling wine

Book Club Kit Link

Includes Lizzie's:

Cocktail Recipes

Music Playlist

Movies

Books

Q&A

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