4.25 Stars
(I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for a review)

*Trigger Warning for body dysmorphia*
This story is extremely important for young women and at the same time very heart breaking yet relevant to a lot of people. Mindy is such a cute and lovely young woman who has been struggling with her weight and body image. She tends to avoid eating in public but then will binge eat to the point of vomiting. When buying snacks she sees a chocolate bar with body positive phrases and she is curious enough to pick up one. Eating a piece of the bar throws her back into flashbacks regarding her struggle with being a fat girl (essentially relieving her past trauma). The ending of the story is sweet and also inspiring, I wonder if there is going to be more in this story line in future graphic novels. Finally, the art style is one my favourites that I have seen in a contemporary themed graphic novel with purple, pink and blue highlights. It was a little bit bubbly and has some elements of a manga style of illustrations.

I don't even know how to put into words just how much this graphic novel meant to me. A story about eating disorders and body dysmorphia, two things I can relate far too well to, written so thoughtfully by someone who has lived it and understands it — all of that, combined with an absolutely beautiful art style and color palette, and a sweet, hopeful storyline — I can't say enough how much I adored this. I was an absolute sobbing wreck by the end because I felt so damn seen and I didn't know how much I needed this soft little reminder to love myself.

Graphic novels can give readers a view into many things, but I never expected to read Eat, And Love Yourself and feel so seen. Within the pages of the latest book from BOOM! Box, the readers meet a young woman named Mindy. Fighting through her day-to-day life, doing her best to have a good work/life balance, while also dealing with an eating order that not many know about.

After a night out with friends, Mindy stops at the store to pick up some groceries upon finding her fridge empty. During her visit, Mindy sees a chocolate bar with its label emblazoned boldy with the phrase, ‘Eat and Love Yourself’. Upon hearing that the chocolate was from a local business, Mindy is quick to support, adding the bar to the small pile of other items atop the checkout counter. Upon returning home and getting herself a bunch of snacks to eat, including the chocolate. However, what Mindy doesn’t know is that with every piece of chocolate, she’d be transported to her past where she relives the past – including moments that defined her.

During these moments, we see just when Mindy’s eating disorder and body dysmorphia came into being and how it played its part is defining her and various relationships with her family, friends and love interests over her formative years. Dealing with the ups and downs of the past, coupled with dealing with her current issues in the present, is a lot for anyone to handle – and Mindy is no different. Mindy takes time away from her best friend after an argument, when she is close to making new friends, she pushes them away, she isn’t herself at work and she struggles to get things back on track. So, with both the past and present interconnecting in this strange way, Mindy knows she may have to do something drastic to put all the pieces back together.

Ultimately, all of these happenings set off a chain of events that bring Mindy on a journey to loving herself again and while there are moments throughout the graphic novel that will likely leave the reader teary eyed, there are also many moments of levity so that you’re not left as a blubbering mess for the entire read. Author and artist Sweeney Boo (Marvel Action: Captain Marvel) tackles the topic of an eating disorder with a care and delicacy that was truly a treat to read. The way in which Boo made sure to show that Mindy gained a new mindset with each new time travel into the past was amazing. There was a progression that was heartening to watch and as a reader, I was certainly rooting for Mindy from the first page.

Eat, And Love Yourself was a graphic novel that worked on so many levels. While there was a sadness and vulnerability that could be felt throughout which was utterly relatable, it is also a book that made me feel hopeful. A touching story that deals with harsh realities, Eat, And Love Yourself is worthy of a read for its message of loving oneself and finding the true power behind self-acceptance.

Eat, And Love Yourself is set to be released on April 21!

I was received an advanced copy of Eat, and Love Yourself from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review!

Mindy is having a hard time loving herself, so when she stumbles across an “Eat, and Love Yourself” chocolate bar with the ability to show formative moments from her past, she is naturally a bit disturbed. She’s been living with an eating disorder from a young age, and has constantly struggle with changing her habits and accepting who she is. When the chocolate bar takes her back through time, however, she begins to realize that her eating disorder has its roots in the way she was treated as a child. With the help of a little reflection on her past, Mindy just might learn the power of eating and loving herself at the same time.

You can get your copy of Eat, and Love Yourself on April 21st from BOOM! Box!

