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A review by bluenicorn
Meat & Bone by Kat Verhoeven
4.0
"A queer slice-of-life drama about dating and eating." Note that "eating" includes extensive eating disorder discussion that could totally be triggering to someone. But knowing that: this was a really compelling read on multiple levels. Poly and queer relationships are portrayed in a positive way, emphasizing the importance of honesty and communication. The women's friendship is portrayed well, too- in all of its imperfection. ()
But the real "star" here is the approach to eating disorders. There is a very ill, anorexic character- but there is also Anne, our main character, who experiences periods of anorexia, bingeing and purging. "The doctor ruled out anorexia immediately because of my size, Ha." Anne is like many people who live in "normal" or larger sized bodies who also has an eating disorder. "For me it's a week of crumbs and a week of feasts. I've got no balance in this." Marshall, who looks more like what people think anorexics look like, fuels Anne's insecurities but also shows her that thinness is not a panacea. I think it's so important for people to see themselves in books- and this is a glimpse into eating disorders that we don't have enough of.
This was occasionally really hard to read because of the subject matter, but it was good.
Spoiler
I loved when they teamed up for revenge on PriamBut the real "star" here is the approach to eating disorders. There is a very ill, anorexic character- but there is also Anne, our main character, who experiences periods of anorexia, bingeing and purging. "The doctor ruled out anorexia immediately because of my size, Ha." Anne is like many people who live in "normal" or larger sized bodies who also has an eating disorder. "For me it's a week of crumbs and a week of feasts. I've got no balance in this." Marshall, who looks more like what people think anorexics look like, fuels Anne's insecurities but also shows her that thinness is not a panacea. I think it's so important for people to see themselves in books- and this is a glimpse into eating disorders that we don't have enough of.
This was occasionally really hard to read because of the subject matter, but it was good.