Lizzie is a fat
girl. She thinks she's unattractive although friends tell her she's
beautiful. Lizzie, who also goes by the names Elizabeth and Beth as
she grows up, tries and does change her weight, but through it all
she believes she's a fat girl no matter what the scales and the
mirror say.
This collection of
related short stories traces Lizzie from a teenager to adulthood. As
a teenager, she's needy, trying to win approval by being everyone's
friend and confident. Even into adulthood she remains insecure
because she can't escape her fat girl image.
The book paints a
poignant portrait of someone with severe self-image problems.
However, I found it difficult to like Lizzie or to get into the
story. Perhaps this was due to the short story format. I found the
first chapter where Lizzie, the teenager, follows her sexually-active
friend's lead, interesting. The second chapter turned me off. It is told from the
point of view of a drunken would-be song writer who is looking for
someone to confide in late at night. He chooses Lizzie. The other
stories continued in this pattern. I enjoyed some, but couldn't get
into the others.
I can't recommend
this book as an enjoyable read. However, if you suffer from
self-image problems, or know someone who does, it may be worth a
look.
I received this book
from Penguin for this review.
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