Skinny by Donna Cooner

Skinny
by Donna Cooner
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Point (October 1, 2012)
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Find your voice.

Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies's head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she'll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it.

But there is another voice: Ever's singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical - and partly to try and save her own life - Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.

With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own.

Donna Cooner brings warmth, wit, and startling insight to this unforgettable debut.

My first impression of this story was not really favorable...probably for all the same reasons that Ever Davies was so miserable.  I wasn't sure that I wanted to read about a 15 year old girl who weighed 302 lbs and felt sorry for herself.  However, I stuck with the book and was pleasantly surprised with the way the story went.  This is a very timely story given the obesity rate among young people today.  We are given a bird's eye view of the life of a young woman who hears constant negative input about her weight.  Unfortunately for Ever, all this negativity comes from within her own head.  She is miserable but can't seem to bring herself to get things under control.  Ever has a dream of reconnecting with her childhood friend, Jackson.  It is this dream that propels her forward with the help of her best friend Theodore Wilson, affectionately known as Rat.  By making tough decisions and working hard, Ever is able to make great changes in not only her physical but mental health. 

I like this story because it's not a happy ever after fairy tale.  It is a realistic look at a very realistic problem.  Hopefully it will encourage other young people in the same situation to take charge of their lives and make positive changes.  The book is easy to read as well as entertaining.  I recommend this to all ages.  

Content:

• Sexual Content:  Minor (kissing)
• Profanity: Minor (use of God)
• Violence: None