Sweeney Boo and Lilian Klepakowsky have created a heartfelt graphic novel that I will not soon forget in Eat, and Love Yourself. This book has a poignant and empathetic way of looking at eating disorders. It truly speaks to the idea that each person is made of the events of their past, and that we should love ourselves no matter what we’ve been through. I was also a big fan of the artistic style of the novel, especially the fashion choices made for the characters!

My Recommendation-
If you’ve been going through a tough time recently, and are needing a story about self-love and self-discovery, Eat, and Love Yourself would be a good pick for your next read! Also, if you are a fan of magical realism, this book has a time traveling chocolate bar, which is one of the most creative things I’ve read in a long time!

I thought that this book had a very interesting concept, but it didn't really connect with me in the way that it might for others. Our main character of Mindy is seen many times with what I would consider symptoms of an eating disorder. Trigger warning for bulimia and anorexia portrayals here.
In this book, Mindy purchases a chocolate bar that allows her to see memories from her past and see where her insecurities about her weight come from.
I am what I would consider a larger woman, but, thank the Maker, I have never experienced the issues that Mindy has. I liked this book well enough, but to me there was something missing. I do feel that others might connect to her more.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start of saying I absolutely adored the art style of this! I'm not a huge reader of graphic novels but I do tend to enjoy them. I haven't read one with this subject matter before and it was really good. This is about Mindy who struggles with a eating disorder, mental illness and not knowing her self worth. It was very relatable for me on a personal level. I really felt for Mindy, she was very real to me and I really appreciated her journey in this story. The flashbacks were great at showing key moments in her life that shaped the person she became. I know it might sound redundant but the ending was very real as well and I really just wished I could reach in and hug Mindy! I would recommend this to anyone who wouldn't have issue with the content.

I loved the message, and the illustrations were amazing.

EAT, AND LOVE YOURSELF follows Mindy, who suffers from body dysmorphic disorder and who has been binging and purging since childhood to deal with life and the words of those who mean well but never get it right. She finds a chocolate bar called "Eat, and Love Yourself" at a corner store one night, and as she eats each square, she is transported back to past events in her life that have contributed to the way she feels about herself. What she sees allows her to face the conflicts she has never admitted to herself were conflicts...with her parents...with her best friend...

This book is about a girl who needs to break out of the devilish circle she trapped in. She buys a chocolate bar one night and then the travel begins.

I chose this book because of the cover but turns out the inside of it is just as beautiful! The art is amazing and I loved the story and the little fantasy element as well. The organisation of the panels were sometimes hard to read, I didn't always know which one is next. It was not a funny story, but it made me think about a lot of things and I felt sorry for Mindy. She hadn't got the support she deserved.

I truly loved this book and think it's an incredibly powerful and influential text for young women dealing with body dysmorphia and eating disorders. I particularly liked how it didn't tie all the loose ends together but presented a lovely, realistic ending.

This graphic novel had a good idea but it wasn't initiated very well. I found the art okay and the main character not very rounded. I did enjoy the content and the series topic of body dysmorphia but the execution was very poor. There just wasn't a lot to go from and I was kind of disappointed. Also the main character, Mindy, has bright blue hair when her parents have brown hair and it definitely took me out of the experience. It was just an okay graphic novel and I'm a bit disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boom! Box Paperbacks for providing me an e-arc of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

The publish date is April, 21, 2020. I highly recommend picking this up based upon the artwork alone, as it is absolutely gorgeous.

Our main character, Mindy, in my opinion is 100% adorable from her long and thick blue hair to her oversized glasses and curvaceous figure. But, as we all know it isn’t often that we see our own true beauty as others see us. We are our own worst critic. “Because you’re not always the person you imagined you were . Sometimes you’re pretty far off the mark.”

After babysitting her 25 year old bestie that drank too much, they return home to find that her cat has run out of food. Mindy decides to go to the local convenience store and on her way out, the cashier talks her into an impulse buy of a bar of “Eat and Love Yourself” milk chocolate. But, what she soon finds out is that this is no ordinary candy. Every time that she takes a little bite of this sweet, she is thrown back into her tumultuous past, allowing her to see where these feelings of insecurity all began. Don’t worry—I won’t spoil the flashbacks for you, but I can warn you that they will hit close to home for most readers.

