Eat, and Love Yourself

March 16, 2020
Mindy begins to see herself clearly after a bar of chocolate, called “Eat, and Love Yourself,” transports her to past moments that contributed to her body dysmorphia, negative self-image, and binging and purging. Boo uses a moody, saturated color palette to depict the young woman’s churning pessimism and self-loathing, further communicated through introspective, confessional musings: “There’s always a moment when you become aware of who you are, and it hurts.... Because you aren’t the person you imagined you were.” As Mindy travels to times in which others—students, her father, a friend—color her perception of herself and her relationship with food, readers experience the isolating effect of these occurrences next to Mindy’s own damaging self-talk and destructive isolation. Also clear is that Mindy is a far cry from the hideous, unlovable girl she sees herself as. Originally created via Kickstarter, Boo’s story about breaking the cycle of self-harm, acknowledging formative experiences, and embracing one’s indelible worth is meaningfully communicated. Ages 12–up. Agent: Britt Siess, Martin Literary.