What do you think?
Rate this book
Main Character Energy: An Empowering Guide From TikTok Megastar Fats Timbo
'She's hilarious' - Stylist
'A social pioneer' - Glamour
YOU ARE THE HERO THAT YOUR STORY NEEDS.
I'm Fats/Fatima. I'm a comedian. I make jokes and videos. Sometimes I go on news programmes and tell men with bad tans what life is like for little people. I do this because I am a little person, in case you were wondering. It would be an odd thing to do if I wasn't.
My life hasn't always been easy, but through the good and the bad times I've learned a few lessons which have made me fearless - how to be the hero that my story needs. Now, I want to share those lessons with you. So you can be the main character in your life, no matter what your challenges may be.
So come on in. My story, like yours, is ready to begin.
Love,
Fats x
'A social pioneer' - Glamour
YOU ARE THE HERO THAT YOUR STORY NEEDS.
I'm Fats/Fatima. I'm a comedian. I make jokes and videos. Sometimes I go on news programmes and tell men with bad tans what life is like for little people. I do this because I am a little person, in case you were wondering. It would be an odd thing to do if I wasn't.
My life hasn't always been easy, but through the good and the bad times I've learned a few lessons which have made me fearless - how to be the hero that my story needs. Now, I want to share those lessons with you. So you can be the main character in your life, no matter what your challenges may be.
So come on in. My story, like yours, is ready to begin.
Love,
Fats x
- GenresNonfictionDisability
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2023
6 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 17, 2023
I've only just discovered Fats Timbo. I'm not part of the TikTok generation it seems she's been inspiring for a few years now. So, I came to this book with zero knowledge of her and her story.
Fatima is inspiring, there's no doubting that. Her sense of humour and outlook on life certainly come through in the passages where she discusses her own life throughout the book. She's split the chapters into 'commandments' she wants readers to live by and learn from using her experiences as the guide. But the 'commandments' are all fairly standard tropes that feel a bit sloganistic.
'Only Doubt Doubt Itself'
'Love You'
'Trust the Journey'
I mean, yeah I get it and I get why she might think these positive rallying cries or affirmations are helpful - and maybe they are to her fans - but it all feels a bit 'positive affirmation of the day'. I can get that stuff by following certain Instagram pages if I really want to (I don't). What' i'd have loved to hear more about was her and how having these beliefs has shaped her own story. She does say a bit on this but not nearly enough for a newbie to the fold like me.
Fatima is inspiring, there's no doubting that. Her sense of humour and outlook on life certainly come through in the passages where she discusses her own life throughout the book. She's split the chapters into 'commandments' she wants readers to live by and learn from using her experiences as the guide. But the 'commandments' are all fairly standard tropes that feel a bit sloganistic.
'Only Doubt Doubt Itself'
'Love You'
'Trust the Journey'
I mean, yeah I get it and I get why she might think these positive rallying cries or affirmations are helpful - and maybe they are to her fans - but it all feels a bit 'positive affirmation of the day'. I can get that stuff by following certain Instagram pages if I really want to (I don't). What' i'd have loved to hear more about was her and how having these beliefs has shaped her own story. She does say a bit on this but not nearly enough for a newbie to the fold like me.
June 24, 2025
This book delves into 10 commandments on how you should live your life based on what Fatima has experienced and the lessons she has learned. It also delves more into her story.
I found it really interesting learning more about achondroplasia, I will say I knew very little about the condition before going into this book and I was really thankful she included some of her experience with this growing up. I also loved just reading more about Fatima's interest in creativity, dance, comedy, etc. because, as always, a condition doesn't define who they are as people. I also loved the snippets of info about her family. Can I just say her parents truly sound amazing, and I'd like an auntie and uncle just like them, please?
I loved the Timbo Takeaways; little summaries of each commandment, so you can flick back to just those pages when you don't want to reread the entire chapter. This pairs nicely with sections for you to reflect.
My favourite commandment was number 6, which is about discovering new perspectives. Overall I really enjoyed this and found it really refreshing.
I found it really interesting learning more about achondroplasia, I will say I knew very little about the condition before going into this book and I was really thankful she included some of her experience with this growing up. I also loved just reading more about Fatima's interest in creativity, dance, comedy, etc. because, as always, a condition doesn't define who they are as people. I also loved the snippets of info about her family. Can I just say her parents truly sound amazing, and I'd like an auntie and uncle just like them, please?
I loved the Timbo Takeaways; little summaries of each commandment, so you can flick back to just those pages when you don't want to reread the entire chapter. This pairs nicely with sections for you to reflect.
My favourite commandment was number 6, which is about discovering new perspectives. Overall I really enjoyed this and found it really refreshing.
June 15, 2023
I have seen Fats Timbo speak and the way this book works really brings out her actual voice, especially since it is a collaboration as Fats Timbo is dyslexic, making this book even more of an achievement. She is enigmatic, magnetic and absolutely hilarious. Though, this book is less about Fats being funny and more about how she has got to where she is today by following her commandments, which I won’t spoil here. I love her and her talk SOLD OUT at Hay Festival and deservedly so, also if you’ve never seen any of her TikTok’s before, go and watch them … like … RIGHT NOW!
August 31, 2025
Fats Timbo shares her tips for overcoming self-doubt, developing self-love and achieving your dreams. She draws on her own experience as a black woman with achondroplasia, the bullying she experienced and barriers she faced, all with her own distinctive sense of humour. She ends by talking about wanting to make a television programme about West African and Western perspectives on disability and I really hope she gets to do that.
April 23, 2023
I am not a social media follower, so I did not know of the author before I picked up this audiobook at my local library. For someone in her mid twenties, she is incredibly wise! Recommend to anyone who could do with a fresh perspective on life and where they fit in it. We can all do with some of our own Main Character Energy.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews