#Thighgap
One of
the risks that stories that are about weight loss often face is that the
character often “finds” themselves after losing weight or finally gets the love
interest or the job they’ve always wanted. #Thighgap takes
a much more subversive approach to the concept of weight loss, making the
concept of being thin a lot more sinister.
The main character, Helen Troy, has not only gone from obese to thin but
has also become a successful fashion model.
But now it is an obsession for her as she can’t stand not being the
thinnest woman in the room. She gets told she is beautiful BECAUSE she is so
thin. Helen Troy’s quest for thinness impacts her relationships and eventually
her health. The tension and dialogue that brings the reader into this journey is
not only enticing, but also full of sharp social commentary and beautifully
written body horror. Because of how
entertaining and well written it was, I did not want this story to end!
Body
shaming people for not conforming to society’s beauty standards and for being
perceived of as overweight is a real horror in our culture. As a woman, the internalization of these standards
is something I’ve personally grappled with. Between the Feminist Book Club community and Maintenance Phase podcast, I’ve
been learning to embrace more body positive thinking. I would definitely feel comfortable
recommending this book to people in these non-horror communities with the
disclaimer that it IS a horror book. Discussion about weight can be a sensitive
topic for some readers, but the genre and description of the book does indicate
that the notion of extreme weight loss will be explored through the lens of
horror fiction.
This novella
is extra special as it is a part of My
Dark Library series that is curated by Sadie Hartman (known as Mother Horror) that will be released through Cemetery
Gates Media. Sadie’s reviews and her Nightworms
packages have strongly influenced my TBR pile. I held the bias that #Thighgap
would be great because of this and Chandler Morrison definitely lived up to the
high bar! I really loved this novella!
I am also
posting this review on Goodreads.
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