Customer Reviews

Being the Fat Girl

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great read. Easy to understand and bridges the generation gap. At such a young age Katie is courageous enough to expose her deepest insecurities and to tell of how she relied on God to overcome seriously low self-esteem and self-doubt - by allowing Him to change her from the inside - out.
This is a story of hope, without being "preachy".

I highly recommend it for "kids" of all ages.

LB

It's hard to believe, after hearing her music, that Katie Giguere ever had any doubts about being a recording artist. She is an amazing talent and clearly walking in her calling. Reading the book though, you can see what she was up against. Not only did she have to overcome her own deep-seeded insecurity and self-loathing, but then she had to confront head-on, a music industry that has no qualms about telling young women they need to "fit the mold". Katie is brave and honest in her book. Even the title, "Being the Fat Girl" is a bold move. She is the kind of role model I don't mind seeing out there for our youth. She encourages people to see themselves as God sees them, flawed but thoroughly loved and perfect in His sight. She says pursue your dreams even if you seem like an unlikely candidate, because God ALWAYS uses unlikely people to do GREAT things.. (think Moses, Sarah, Mary, King David) I think this is a great book and that Katie Giguere is just what is needed right now. I hope she sells a million copies.

I am glad to have purchased this very inspiring book. I can't think of any other young female artist who has addressed this topic at all. Everytime Katie steps out there onstage to sing, she is taking a stand for everyone who is different or an underdog. Her faith in God and help from family and friends seems to be a key component in her metamorphesis. Let us take a lesson from that as parents or friends of overweight people. It's not deep psychology, nor heavy theology - it's just her story, and I appreciate reading it.

I know Katie Giguere's music from hearing it on American Family Radio. I've been a fan of her voice, but am now a fan of her as a person. We have young girls starving themselves or worse trying to reach some ideal body image that 99% of celebrities perpetuate. Our daughters are taught that if you are not bone thin, you have no value and can not be a success in life. Along comes Katie.. tearing that lie apart simply by existing and telling her story. She is having great success in a field where there are no fat girl singers. Her music is heard all over the country. Her faith in God is refreshing and her courage makes me a bit ashamed of myself in certain areas. I won't even go to the beach out of embarassment about my body, and here is a young girl standing in front of the world, saying "I'm fat, now can we move on". Go Katie. Great book.

This is a book mainly for teens, that's clear from the cover art and the fact that it's a short read. It's also a book that has been marketed primarily in the Christian arena. That is what CCM artist means, Contemporary Christian Music. So with those two factors in mind, I read the book with low expectations. Strangely, I found myself, halfway through, routing for Katie and marveling at how matter-of-fact her Christianity plays into her real life. It's not preachy, which I respect and am glad for. I don't see how someone like her, who credits all good things in her life to God, could write a book that isn't filled with religious undertones. For whatever reason, I finished the book feeling empowered. I put it down feeling like I had participated in something good. I am so glad for her and her success. Don't pick up this book for any other reason than to brighten your day with a story of hope. It really is just a story about fat girl who found a way to be happy in this thin-obsessed nightmare we call society. She's even engaged to a cute guy (I checked out her website) Makes me a little jealous!

This book is a positive read primarily for a young person dealing with self esteem or weight struggles. Though a self published title - it is a courageous step for a young woman to share this side of her life. It is for the Christian audience yet for every review that doesnt seem favorable it seems someone from her representation has submitted a review to refute them. Most will agree we live in a society where size acceptance is talked about (and promoted) more than ever; however there are major health factors involved with being overweight and few would argue this should be someone's motivation is losing body fat (not striving to be a size 2) but whatever size you end up after losing body fat and exercising. This choice is up to the person, those who love them and their physician. If they want to live to their full potential (and sometimes one may not know what that is if they have not been healthier in the past) they alone must decide the steps to make for improvement.

I admire anyone who can attempt to put their own personal pain and imperfections out there for the world to judge and criticize. Many adults I know do not have the insight into their own feelings that Katie has.

I don't think this was intended to be a novel, nor funny or entertaining. I think she was trying to get a message across that is much needed in a society that devalues people based on their appearance, be it size, race, or other physicial trait.

I really appreciate her statement, "Make no mistake, I am not an advocate for fatness.. I do not want to be the spokesperson for unhealthy lifestyles and inactivity". Clearly, she still struggles with her weight issue, but that is not the point. The point is, during the struggle, don't devalue yourself or let your struggle keep you from living out your dreams.

I'm glad this is not a diet and fitness book about how to lose weight. This is one young girl's story, and it resounds with many of us plus-sized people out there. Nothing is more ignorant than a skinny person saying things like "why don't you just get to the root of the probelm and diet and exerecise". Not one fat person is unaware of every diet and pill known to mankind. Obviously, there are emotional and physical issues at the core, but this book is not about that. This book is a story of hope and I for one, feel more hopeful and more comfortable in my own plus-sized body after reading it. Thanks Katie!

I should have looked at this book a little more closely before ordering it. It is very heavy on religion and very light on anything else.
If you are a naive teenager who is really into going to your youth group and don't require a lot of substance in your reading, I would recommend this book for you.
As someone who does not meet the above criteria, I barely choked my way through this book, which seemed to be more propaganda than anything else.