“ ...Sometimes you don’t feel like yourself. No matter where you are, no matter what you’re doing, no matter what clothes you have on, or what perfume you wear.” I have been a victim of thoughts such as these, and have always had my own struggle with food. For me, the two parts that hit me the hardest was “ Enough!” and the bathtub scene with the water just pounding down on Mindy. These are not spoilers—- you won’t know what I mean unless you’re the writer or have already read this title.

I also really appreciated that the scale never had a number on it, that is so important. Every person’s body is different and that number could set a reader’s mind into overdrive. The positive affirmations on the chocolate wrappers were also a great addition.

I gave this book 4 stars rather than 5 for a few reasons:

1) I wish that the portrayal of “ bingeing” was a bit stronger. The reader frequently sees the “ purge” part of an eating disorder with Mindy throwing up a multitude of times. However, as far as overindulging in food, we see Mindy eating some chips, chocolate or donuts here and there — but from my own experience and in writing many research papers for college on eating disorders — I would’ve liked to see a pile of multiple different foods all at once. A true binge, if you will, of most everything in your pantry all at once.

2) I don’t understand the need for the mailman to be in this story other than to add another character to the mix. Mindy never pursued him despite numerous advances. Unless this is going to be a series where he is featured more, I would recommend eliminating him. I just wasn’t too sure what part he really played in Mindy’s struggle. Maybe, the thought was just to show that guys were interested in her regardless of how negatively she felt about herself?

3) I wanted this to be longer.

I truly look forward to more from author, Sweeney Boo, in the future. I too have a love for cheese, crime and freelance writing. She is the epitome of everything I could want in an author ( or a friend for that matter, ha) and I will pick any and all of her work up.

*** Note: ( this will not be included in my shared review) my e-arc contained 7 blank black pages )- 54, 56, 74, 104, 130, 142, & 144.) I read this on Adobe Digital Editions if that helps.

Eat, and Love Yourself is about just that, learning to love your body when all the world tells us as girls and women is that our worth is equal to how skinny we are. Its the little things that we hear as children even from the people we love that can really cause issues later in life. I really loved the artstyle and colors involved in making this! I'll definitely be picking up a copy when this is released!

Eat and Love Yourself is a book about learning to love your body the way it is, and discovering that sometimes it doesnt matter what other people think of your body.
Mindy is obsessed with making her body prettier, skinnier and fitter, but when she stumbles across a chocolate bar that brings her back to the past, she is forced to look at her body in a different light; a beautiful light.
I loved this book because it's about accepting your body the way it is, without any changes, and it gives a positive message to girls all across the world

This stunning graphic novel follows Mindy, a young woman who struggles with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. Her entire life, she's heard from her parents what a disappointment she is and feels like she doesn't deserve love.

The story starts at a party where you can hear Mindy's inner dialogue, breaking herself down. She's interrupted by her best friend Shaé. Shaé is confident, thin, goes to college and gets a lot of dudes. After letting drunk Shéa sleep on her couch, Mindy goes to buy some midnight snacks. She ends up adding an "Eat, and love yourself" chocolate bar.

Whenever Mindy eats a piece of this chocolate bar, she is taken back in time to witness the struggles of her younger self. She's able to understand more where this all sparked. She relives moments at her old school, her parents' house and at the psychiatrist she used to see.

This story doesn't show Mindy miraculously getting over her disorder because she suddenly realises something. At the ending, you can see she wants to break the cycle. It's a message of hope instead of an instant cure.

This is an important book about a topic that should be discussed more. It touched on a lot of subjects without becoming a depressing read. The art style was great, I'd love to see more from Sweeney Boo.

"There you are, living your life when all of a sudden, the weight of the world drops on your shoulders without a word of warning."

This is my first graphic novel in a very long time and I couldn't put it down! The book addresses the issue of body dysmorphia, an eating disorder which quite a lot of people face. I am in absolute awe of the illustrations and how the story flows flawlessly.

