Thank you to the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who doesn't read a lot of non-fiction or anthologies, this book was a beautiful surprise and I absolutely loved it. The contributions throughout vary as much in topic as they do in format which made it a really easy and interesting reading. There will be stories that you relate to, stories that open your eyes to experiences you haven't shared, stories that make you feel less alone, stories that make you smile, make you laugh, make you cry. It encourages you to embrace the body that you were given as well as to celebrate each body's uniqueness and wonder in the most perfect way.

One of the things that I like most about anthologies is that you get to read from so many different perspectives and hear so many different voices all in one book. In Body Talk there are contributions from people you will probably know, such as Tyra Banks, but it also introduces you to many more people from many different backgrounds and all contributors are given a voice and a chance to share their experiences in the way that they wish to do it, whether that be an essay, a letter, a list, an illustration, or something else. It also has FAQ sections dotted throughout with important information related to the entries which I really loved.

In just the first few entries, there are already discussions and mentions of disability, sexuality, gender, race, mental illness, and this is just the start of the diversity that follows throughout the whole book. Diversity is something that is really important to me and that I always seek out in the books I read and this is one of the best books I've ever read for that. I really appreciate how Kelly Jensen made this such a focus point rather than missing any of these important communities out.

Finally, a great thing about an anthology is the many different ways you can read it and access it. You can read it cover to cover, you can dip in and out of it, you can pick out essays and stories to read as they interest you, you can easily go back and re-read the ones that have stuck with you the most and so much more. Reading an anthology is a reading experience like no other and I love it.

This is such an important book that I think will help many people, especially young people, learn to accept the body that they have been given and to love themselves for who they are. It helps show that you are not alone, that everyone struggles in some way with their image, but that it is possible to embrace it and to see the positives. I hope many people get the opportunity to read it.

I really do love these books. Here We Are, Don't Call Me Crazy, and now Body Talk... I've loved each one of them with a fiery passion. I love the diverse array of voices represented; the way they are somehow light and funny, but also serious; the way they make me feel better, but also make me cry. I don't know it it's partly to do with the time this book found me at, but Body Talk made me sob cathartic tears.

You can never represent everyone, but I admire how much these books try. This one covers scoliosis, dwarfism, fat, facial hair, teeth, cultural differences in fat/body shaming, black bodies, trans bodies, cancer, periods, sex, endometriosis, modelling, urological and endocrine disorders, amongst other things.

Some of it is gory and discomfiting, though necessary, like Anna-Marie McLemore's piece about their misshapen uterus and the subsequent medical failures they had to endure. Some of it is heartwarming, like Sara Saedi's touching story of her immigrant parents who left a country they loved, worked long hours at jobs they didn’t love, to pay for her healthcare and dental care.

Obviously, Body Talk has a lot to say about the physical aspects of the body, disability, and illness, but it is also at least as much about the emotional impact of living in a society that only caters for, and desires, certain types of bodies. You cannot talk about the human body without also addressing body-shaming and body anxiety, both of which feature heavily throughout this collection. Though, while shame, anxiety and pain are major themes, I found the book to be ultimately very uplifting and affirming.

As with the other books that came before it, Body Talk contains a fun mix of prose, graphic stories, interviews, gorgeous artwork, playlists and Q&As with an endocrinologist and urologist. Another diverse, inspiring collection that was a pleasure to read!

This is another great collection from editor Kelly Jensen. Jensen has compiled many different experiences here that share the complexities of our relationships to our bodies. There are some serious quite informational blurbs here and there, but the majority of the book is filled with narratives of very personal thoughts and feelings about bodies. As with any compilation, some of the pieces worked better for me than others, but this is a highly recommended purchase in my eyes. Young people, and older folks too if we're being honest, often struggle with how they see their own bodies and here they can many positive and healthy ways to relate to and celebrate our bodies.

Highly recommended.

Oh how I wish I'd had this book as a teen! Even in my 20s it means everything to me to read this book. Body Talk (along with Kelly's other anthologies) belong on every library shelf and accessible to every teen. Each essay in this anthology covers a different personal story related to bodies. Everyone should read this book!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved reading this collection! I think the world is becoming increasingly aware of body positivity but, as mentioned in the book, it's more than about weight - it's about everything our bodies can do/represent. This book has made me more aware of how I can be an ally as well as taught me certain tools to become more confident in the body I am currently in.

I would recommend this book to anybody as it's not only important but also the kind of book you can read one chapter of and then put down to digest. It's also one you can read a chapter or two in between other tasks!

Editor Kelly Jensen writes in her introduction, “Bodies aren’t simply biological. They are radical tools. They are physical and political. They impact our mental well-being as much as they impact our social roles.” This empowering collection of essays from YA authors, actors, activists, and medical professionals breathes life into her words. The contributors start necessary conversations about how we challenge the accepted narrative about “normal” and “acceptable” and “beautiful.”

Engaging, inclusive, thought-provoking, essential.

Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for the electronic arc.

A great collections of essays covering a wide variety of experiences with disability and body image. Though some of the essays are not as great (like the latter two of Tyra Banks') and the sections feel disjointed, most of the writing is top-notch and sure to make readers feel less alone or learn something new about the experiences of others'.

I loved this anthology. So many young adults suffer from body insecurity, and this collection of stories definitely touches on so many of those issues in a way that is relatable and accessible. This would be a great tool to use in the classroom with body image.

The wide array of topics covered really helps the universal appeal of this book. It's timely and needed in our world!

This was a really good read, I loved how diverse and how informative it was. Body Talk contains different essays, comics, short stories about how different and amazing our bodies are. It celebrates body diversity and most importantly you get to read from the point of view of people that are living with being fat, disabled, suffering from an eating disorder, etc. It was really powerful and I believe that it sends a very important message especially for teenagers. I also really enjoyed the little FAQ section after some of the stories because it answered some questions that teenagers may have and are afraid of asking. I truly believe this book should be read by every single teenager.

Kelly Jensen has done it again. She has put together another fantastic read. This book explores the ways in which our bodies are our bodies, from the god, the bad and the ugly. Readers will put this down feeling that their bodies are unique to who they are and glorious in all their scars, body hair and birthmarks.

In editor Kelly Jensen's third YA nonfiction anthology, we see how essayists have struggled with body positivity from things we can see on the outside like scars to invisible things on the inside like chronic illnesses. Like in Jensen's previous anthologies, she has sent out her batsignal and gotten the best of YA authors, advocates, athletes, and even supermodel Tyra Banks to contribute. Put this highly important and Own Voices book in your teens' hands as soon as it comes out in August.

"Body Talk" is a strong compilation of first-person essays for young people about bodies, all different kinds of bodies. Writers tell stories of having bodies that are disabled, fat, or unconventional in other, embarrassing-to-teenagers ways. The first-person narrative voice is so effective in helping readers to identify with the discomfort and to imagine the journey towards acceptance and celebration.

The essays themselves would have made this book a must-have for any teen book list. But the FAQs offering simple and practical facts make it even more important.

Body Talk is an excellent addition to a teen library. The overall theme is about body posititivity, but not in the typical way. This book contains essays from all genders that address how one can love their body though disability, sexuality, reproductive health, and run-of-the mill appearance issues. I love that this book has FAQs and "Do You Know About?" sections, as well as lists of real life role models that can be used to further explore and celebrate each topic. The essays are honest and real, something that teens don't get enough of in social media and advertising. Even though this book is intended for teens and young adults, I think that adults can also appreciate the essays in this book; it would be a great parent/guardian book to read to learn how to broach sensitive topics that may cause embarrassment in many households and can be used to teach awareness, sensitivity, and empathy.

Body Talk is book of essays of different bodies. I love that it has included all different kinds of disabilities and how people have to navigate then in their life. I think this book is important and I hope everyone picks it up when it comes out!

My favorite essay was:
Fifty Swimsuits by Julie Murphy

*Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for an EARC of Body Talk in exchange for an honest review* I really like this anthology because it's the first I've read that deals with body issues, specifically body issues when you are disabled. It was very refreshing to me to read about people who have gone through the same doubts about their bodies that I have had about mine. Great anthology!

This was an incredible anthology about bodies and all the things they come with. I really loved the diverse perspectives throughout this anthology and it opened my eyes to many things.

This is an amazing anthology of essays all about how we view our bodies and ourselves. I loved the variety of voices and the many topics covered including hormones, blindness, scoliosis, eating disorders. This was really an eye opening book as I learned a lot that I didn't know before. The essays were also both serious and humorous which was a great balance. There is a lot discussed in this book that is important for teenagers and for anyone to hear.. I will be recommending this to a lot of my teen patrons in the future.