**Review will be posted on my blog on May 30th.

Full of Myself: A Graphic Memoir About Body Image was a graphic novel I requested from Netgalley earlier this year. What initially grabbed my attention was the subtitle: "A Graphic Memoir About Body Image." As someone who has struggled with body image issues all my life and as someone who teaches teenagers, I always am on the lookout for positive media regarding body image. While I have struggled with body image issues most of my life, I hate talking about it. I am still considered "fat" today, and while most of the time I am okay with that, I still have a lot of bad days.

It is easy to feel alone in these scenarios, but books and stories like Full of Myself serve a great reminder that we are not alone in these feelings.

As a young teenager, Siobhán grapples with the question: "What does it mean to be a woman?" I think this is a question that most, if not all, woman deal with at some point in their life. From a young age, we are constantly being told our expectations or given labels, and the worst part is that most of it comes from adults.

The journey Siobhán Gallagher took us on was an extremely relatable one. While my experiences at home were not exactly the same, I still felt connected to Gallagher the entire time. I think this is a great narrative for anyone, but young women especially. It does a great job of making the reader feel validated in their feelings without flat-out telling them, "You're wrong for thinking these things." It really shows how the world tries to set us up for the worst.

It also tackles binge eating and bulimia, which is something that is hard to explain to people who have never experienced it before. I think Gallagher paints the struggles perfectly, and I honestly wish I could give this book to anyone who tells others to "just not eat junk."

The art style throughout the book is simple at times, but even so, the strategies used add to the memoir. Gallagher does a wonderful job at adding depth to panels when needed and keeping a page simple for added effect. Her attention to color (especially when she uses color in the entire panel) is powerful.

Overall, I am glad I decided to read this one. It was one that will stay with me for a long time. I am glad that Gallagher decided to share her story in a medium that could draw the attention of different readers.

4.5/5 stars

Full of Myself: A Graphic Memoir About Body Image (Pub. Date April 2, 2024) by Siobhán Gallagher is a nicely-done, visually-appealing memoir in graphic form, dealing with difficult topics, such as body image, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.

Siobhán starts off with her childhood in the Canadian Maritimes, as she began keeping a diary as a kid, and what strikes her now, as an adult was "how pervasive my body shame was." She goes through some of what she wrote at the time she was as young as 10 years old, and then goes into what messages she received through the culture when she was growing up. It's all spot-on, and she uses the word "fat" in the same neutral way as fat liberationists do, explaining it in a footnote!

On one page, she explains the difference between straight size, midsize, and plus-size, with accompanying body-diverse drawings. She also goes into the misogyny she experienced just becoming a woman in the world, her choice to go away to college, and to transfer, and finally getting to live in New York.

She often felt isolated and awkward, and she illustrates these things effectively, including the depression she fell into, and later, how that morphs into an eating disorder where she binges and purges.

Eventually she works her way back to healthy behaviors and meets someone. I thought it was well-done, and would call it fat-positive, as any anti-fat bias described is done critically. Gallagher has done the work, knows what it means to be fat-positive, and has recognized the anti-fat bias that we are all exposed to. Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this book. All thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.
This book was raw and honest and exaclty right. I believe it was the biggest hug the author could give to herself and also to her readers.

Definitely recommend. I have always been a fan of life story and personal graphic novels and this was no exception. In a lot of ways I felt seen. I experienced so much of this. As a fat enby there are a lot of differences too but I recognise a lot of the struggles.

"To be a girl is to go from being an observer to being observed."
This book hits hard.
It doesn't pull any punches, either. For someone who's dealt with any of the issues that Gallagher speaks about in her honest, forthright way, it will feel like a little bit of you has been seen. For someone who's been lucky enough to not have to wade into any of these murky emotional waters, this book will give you a peek into that space in a way that's accessible but not overwhelming. A lot of these topics could become maudlin, but Gallagher uses a deft touch and sparse visuals to keep the flow moving so you never get stuck in the depths of any one terrible emotional moment.
Speaking of the art, it's simple and yet it draws you in. Almost every drawing with small details includes real-life references (like The Kiss by Klimt up on a bedroom wall of posters). It's wonderful, and makes me want to try to identify every single one of them.
Bonus for many references that made me remember my own childhood and teen years, including Home Star Runner, clear bra straps, Calvin & Hobbes, Limewire, Tom Waits’ “Clap Hands”, and much, much more.

“I could not see myself out of the context of how others might have seen me.” That quote sums up so much of what this book is about, but it's about so much more than that as well. If that quote speaks to you in any way, then I think you'll like this book. "Like" isn't quite the right word - I think you'll relate to this book.

I really enjoyed this book! Honestly I think it’s something I wish I could have read this when I was in my early teenage years at the height of my eating disorder. The message and the art style made this memoir into something truly beautiful. Siobhan Gallagher is both a talented artist and storyteller.

While I have not had an eating disorder, so much of this book perfectly represented the impact of 90's diet and pop culture and media throughout my life. Through the book Gallagher comes to realize that most women have the same internal monologue that she has going on, the same insecurities, and I think this book is an important step towards women realizing a better road of self acceptance.