While reading this book, I could relate to so many feelings which the protagonist - Mindy was feeling. Body type and self esteem are something I deeply relate to because of having gone through a similar phase and I do wish to go back and tell myself how I was doing the best I could and that it'd be alright pretty soon.
Mindy is a woman who's been trying hard to not be a disappointment all her life, especially because of her weight. The book boldly addresses how brutal criticism from the people we love around us can leave the deepest scars within us.

But what I liked best about the story was the time travelling journey which Mindy had to go through in order to introspect and eventually end up accepting her journey and loving herself because of it.

If you're looking for a light read and a book to remind you about self acceptance then this is definitely your go-to book! I rate it 5 out of 5 bookmarks because how candidly this issue has been portrayed and of course because of the amazing graphics throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boom! Studios the opportunity to read this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of the graphic novel. There may have been some tears during a part. This graphic novel follows a young woman named Mindy who has always struggled with her weight. During a late night run to pick up food, Mindy selects a chocolate bar that promises consumers to relive their past. Of course, Mindy is thrown into surreal visions of her past that highlight moments that caused her grief. I think this graphic novel included a lot of societal issues for women and I think the message of this was empowering. The illustrations were incredible as well!

'Eat, and Love Yourself' was touching and just what I needed. I've been in a rut about myself and after reading this graphic novel, I really feel like I need to look at things from a different perspective. As humans, we are always our own worst critics. We pick at our flaws even when others don't notice those flaws as much. Sweeney Boo has captured what a woman goes through when they struggle with their weight. I think this is a graphic novel every young adult woman needs to read. Each page pushed Mindy - the main character - closer to realizing what has been holding her back all this time.

This is my honest review of Eat, and Love yourself graphic novel. I was able to be able to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel from the publisher via an ebook through NetGalley.

This graphic novel follows Mindy, a 27-year-old woman who has issues with body dysmorphia, an eating disorder, and other self-esteem issues. One day after walking her drunk friend back to her house she opts to go to her local mini mart to grab some food. Upon checking out she sees a candy bar being sold by a local small business. She decides to buy this candy bar to support local business- only upon eating it does she discover it enables her to relive past experiences from her childhood.

I liked that this story follows a woman in her late 20's. I think a lot of us in our late 20's deal with figuring out ourselves. This story also follows a lot of verbal abuse to the main character. I think Mindy slowly realizes this through the story. The story makes you want to tell Mindy the things people say to her are uncalled for and she should work on not only loving herself but getting a better friend group.

I do feel that this story may not be for everyone depending on what may trigger different health issues. So I would advise that their be a warning for this novel prior to reading.

The graphic novel was also well done. The cover is super cute - it drew me to this book. The colors were nice, and I liked her cat. I could see the need for this story to continue and add a second or third book to follow Mindy’s journey. 😊

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy of this graphic novel.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Body Dysmorphia, Bulimia, eating disorders, bullying, parental body shaming, depression

This was a really sweet graphic novel. I was a little hesitant, even as I was reading it that the author wouldn't be able to broach this topic with caution while still doing it justice. I was afraid that this idea of a chocolate that could solve all your problems would just be another "get skinny quick" scam and it wouldn't be able to give the message of body positivity. Mindy's parents were complete crap and I can't imagine the depression and other things she would have had to deal with as a teenager. But the author really did bring the message home and I was pleased with the ending.

There's such a misconception that "you have to love yourself before someone else can love you", but sometimes, that just doesn't happen. Sometimes you need someone else to see you as beautiful for you to believe it yourself. And I think this story actually did a good job conveying that.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for a review I really enjoyed this graphic novel I usually do not pick up graphic novels but this one and the characters changed my mind on them and I can not wait to read more by this authour. I thought the graphics were awesome and the story line was good and the character you can tell that she grew alot though out the story

Exploring loving the body that you're in and eating disorder, Eat, and Love Yourself should have been a great read however I was disappointed with what I got. The artwork is beautiful throughout however I felt that too much of this graphic novel was focused on the disordered ideas that Mindy, the central character, has with food. This book is definitely not uplifting and I didn't feel as though Mindy ever really found acceptance by the end of the story. This was a very uncomfortable read for me.

I think this is the kind of book that you will either love and find life-changing or you will thoroughly dislike this book as feel worse about yourself after reading it.