when I'm alone,
I feel perfect in every way,
but surrounded by people,
an overwhelming feeling
of being less than,
of being not good enough,
takes over

my fantasies have
branded me beautiful,
but others don't see
the same in me

so what is real?
what am I to believe?

Another collection of poetry that is profound, raw, and beautifully intense. It covers things that deal with trauma and healing, and self discovery. The artwork is so fitting and really well illustrated. I'll be recommending we order this title.

Really enjoyed this over all. Ended up highlighting quite a few passages that resonated. Mostly in the first section of the collection, though some towards the end as well. I think my favorite poem/story was in the final section - The Violent Journey To Womanhood. It is a jarring experience with little guidance really. I think come back to the passages when I need a reminder. Thought I will admit, I know it helps a lot of people with self esteem battles, but personally I just get tired at the constant "I am a goddess" "My stretchmarks are armor" etc refrain in body positivity. Can't I just be human? Doesn't that still make me worthy of self respect and self love? Can't my stretchmarks just be simply stretchmarks? Does there have to be a greater meaning than the fact of their existence? That's the part I struggled with relating to in this collection. But I suppose that just says something about me and how I feel about my body, doesn't it? All of that aside, the emotion in the poetry and the overall message of accepting your body and yourself is one that you can never hear or read too often. This was an easy read and I loved the theme of it being a spell book, even as it admits it's not that easy. You have to repeat the process until it sticks. However...here's hoping the magic works!

At times this felt very surface level. As a fat woman, I have felt all these things. But I never felt that “aha, this is something I feel but never thought about before” moment.

There were also times where I really felt like it was written more from a midsize pov. There are a lot of things large fat people feel and experience that midsize people are too privileged to experience. I just never felt like, “yes, a truly fat person wrote this.”

Also all these poems about how men have treated her and not more than a single poem about how she was treated by another woman, romantically. I wish there had been more of an insight into how different being with a woman is from being with a fatphobic man.

As someone who's been abused and bullied my entire life for being a fat girl, this book really hit home.
The poetry was so heartfelt and emotional, without it explicitly needing it.
I loved it so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

As a fat girl, I found this collection of poetry hit on all the emotions of being a fat girl. It was truly one of the most emotional and inspiring pieces of writing I’ve ever read.
It ends with a piece of advice that I will take with me every day.

What's clearly a collection based on personal experience and pain (as well as love), Kat Savage isn't afraid to be vulnerable and reach out to her readers through the experiences she writes about. This book is emotional and lovely, but could have been served well with some pruning as some of the poems feel repetitive or too closely linked.

I loved this collection of poetry. I felt deeply for each and every poem, having lived them myself. It was moving and spiritual in a way only someone who has lived it can understand. Fantastic. Absolutely no notes.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book. While there were some great poems in here, the overall vibe of the book missed the mark for me.

I was not prepared for the feelings these poems would pull from me. As a fellow fat girl, I think I had dismissed some thoughts or experiences, and seeing in print those shared moments made me feel seen and valued. I recommend this not just for those also with fat girl magic but any women who has felt her value only exists in what she can provide to men and not who she is as her own person.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

'I can't be for everyone, love' Kat Savage writes in "Alarm Clock", and sadly this was the case for me in Fat Girl Magic.

This collection is clearly a labour of love about a topic the author feels very passionately about, and there were one or two lines I thought were excellent, but on the whole this collection of poetry felt very surface level and quite repetitive. Most of the poems said the same thing in slightly different words: don't let anyone (especially your partner) put you down for being fat, because you're worth more than that.

The thing is, unless this is the first book you've ever read that explores fatphobia and its consequences, those of us who are fat already know this. Even on the days when we might be struggling with our body image, most of us know deep down that we have worth regardless. I wanted this collection to explore more of the messiness around body image, and that ironically thin line between accepting your body and wishing you could change everything about it.

I was also frustrated with how over-explained some of these poems were. A poem would start out fairly nuanced and then end with a stanza that explained the rest of the poem, which the reader doesn't need--for me, context clues are a huge part of reading poetry and I don't like it when authors don't trust their readers enough to let them come to their own conclusions.

An absolutely gorgeous collection exploring what it means to exist in a body that others will inexplicably feel they have the right to comment on, to judge, to have an opinion on. There are poems in here that I know I will revisit over and over and take something new away from every single time.

Illustrations were stunning and such a lovely addition.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

"Fat Girl Magic" is a collection of poems dealing with the experience of living as a fat person. As a fat person myself, I was a bit disappointed because so much of it dealt with trauma, diets, struggles and the wish to be less, thinner. I had expected some more fat joy. I don't know...

Fat Girl Magic by Kat Savage is a collection of poetry and prose revolving around the ideas about body image. While the writings primarily focus on fat bodies, their underlying sentiments are relevant to anyone who is struggling with their physical appearance. The writings range from how others perceive a body that is different from the norm, to how one goes through a journey of self-acceptance to embrace the body they are born in. I particularly found the use of witchcraft framework quite compelling in the poems. Besides this, Kat Savage has anonymously incorporated the experiences and stories of, what I believe are, her followers. This, I think ,made the poems easier to connect to and gave the work a universal appeal. Finally, the beautiful illustrations throughout the book elevate the experience of reading it. This is a book that one can go back to over and over again, when looking for a space that offers comfort and safety.
Thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for sending across a copy of this for review. All opinions here are my own.

Fat Girl Magic...
In a world full of weight loss pills and social media fat shaming, it's wonderful to read a poetry collecting celebrating Fat Girl Magic.

With gorgeous illustrations and thoughtful, and sometimes humorous, prose, this collection is sure to relate to all, regardless of their size or gender.

The book features an array of poignant poems that eloquently capture the emotions of feeling alone and unwanted. It courageously tackles weighty subjects such as fatphobia, offering a sensitive and relatable exploration of these themes. The author’s delicate handling of these topics resonates deeply, providing both solace and insight for readers who have shared similar experiences.

As I a midsize girly myself I found this book incredibly relatable and empowering. The poems that author has collected in this book is like having a pep talk or a chat with your friend. It’s almost you’re heard and supported at the same time. I personally see this book as some sort of therapy your daily dose of ‘I am enough and I ROCK’! There’s everything: sadness, happiness, resilience. Loved it and a great addition to my poem favorites.

Fat Girl Magic by Kat Savage was a very lovely collection of poetry that reminds you to embrace who are you and not let anyone take you for granted.
I really found the flow of the poetry easy to read and the magic woven into it really stuck out to me.
Will definitely be ready more from Kat Savage.
Thanks to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the arc for this beautiful collection of poetry.

I enjoyed this book, and there were definitely some poems that stood out to me. I liked the theme of book and the positivity.
I find poetry very hit and miss - you have to connect with it emotionally in order to enjoy it, i believe. There wasnt enough in here that struck an emotional chord with me for me to say I loved this collection of poems.

I loved these poems and I think that they are well done. They show the back and forth that comes along with learning to accept your body for how it is and to overcome fatphobia in yourself. They did a great job talking about insecurity and confidence and how it isn’t an easy journey to recovery from an eating disorder. I loved the poems dedicated to people throughout, it was a nice touch.

I did appreciate a couple of the poems, but overall this was a very depressing book, repetitive, and I didn’t have a good reading experience.