Book Review: “Never Mind My Thigh Gap” by Sarah Newton & Bronte Huskinson

“Never Mind My Thigh Gap” by Sarah Newton & Bronte Huskinson (2016)

Genre: YA, Fiction, Contemporary

Page Length: 181 pages (electronic edition)

Synopsis:

“One ordinary girl, one extraordinary moment” There are three things everyone notices about Alice.

1. Her super-hot rugby boyfriend.

2. Her sophisticated, totally gorgeous best friend.

3. Her very noticeable 38-inch long legs.

Alice is tall – just under six feet to be exact – but her self-esteem couldn’t be smaller. When her relationship starts wavering, Alice’s perfectly beautiful best friend somehow convinces her to join a modelling competition, “for a confidence boost.” But Alice is just a normal girl; she loves ice cream too much, has an unhealthy addiction to American TV and lusts after the elusive thigh gap. She can’t even walk in heels, let alone in a bikini, but she finds herself joining Runway Models anyway.

The finale is only a few months away.

Will Alice catwalk her way to self-confidence or fail, proving everyone right? People can surprise you. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Never Mind My Thigh Gap takes readers on one girl’s journey to conquer her negative body image.Body image is such a prevalent issue that is commonly discussed among women and is constantly a hot topic in the media so I was curious to see what angle this story would take on this issue.

Though the first couple of chapters I wondered if the narrator, Alice, would be able to overcome her obstacles. Alice is an relatable character to most girls around that her age since most girls can relate to the fact that they have dealt with some varying degree of insecurity about their body image at some point in their life. She is a bit naive, seems very unsure about most of the decisions she makes, and when Alice looks in the mirror she’s always unhappy with her reflection. On top of that her “best friend”, Isabelle, and her boyfriend Julian are both toxic forces in her life. They’re not very supportive and they always emotionally blackmail her which ends up making her feel even worse about herself.

Throughout the competition Alice is able to tale a deeper look at herself inside and out. The competition serves as an obstacle and a self-journey to overcome her body image insecurities, but it allows her to also look at all of people she calls her friends. Do they really have her best interests at heart or do they have other motives? By looking within herself Alice matures in a more confident young woman.

Though Alice is our main narrator sometimes the readers are quickly shifted into another character’s perspective without any kind of notice. The other perspectives are a bit brief and I think the reader could have benefited from having it put into a separate, but longer chapter or a smoother transition.

Overall I thought that some of the writing for this book was a bit cheesy, but I loved the positive message of self love that it promoted. Everyone may have fears that keep you from trying something new. No matter what the naysayers might tell you, always love yourself and do what makes YOU happy.

Final Verdict: