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A review by glassesgirl79
The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color by Virgie Tovar
5.0
Although “The Self-Love Revolution” is a book whose target audience are teen girls of color, I feel that the Tovar’s words can also heavily resonate with women of color as well.
“The Self-Love Revolution” is a part of a book series called “Instant Help Solutions” and is written especially for teens and offers practical tips and strategies for dealing with a variety of mental health issues and life challenges.
The book consists of an introduction, sixteen chapters divided into three parts, and an conclusion. The main purpose of this book is to acknowledge that teen girls of color not only have to face the pressure look a certain way by the dominant white culture standards but they also expected to look a certain way based on their culture’s standards as well as learned to stand up against racism, sexism, and fatphobia.
In the introduction, the author starts her book with a letter to the reader in which she expresses how girls have been taught to be afraid of their bodies instead of taking ownership of their bodies. Tovar also uses her introduction to briefly discuss body justice and introduce herself to the reader. At the end of the introduction, she introduces the concept of radical body positivity and informs the reader that the best way to practice this is by getting to know yourself through journal exercises at the end of each chapter.
In part one: our messy world, Tovar discusses beauty standards, fatphobia, racism, food obsession, and diet culture. In the first part of the book, Tovar compares the different definitions and standards of beauty on a global level. In addition, in the first part of the book, Tovar shows the reader how fataphobia and racism affects body image as well the perception of one’s body.
In part two: thoughts on common body confusions, Tovar seeks to answer questions teen girls of color have such as why is my family always talking about my body, why isn’t confidence enough, what do I say to trolls, and how do I live myself?
In part three: be you, not what someone else thinks you should be, Tovar encourages the reader to embrace their body as it currently is because it does amazing things everyday. In this last part of the book, she also empowers the reader to say no at least once a day, never skip meals, take every hour spent criticizing your body and do something else that’s amazing, find genuine allies, and wear what you want.
The book concludes with Tovar congratulating the reader for finishing the book. In addition, Tovar reminds the reader that this is not an ordinary book but is meant to be a guide to start a revolution. Through “The Self-Love Revolution” Tovar provides a path to help girls of color navigate through a culture meant to destroy them. By providing an new vocabulary as well as examples from her own life, Tovar hopes that those reading this book have a moment of self realization and learn to fully embrace that they are amazing, unique, and have the power to change the world.
I love this book because it’s a book I wish I had when I was a teenager. Tovar’s words really resonated with because I too know how it feels to be the only or one of few people of color in a situation. I too know what it’s like to not feel attractive or worthy because I didn’t look like the people of TV or movies. As I wrote as the beginning of this review, although this book is geared towards teen girls of color, I feel that women of color could greatly benefit from Tovar’s words as well since I believe that some women are not living as the best versions of themselves because of hurt they experienced during their childhood and teenage years.
“The Self-Love Revolution” is a part of a book series called “Instant Help Solutions” and is written especially for teens and offers practical tips and strategies for dealing with a variety of mental health issues and life challenges.
The book consists of an introduction, sixteen chapters divided into three parts, and an conclusion. The main purpose of this book is to acknowledge that teen girls of color not only have to face the pressure look a certain way by the dominant white culture standards but they also expected to look a certain way based on their culture’s standards as well as learned to stand up against racism, sexism, and fatphobia.
In the introduction, the author starts her book with a letter to the reader in which she expresses how girls have been taught to be afraid of their bodies instead of taking ownership of their bodies. Tovar also uses her introduction to briefly discuss body justice and introduce herself to the reader. At the end of the introduction, she introduces the concept of radical body positivity and informs the reader that the best way to practice this is by getting to know yourself through journal exercises at the end of each chapter.
In part one: our messy world, Tovar discusses beauty standards, fatphobia, racism, food obsession, and diet culture. In the first part of the book, Tovar compares the different definitions and standards of beauty on a global level. In addition, in the first part of the book, Tovar shows the reader how fataphobia and racism affects body image as well the perception of one’s body.
In part two: thoughts on common body confusions, Tovar seeks to answer questions teen girls of color have such as why is my family always talking about my body, why isn’t confidence enough, what do I say to trolls, and how do I live myself?
In part three: be you, not what someone else thinks you should be, Tovar encourages the reader to embrace their body as it currently is because it does amazing things everyday. In this last part of the book, she also empowers the reader to say no at least once a day, never skip meals, take every hour spent criticizing your body and do something else that’s amazing, find genuine allies, and wear what you want.
The book concludes with Tovar congratulating the reader for finishing the book. In addition, Tovar reminds the reader that this is not an ordinary book but is meant to be a guide to start a revolution. Through “The Self-Love Revolution” Tovar provides a path to help girls of color navigate through a culture meant to destroy them. By providing an new vocabulary as well as examples from her own life, Tovar hopes that those reading this book have a moment of self realization and learn to fully embrace that they are amazing, unique, and have the power to change the world.
I love this book because it’s a book I wish I had when I was a teenager. Tovar’s words really resonated with because I too know how it feels to be the only or one of few people of color in a situation. I too know what it’s like to not feel attractive or worthy because I didn’t look like the people of TV or movies. As I wrote as the beginning of this review, although this book is geared towards teen girls of color, I feel that women of color could greatly benefit from Tovar’s words as well since I believe that some women are not living as the best versions of themselves because of hurt they experienced during their childhood and teenage years.