Book 20: Fat Girl, by Judith Moore

I wanted to like this book, a memoir by a woman who has essentially been a "fat girl" her entire life, but it was a little bit too dark for me. That's not to say that I don't think Moore shouldn't be negative or bitter or angry about the way things have gone for her. It's just that…well, she's frankly not very likeable, which I guess isn't her point either. She doesn't particularly care if people like her - or at least she says she doesn't. But what actually bugs me is that she states several times throughout the book that she *deserves* for people to hate her. This is a woman who had a rough childhood - an abusive mother, horrible classmates, an absent father - but according to her words (which is all I have to go on, right?), that sort of behavior was appropriate because she is a horrible person who warrants this terrible treatment. I don't expect her to be Up With People, but for anyone who might be in a similar situation, this message might just be enough to send them into an absolute tailspin. It's an unpleasant story and while I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, the book does have a sort of sickening Jerry Springer-esque appeal (surely nothing else can happen to this girl…oh, wait). I picked it up on the strength of various positive reviews, so your mileage may vary.