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 look out for positive media regarding body image.
Before I get into my review, as always, a huge thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and the authors who allow me the opportunity to review books.
Full of Myself will be available April 2, 2024.
GENERAL INFO
Full of Myself by Siobhán Gallagher
Published on April 2, 2024
Genres: Graphic Novel, Humor, Memoir
Pages: 336
Format: ARC, eBook
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Author and illustrator Siobhán Gallagher's humorous and heartfelt graphic memoir details her journey from being anxious and unhappy to learning to love herself as she is.
I'm proud of the person I've become because I fought to become her. At the age of 30, Siobhán Gallagher looks back on her teenage self: struggling with anxiety and diet culture, desperate to become a beautiful, savvy, and slim adult. As an actual adult, she realizes she hasn't turned out the way she'd imagined, but through the hard work of self-reflection--cut with plenty of humor--Gallagher brings readers along on her journey to self-acceptance and self-love.
Through witty comics and striking illustrations, Full of Myself is a highly relatable story of the awkward, imperfect, and hilariously honest teenage best friend readers will wish they had had--and the awkward, imperfect, and hilariously honest woman she becomes.
Trigger Warnings: details about bulimia, binge eating, body dysmorphia, and self-harm.
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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 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 at 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.
People Who Should Pick Up This Book:
- Readers who enjoy graphic novels
- Readers who relate to stories about body image or would like to learn about it.
- Anyone who wants to be taken on a journey to self-love
Final Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Those are all of my thoughts on Full of Myself: A Graphic Memoir About Body Image.
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