I received an ARC through NetGalley from BOOM! Studios. This graphic novel follows 27-year-old Mindy who purchases an “Eat and Love Yourself” chocolate bar. With each bite Mindy is brought back to moments of growing up and seeing once again how people reacted to her eating habits and her weight. It’s clear Mindy is still dealing with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia and with each trip back in time the reader can see the struggles with family and friends that have effected her mental health. The art is fantastic, but the story doesn’t quite deliver the end message. I wanted more character development between Mindy and all the secondary characters. The ending felt rushed. Not bad, just not quite there. There is no content that would prevent older teens from picking this up and seeing the bullying that continues to effect people later in life.

I really enjoyed reading through this graphic about body dysmorphia and learning to love yourself. I loved the art work and the concept. I thought the magic element brought on by the chocolate bar was new and well played out. I do, however, wish that it was a bit longer. I felt as though there were many ends that were meant to be tied up but were not. I enjoyed seeing Mindy come to a new level of understanding with herself and Elliot, but such a large part of this book was how her family and Shae came to add more issues. While they were addressed slightly, it felt rushed and not completely resolved. I would absolutely recommend this book to friends and family.

Eat, and Love Yourself is a book tackling body dysmorphia, bulimia, and lack of feelings of self worth. Mindy eats away her feelings, then finds herself feeling disgusting, and the cycle continues. She does not notice that her friends and the people she meets think she is perfect the way she is. Mindy purchases diet foods and the magazines with airbrushed models and limits her worth based on her appearance in her mind. One evening, she goes out to grab a snack. Mindy buys a chocolate bar and some sort of magic happens as with each square she visits a moment in her past. Will realizing what brought her to this point help her heal? Will Mindy learn to love herself? Will she allow others to love her? Important topic and read in graphic novel format. YA read

Vibrant artwork, positive messages, and a well-developed graphic novel. There is nothing not to like about Eat, and Love Yourself. I recommend it for new readers of this medium and those of us who have been enjoying comics for a while. Great things from BOOM!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a rocky read for me almost the whole time. The end made the journey a bit smoother but it took a while to get there. I think the story would have had more purpose if she came to her conclusions earlier in the novel rather than the last three pages. The subject matter is very important to address and I liked how it included her feelings and thought patterns and how they originated. The self-isolation was executed well and was a valuable part in depicting Mindy’s struggles with her body.

Review to come in 3 days on my blog/goodreads.

A girl with body issues finds a chocolate bar that has special powers (drugs, magic, both?) and teleports her (in a way) to the past where she will learn things that may in the end be the path to self-love (hopes this makes sense).

I fell in love with the cover and then the blurb. Plus, I am always interested about books about body issues and see what caused them/how the character is doing and see if they get better at the end.

I am going to try write a review but at this moment, but my mind is really not in a good state with the stay-at-home going for the 3rd almost 4th week.

We see that her eating problems and her weight isn't just related to what she does now... it is definitely tied with her shitty parents. Sorry, but that dad was just horrible and the mom just closed her eyes to her kids problem and later acts just as shitty as the dad. Bleh. What the hell parents? And in her teens, when I didn't even find her fat.
The poor girl eats and eats, which I can imagine, she wants something to easy her mind, to make her feel better again. :(
I did think that the whole parents and forgiveness was just done a bit too simple and easy. Come on, this is years of mean comments, of shitty remarks, and it is solved just like that? No. Just no.
Poor Mindy. We see how she has nightmares, see her eat and puke. I just wanted to hug her so badly.

I did like the book but what the hell is up with Mindy's huge ass glasses? They cover her whole face, why?? It really distracted me from the story. Plus, I laughed my butt off during the scenes from the side, it just looked like she was wearing some windows instead of glasses.

Mindy dear, don't run away all the time when things get tough. I understand it though, I have the same problem or well in a way, but I know from myself it just isn't the best idea.

I liked that each time she eats a piece of chocolate and goes back to the past/and back we get a close-up to the chocolate and how much is still left. Nicely done! I also liked when she ate the last part and what happened next. You go girl! I am so glad that she is gaining more confidence and is now going to try to break the cycle. All the luck and love to you Mindy, I am rooting for you.

The ending was fun and I am definitely hoping that she gets together with that guy.

The art was really fabulous and I like it so much.

All in all, a wonderful graphic novel which I loved reading. I would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Boom! Studios for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an important story told in such a great way. Mindy's constant reflections with her past self was such an eye opening experience that anyone with a mental illness would find relatable. It also brings out the necessary discussion that needs to be had surrounding eating disorders and body dysmorphia. The emotion that was brought out through the writing really shows an author who has experienced these issues and knows what they are talking about. Heartbreaking tale with beautiful art style makes this one truly remarkable story!

A bit rushed and disjointed at times; made it difficult to get into.
I get what she was trying to do here, just didn't work for me.
Positive note:
The art is AMAZING and a large portion of my rating is just for the illustrations.
Thanks to NetGalley & BOOM! Studios for my DRC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-arc!

I may not be the most appropriate person to review this since I cannot identify myself with the main character Mindy and all her struggles, but I do understand that this is a very important topic to talk about and it is necessary for more stories like these (even if there is a little magic) to be heard and make people realise they are not alone.

Fatphobia can seriously hurt people both mentally and physically and nobody should go through such constant criticism of one's body when one didn't even ask for anyone's opinion.

I'd like to mention how beautiful the art and the colouring is in this comic. It's really stunning. Mindy's cyan/aquamarine hair highlighted each page, I loved it.

This is an amazing graphic novel about eating disorders. The main character struggles with her weight and appearance. She developed an eating disorder when she was younger and now she is trying to understand it and herself. We accompany her on her journey to eat, and love herself again.
This was really amazing!! Such great representation and lovely way to stir some thoughts to start thinking differently about yourself and your body. I know that it's hard sometimes to look at yourself and be proud of what you see, but reading this made me think a little bit less bad about myself and I hope that everyone that reads this can take something small (or big of course!) with them as well. Recommend 100%.

The drawings in the novel are beautiful and the story is as well. Mindy deals with a eating disorder and bodydismorphia. Through past experiences and memories she tries to work on those. The story really shows what it is like to grow up as a girl. Dont eat too much, nobody will love you if you're fat, but please eat your dinner and dessert, dont be a troublemaker. Very insightfull read.

A fat girl with an eating disorder finds magic chocolate that transports her to the past. Uh... ok. The flashbacks show that she's had a confused relationship with food but it's weird that it's a piece of food that gives her these experiences. Also, not sure what she learns - to love herself, whatever that means, even though she's still overweight? Bulimia is terrible, sure, but accepting that you'll always have a food problem isn't a solution. Baffling message, really boring comic.

Mindy is a 27 year old barista who has always struggled with body dysmorphia, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. With a magic bar of chocolate, she time travels back to her teen years and re-lives crucial memories that shaped why she is the way she is today: struggling with her weight, still. At the end, she decides to take her own advice and not listen to the pressure from society or her parents about her weight.

This graphic novel started off great. I definitely know the whole cycle of eating to fill the void, and then that eating making the void even bigger. I also understand the parental pressure and bullying from peers. Been there, done that. But the ending is too much of a deus ex machina. You can’t just make up your mind and have all these problems go away at the drop of a hat. You can’t just have an eating disorder, body dysmorphia, or low self-esteem and just will them away. And that you can is not a lesson I want the teens at my library to receive.

I honestly was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I'm typically not the type of reader to pick up graphic novels, but I am so happy I did. Eat, and Love Yourself was a beautifully drawn story about something that so many people struggle with. This is very clearly a character study rather than a typical story, as the whole plot line is focussed on Mindy's character evolution and development.

One night in a store, Mindy found a candy bar with the power to take her back to the times in her life that were pivotal to forming her self image. This graphic novel shows us those scenes, as well as how watching them from a new perspective affects her. Obviously, this book was written by someone who has experienced body dysmorphia in some way in their life, whether it be personally or through a loved one. Sweeney Boo did an excellent job of taking multiple difficult subjects (body dysmorphia, eating disorders, depression) and displaying them in a way that both shows their severity and that they are possible to overcome. I loved this graphic novel, especially what it stands for. I also need to say again that this book is BEAUTIFULLY illustrated, it is absolutely stunning.

This book comes out April 21 and you should definitely pick it up!

Thank you to Sweeney Boo and BOOM! Box for the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars!

"I don't want to be afraid of you anymore. I don't want to be afraid of me. I see how hard you've tried in the face of everything. I know how difficult it's been. And... I love you. I want to break the cycle. For me. And I'm going to be okay. I'm going to be great."

This book contains: coffee shops, magic chocolate bars, hurtful friends, cute cats, old crushed and eating disorders.

