Comedic. Relatable. These two words capture the essence of blogger turned spokesmodel turned author Brittany Gibbons’ methods for discussing her trek through body image struggles – in the ultimate quest to discover inner beauty and much more.
In the comedic and relatable memoir Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It, Gibbons dishes a balanced mixture of personal history and life advice without an I-know-it-all attitude as most memoirs tend to do. She isn’t afraid of getting into the nitty-gritty of her past, her relationships, or of her personal perceptions of her body. The transparency of her feelings is evident – lending relatability to her audience, so that they can have something to gain from her efforts.
Overall, Fat Girl Walking is an entertaining read. Gibbons’ writing style is funny and entertaining without going too over the top (for the most part), but she doesn’t gloss over the serious topics.
The author wants to leave the impression that being comfortable in your own skin is just as important as promoting body positivity for the rest of the world. Whether you’re fat, skinny, young, old, a mother or not — you can find something to gain from this book.
Despite slight organizational flaws, Fat Girl Walking will have readers viewing the world differently. “Skinny” menus in restaurants may appear laughable, because even when restaurants call for eating and for fellowship, people are still pressured to think “skinny.” While Gibbons can venture a bit far at times with her humor, nothing could prove distracting from the heart of Brittany Gibbon’s message to her reader:
Love your body, and if you don’t, learn to. No one sets your beauty standard but you.
Images Credit: McGowan Images
