I was intrigued by this graphic novel from the get go. I stumbled across it on NetGalley and wanted to read it right away and while I absolutely loved the artwork, the story itself fell somewhat flat.

Body image and eating disorders and anything that falls in that realm is incredibly nuanced and complex and I think that one aspect of this story that missed the mark was the length. I feel as if this could have benefitted from more content, the synopsis (which I didn't read until after I had finished reading it) tells the story entirely. While normally I wouldn't mind, as it does a great job of summing up the story, it made me realize that I really felt like the story was too short. There wasn't enough explanation, inner thought, or conclusion. I ended my time reading only wanting more, but not in terms of a sequel, just more from what I was given. 

From the story that we were given I feel wishy washy in terms of my opinion. Again, I loved the artwork but because nothing related to the plot was fleshed out I was left with more questions than answers. I loved the arc of self acceptance and was overall pleased with the story in general but I constantly felt like I was reading the highlights or a sneak peek of this graphic novel rather than an almost finished product. I know that this book was about self love but I couldn't help but wonder where the interpersonal relationships were, why the characters interacted the way that they did, why certain conversations led to others. The flashback scenes only provided so much context. 

I think if the author was going for a broad, more universally understandable story about a woman's journey to self love she hit that mark. But this story held so much potential that just wasn't there. It has the important messages of looking back at oneself and finding contentment and self love in the midst of disordered eating and thoughts but it was all surface level. 

This is the type of book to spark conversations and again, I cannot praise the artwork more, and if you're looking for a graphic novel that ties in body positivity and relearning how to love yourself in the midst of personal struggles I would recommend it.

An anthem to self love. The art is just as beautiful as the story. I will recommend this to every single human being I know.

First of all, I LOVED the graphics; the colors and drawings were perfection! I would definitely pick up something else from this author. I found the storyline interesting, and the idea of time-travel chocolate bar was great! However, I felt like the story was not explored enough, it was a bit too surface level for me as I was expecting AND hoping for a more in depth dive of Mindy's battle. I loved that she stood up to her parents, but I wished the moment would have lasted longer and more conversations would/should have taken place to clear things up or at least to give Mindy her voice! It felt more like the beginning of her journey, I was starting to get emotionally invested, and I would have just loved to see more of what happens once she decides to take back control of her life.

5 stars for the drawings
2 stars for the story

After finishing this graphic novel I wasn’t sure how I felt. I had to go back and re-read the blurb to get a better sense of if the book really did what I thought it was set out to do. The description reads that the chocolate bar will take Mindy back to a specific moment in her past to help her look at herself, love herself, and accept love.

I think this graphic novel is important. It highlights what life with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia can be like. Seeing someone in their daily life can help with visibility and communication surrounding the topic, but the story also shows Mindy in her life refusing meals, eating alone at night, and purging. This could be triggering and it’s important that readers know about the behavior before choosing to read this graphic novel.

My issue with this graphic novel is that Mindy doesn’t really “get the message” to look at herself, love herself, and accept love until the very last page. Through the rest of the story she is learning what the chocolate bar does, trying to understand the “dreams," and is navigating her life with her eating disorder and body dysmorphia. Her friends and family aren’t exactly supportive.

I started this book hoping to see a story about self-love and how to actually “eat, and love yourself.” Instead, I followed a character offering a window into her life and saw how difficult eating disorders can be. I think this story does a lot for exploring what life is like and how friends, family, social situations, and personal thoughts affect daily life, but I didn’t get a whole lot about self-love, just the idea that self-love is important.

Eat, and Love Yourself is the body-positive graphic novel of my dreams! I found the art to be gorgeous and calming, while the themes in the story were incredibly intense. Sweeney Boo created an original story that addresses eating disorders and body image issues - both of which I struggle with. Eat, and Love Yourself made me feel less alone, and I highly suggest it to anyone who has struggled with an eating disorder or body image concerns. This book has the ability to save lives, and I wish that I had read it when I was an adolescent.

This destroyed me in the best possible way. It's such a beautiful depiction of the struggle with body dysmorphia and eating disorders. Some of the scenes hit really close to home, and even though it was a short story, it managed to make me so emotional so quickly without feeling overwhelming or triggering.

The illustrations are GORGEOUS. I could easily read a series of ten of these because I was so drawn into Mindy's story. It's so refreshing to see fat girl representation in graphic novels, and it made me feel seen and comfortable. Seriously, I cannot recommend this book more. Please pick this up if you have the chance!!!

This was a really good graphic novel about a girl dealing with issues of body image, confidence and an eating disorder. The artwork was incredible and brought the story to life. I loved the different texts through the text chats. Mindy was extremely relatable and I hope the best for her in the future. I’d love to read a sequel.

Eat, and Love Yourself is a short graphic novel about eating disorders, depression and learning to love yourself. I enjoyed the artwork very much though the flashbacks were a bit confusing at times. I was pretty surprised to find out it was set in my hometown and that the author lives there. Great graphic novel overall. Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook copy.

3.5 Stars

I loved the overall message and the artwork was amazing. Rarely do I see fictional work that covers eating disorders and/or body dysmorphia and when I do, it’s not done in a sensitive manner or correctly. So happy about that. At times it was a bit strange but I’m fine with that. I would’ve given it more stars though had it dived a bit deeper into body dysmorphia instead on just barely telling the reader what it was. There is a lot to it and it’s not the same experience for everyone. Overall though I would recommend because I loved the art and it has a good ending message

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this comic. The illustration was amazing. The plot was amazing. Mindy is just adorable and a very likable character. I’ve never reviewed a graphic novel before and I don’t want to spoil to much. But I height recommend this.

TW: For Fat Shaming, Bulimia, Binge Eating, Bullying, And Body Dysmorphia

This was done so well. The handling of the eating disorder was so realistic and my past struggles really connected with the main characters. I appreciate the look at well-meaning or thoughtless side comments on weight/bodies and how those can add up to a lot of harm. I feel like those parts are normally left out of eating disorder discussions, while large societal or bullying take the forefront. I also really appreciated seeing a bigger character struggle with an eating disorder as someone that has never been thin but suffered with this aspect of my mental health for years. On top of all the thoughtfully handled topics, this comic was beautiful. The color palette and illustrations were so soft and comforting to help me get through this rough read. Definitely get in the right headspace for this read if you have experience with having an eating disorder because the accuracy can be a bit triggering.

I loved the message of loving yourself and how microaggressions emotionally harmful macroaggression. I dig the look of the work and hope the artist understands that it beautifully captured and conveyed the message. I think all around I enjoyed my time getting to know the Character and seeing her growth.

This is a fantastic graphic novel showcasing a little talked about issue. The main character has an eating disorder and a touch of body dysmorphia, this story is about how she has to learn to love herself again.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for honest review.

I so wanted to enjoy this graphic novel. The art style looked amazing and the description sounded so promising. But in the end, it just failed to deliver. The plot was incredibly confusing and had no real resolution. Scenes flitted back and forth, and I was never quite sure what was going on. I found the transitions between past and future strange, and didn't think any elements of the story were fleshed out enough - I barely even had an understanding of the main character. This story tried so hard and it could have been great, but in reality, it simply fell flat. There was never any sign of Mindy learning to love herself, as the title and blurb suggest. I didn't perceive any growth in her character at all - her negative traits were simply highlighted throughout. I feel let down by what was promised.

Overall, a confusing story with no development or confusion. It read more like a first draft in need of serious editing than a finished novel.

(a free review copy was provided to me by Netgalley)

This graphic novel is emotional andgets right at you - it is written beautifully with a unique storyline and great lead character.
Both the writing and art make the comic a joy to read. However be cautious if you struggle with an eating disorder as this is pictured within Eat, and Love Yourself. The protagonist is shown to restrict and have bulemia. Thisbis handledbin a careful matter but still can be triggering - take care <3

I think the art style of this was really cute. I think this was intended to have a strong message though and really make you feel but I didn't really get it. I mean I related to some of the things she felt, so I understand the intention. But I think it was too short and not fleshed out enough to really get me to feel anything for any character. There wasn't enough time to deal with all the really hard things she was feeling so it felt really abrupt when it ended. It was such a quick read so I don't feel like it was a waste of time but it was nothing monumental for me.

I really don't see someone struggling with these thoughts reading this and having any kind of break through. I don't necessarily think that was the intention of the book, but I feel like it should've left me feeling hopeful and it didn't. I don't think there was enough time to have any sort of resolution.

I love Sweeney Boo's art and follow her online, so it was nice seeing it in context of a larger story. The contrast between the cartoony style art and the serious storyline kept the graphic novel from becoming too difficult to read, but it could definitely be triggering for some. I wish there had been a bit more resolution at the end, but I suppose this is the type of story that realistically wouldn't all for a tidy ending. I wouldn't use it for a book club, but I would definitely recommend it to teen and adult readers looking for something more serious or specially about depression/eating disorders.

I received this as an eARC from NetGalley and Boom! Studios in exchange for an honest review.

What a great graphic novel! Right from the start I was absolutely hooked in Mindy’s story and I could relate to her struggles so much. I think this is a story which is very important for women (and men) as negative body image is something we all struggle with. I loved the messages, the main character, the art, and the story itself. I will definitely be on the lookout for more form Sweeney Boo in the future! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release Date: 21 April 2020.

I must say I was delightfully surprised that this was a graphic novel. I honestly didn't take the time to read the synopsis or anything I just knew after looking at the cover that I needed to read this book! This book looks at the eating disorder of bulimia and how it can affect not only the person suffering with it, but also their friends and family. I enjoyed how this author took the time to show how some things that you friends and family say may inadvertently effect someone in a negative way. In addition, I love that this character was drawn curvy. I feel sometimes that people only believe those who are small are affected my these types of conditions. The color scheme was selected beautifully and I really enjoyed the illustrations over all. My one critique would be that the ending was done very abruptly. I felt that the author could've rounded it out better in a way to show that their is life after realizing that you have an eating disorder. In addition to showing how to live as a recovering bulimic since you can never truly recover from it completely.

I read this all in one sitting and completely devoured it. I related SO hard to the main character's struggles with body positivity and I am just so glad that this comic exists. I will say, if you're at all sensitive to or triggered by disordered eating and/or purging, this is one that I would probably tread with caution on because it does go pretty into detail on both of those topics.