This book really hit home.
As someone who has struggled with being overweight most of my life, this book touched me. Fortunately I didn’t struggle with eating disorders like the main character does, but I definitely identified myself with Mindy in a lot of ways.
This story is about a girl who is overweight and struggles with eating. In front of her family and friends she tries not to eat, but when she’s alone she eats until she feels sick. She is also criticized for not eating regularly and people are constantly making comments while she’s eating. She is very depressed and she wishes she could change the way she is, but she feels stuck. One day, she goes to the store to grab some things she needs and she picks up a chocolate bar she never heard about. Turns out the chocolate bar is magical and it takes her back to when she was about 12 years old. In those flashbacks, she revives some moments with her parents and friends and she starts to understand where her disorder began.
I honestly loved this book so much. It’s been a while since a book made me this emotional! Mindy is a very relatable character, and watching her deal with depression and food broke my heart. It’s a book not only about self acceptance, but also self love!
I also really appreciate the representation of hurtful close friends - even if they have good intentions - because it’s not something that’s talked about often.
The art and the colour palette were beautiful, and the drawings were perfectly linked to the story making it very easy to understand. I would definitely grab more graphic novels from this author!
If you are considering picking this up, please keep in mind that there are trigger warnings for eating disorders, body dysmorphia, depression and body shaming.
I honestly think this is such an important book for young readers! It is very touching, personal, relatable and will probably make you cry. Definitely worth it!

***A big thank you to NetGalley and Boom! Box Paperbacks for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review***

This is exactly what I needed to read. As a person who has struggling with self-confidence, body image, & and eating disorder I could relate to Mindy. The story was also something I could relate to. The artwork and illustrations are beautiful. I would 10/10 recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and Sweeney Boo for those E-ARC download.

While browsing NetGalley, this cover came up and immediately caught my attention because of the stunning artwork. This graphic novel focuses on the struggles that Mindy suffers throughtout her life while suffering from an eating disorder. But what's more important is the lesson behind this graphic novel which is all about learning to love oneself, all of this happens thanks to a "magic" chocolate bar called "Eat and Love Yourself". I found this graphic novel to be pretty good overall, the artwork is really pretty, the only thing that bothered me was the ending since I was expecting to see a little bit more of the main character after everything she discovers about herself and life.

I ended up loving this one! For someone who struggles a lot regarding eating and being someone who is able to relate with what the main character has with her family and close friends. I can totally understand the process she has to go through. The urge to snack instead of having an actual meal. The urge to have something sweet in particular or some particular snacks. Those who cannot relate to this might see it as something really easy to give up and might ask why it is such a big deal. Just pick up this graphic novel. The struggle is real and is happening. You may feel like she is trying to blame her family and her insecurity for the eating disorder. No, it's more complicated than that. Those we have this so called disorder need the support of the ones who they trust. And it doesn't help at all if these so called family and friends judge all the freaking time and actually tell the one who is having the disorder to just 'exercise' or 'lose some weight' or make harmless jokes about the weight or appearance. No. Either way it hurts more than help.

This is a realistic representation of someone having this disorder. I am so glad I picked it up today! I really needed this.

Thanks #NetGalley for the copy of #EatandLoveYourself

This graphic novel tells the story of a young woman who is not skinny. She’s not extremely fat either, just a bit chubby. She struggles with self confidence. She sees a chocolate bar with words, “Eat and love yourself “ on the wrapper and buys it. When she eats a bite of the chocolate she is given memories that ultimately combine to empower her to love herself more than she ever has. This is an interesting story and well-worth the read.

Eat. and Love Yourself by Sweeney Boo is a powerful and important graphic novel that deals with the important issues of body dysmorphia, eating disorders and self image in a clever and original way. The main character , Mindy is struggling with her body issues , seeing herself as fat and therefore unworthy. One night she picks up a new and unusual chocolate bar called Eat, and Love Yourself in her local store. It turns out that every time she eats a piece of the chocolate she finds herself revisiting a moment from her past , so that she can see where her image issues stem from, and hopefully learn not to be so hard on herself.
This central idea is pretty clever, and the device works well in the context of the story. The flashbacks to the past are sure to be something that many readers will understand and relate to. I loved the artwork ,especially the design of Mindy's character, there was something incredibly appealing about her. The colour choices are also gorgeous throughout, very visually appealing. The depiction of the eating disorder was sensitively handled, no numbers on scales etc since that can be triggering to some people, though I will note that the "binges" never seemed excessively large as depicted in the artwork, which may have been a deliberate choice, but was definitely something I noticed.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.