The art: incredible and by far the best art I’ve read in a graphic novel…there was SO much detail in all of the drawings and they were whimsical while being real.

The story: so touching and sad but so important. Definitely check the trigger warnings!

Will be in my march wrap up!

Siobhan’s memoir covers thoughts and feelings of every woman in western culture, if not the world. I enjoyed the way she portrayed her journey and how she came to important realizations about herself.

This was a very cute and uplifting story with very well made drawings. Siobhan is great at sharing her story of self love.
I would love to read more books like this.

This was so eye-opening. I feel that through the recollection of scenes of her life, I was able to better understand how sexism, stereotypes and other people's opinions have shaped me as I grew up too. It kind of felt like when you think something bad is "normal", and years later you realise it wasn't normal or okay at all. So I think this book can be educational as well as feel comforting and reassuring.

Also, as someone who isn't from an English speaking country, it was quite interesting seeing what it meant to grow up as a woman there.

We all know I am a sucker for a good graphic novel memoir! This one hit so hard and so good. I love the way this was organized and I am pastel pink illustrated super fan. I truly felt this one at my core and could relate so hard to almost everything. It was a very vulnerable book that I feel is meant to be read by every twenty something out there!

I absolutely loved this book, it was quite hard hitting but in an easy way. Siobhan holds nothing back and takes us on a rollercoaster. It was so relatable to me and probably lots of other women, I feel Siobhan does a really good job portraying this through her own life experiences.

A very poignant graphic novel and one I feel like should be read by everyone.

I wish my younger selves had read this book! Common humanity/sisterhood is described vividly in this graphic novel. The author’s evocative illustrations jump off the page, reflecting so well the struggles of young women, from their anxious battles to their empowered triumphs. Once the beasts of self doubt are confronted and tamed, self-acceptance follows. Surviving growing pains requires courage. The book does not shirk from tackling body dysmorphia and how this leads to the many, often self-destructive, ways women attempt to fit in. Lessons are learned about the diminishing returns of basing self-worth on society’s impossible standards, often informed by the patriarchal “male gaze”. I admire the writer and illustrator for her many triumphs over bulimia, cutting, comparisons to other women, etc. All girls and women can relate to the despair of feeling inadequate. I believe this can help women, teens to seniors, who are also battling to matter in this judgemental world. Her sublime message of self-compassion is - be kind to all your selves, through every phase of life.

Siobhán looks back on being kid, now that she's thirty. She talks about what it means to go from being a "person" to being a girl. But what does that mean, and when do you go from being a "girl" to a "woman"? Who teaches us to ignore the messages that society and capitalism send our way about makeup and looks?

Girls are conditioned to judge themselves the hardest, with insults about beauty and weight. The problem is that when we cramp ourself into that box, we neglect who we are when failing to meet those impossible standards. We can feel inadequate and imperfect, rather than bracing our identities, warts and all. Not helping is when we are judged for our habits.

Reading all this reminds me of the influencers in pop culture that shape our worldview. Siobhán nails accurately how any statement can affect us when we are going and growing in a world where people receive labels. She says that art and drawing helped her make sense of the world. And we can see her outlining these influences and aspects of her life would change.

This book is the perfect example of why graphic novels can be utilized for adult literature! The illustrations added so much depth to the novel and I don’t think that this story can be experienced without them. Gallagher made me feel seen with her commentary on what it was like to be a girl in the 2000s/2010s because it really was hellish but it makes me feel so much better to see someone else outside my circle of friends share that experience and her healing from that era. I will definitely be adding a physical copy to my collection and looking at Gallagher’s other releases!

It hit home a little more closely than I expected, but for that I'm grateful. The book is a reflection for many women, and Siobhan Gallagher does a lovely job portraying it through her own life experiences. Great read.

Full disclosure: I went to high school with Siobhán, her brother Séan was one of my good friends in high school, and her mom really is delightful. Also yes, I know a lot of the very deep references in this memoir! And I loved how raw and girly and fun but also sad and healing this memoir was, a journey through body image and learning to untangle the messages we get about our bodies and how goddamn hard it can be to just ignore them, especially when they’re everywhere. I’ve been really conscious about how I talk about food to people in my life for some time now, and I reject diet talk - this reminded me of my own life and formative years in a Catholic family in Moncton and some lessons I hadn’t stopped to think about yet. As well as remembering the little kids in my life hear how I talk about food! This was great. And you should read it.

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC!

I really liked this one! I loved reading about the author's life and her struggles. I have never had struggles like this with my body but reading about it is important. Learning about other people's experiences makes us more empathetic people, which is so needed in today's world. I really appreciated the authors vulnerability and openness. That is truly a gift. What a great book! I also adore the illustrations! Talent oozes from this book for sure.

Enjoyed this book over two days! Thanks to net galley for the ARC. The author exploded a sensitive topic through empathetic illustrations that felt like a hug. I myself am on my own journey of exploring the topics shared and felt like I was speaking with a friend.