5 stars

I received a copy of this book through Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.Before reading this book, I had no idea who Lindy West was. However, after reading it, I feel closer to her than I ever thought I could feel toward someone I have never met.West’s book is part memoir, part call to action, in which she details some of her experiences in life. Her views are refreshingly feminist but are presented in a way that is also side-splittingly hilarious. I think her style is similar to Caitlin Moran, but unlike Moran, West practices a feminism that is very inclusive and doesn’t make cheap jokes at other people’s expenses. Overall, she makes fun of people’s actions, rather than the people themselves.In the book, West discusses some very heavy issues such as trolls, rape jokes, fat-shaming, and misogyny, but her use of humor makes the stories digestible and she includes many experiences which have a happy ending, giving the message of hope for a better society in the future.One of my favorite parts of this book was West’s chapters on fat-shaming and fat acceptance, because I think it is easy to fall into the trap of looking out for other people’s “health”. However, West makes very persuasive arguments about why it is really none of anyone else’s business how much a person weighs.I absolutely love this book. It is a great piece of feminist writing and a must read.