The Denim Diaries

by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Laurie Boyle Crompton’s coming of age in rural Pennsylvania and the New York City area in the 1970s and 1980s was anything but idyllic. In moving verse accompanied by diary-esque sketches, Crompton takes you along as she navigates relationships, plays the happy family at church despite discord at home, manages her mother’s ambitions and her father’s alcoholism, struggles with her self-image, and desperately tries to fit in at school by squeezing into too-tight designer denim. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, The Denim Diaries follows Crompton’s journey through disordered eating and sexual assault to acceptance and recovery. Her vivid poems recall the highs and lows of a life filled with hardship and joy alike. At times both harrowing and humorous, this memoir brings new perspective to the importance of self-love and finding hope in the darkest of times.

Genres: Young Adult, Poetry

352 pages, Library Binding

Published November 14, 2023

Reviews

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Denim Diaries makes for a coming-of-age story in verse and in sketches, ranging from small-town Pennsylvania to the hustle and bustle of New York in the 70s and 80s. Between a discordant home life and body dissatisfaction, she had more than enough to deal with, and she chronicles years of ups and downs, fitting herself into the skintight-have-to-be-done-up-with-a-clothes-hanger jeans of the pre-stretchy sort, seeing her mother struggle to keep the family afloat while her father's alcoholism ebbed and (mostly) flowed, and on it goes.

The book covers a fairly extended time period—this isn't a story that can be wrapped up simply in a few months or a year; rather, Crompton describes a very up-and-down journey that took a long time to settle. For the most part it manages to avoid feeling repetitive, and generally speaking I much appreciate books that show the longer haul of struggle—better that than an emphasis on the difficulty and then a skip to the end, everything's fine now.

The sketches are more than an afterthought here: perhaps half of the pages include quick drawings similar to the ones on the cover. They don't expand on the details in the text, but they give the book a distinct flavor and texture, and although the style isn't usually one that I'm drawn to, I found myself looking forward to seeing what parts would be illustrated. Although the text is appropriate for both adults and teens, I can also see the drawings adding to the appeal for a teen audience in particular.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

[Tracy Shouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told through free verse with honesty this memoir takes you on an emotional journey from childhood to adulthood. Crompton's voice is sincere as you follow her to her lowest of lows and feel the hope that she has once she decides to fight to live. Many young women will recognize themselves in this book as society pushes thinness as a beauty standard.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not usually one for poetry, but this book helped me love my body more! <3

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advance Reading Copy from LibraryThing of this free verse memoir by Laurie Boyle Crampton. I haven't read a memoir free verse before but I think that is a great way to emphasize what is important in your story and let the unimportant details drop out.

I immediately identified with her situation. I had a close relationship with my father; he and my mother separated when Both Lauries and I were the same age. This book brings out the emotions when one parent goes away. When it is from divorce or separation, there is a tremendous amount of pain and thinking that maybe you caused the separation. She felt abandoned by her father and resentful of her mother let Laurie take on the role of mother to her younger siblings. She wanted her father but she had no choice but to care and feed her younger siblings. When I read her book, I can feel an enormous hole in her. She tried to fill it with food and she got harassed by her peers and the ultimate shock of her father telling her that she was fat. That part of her life was like mine. I did not go through binging and purging but I shared a great deal of self-hatred for not being slim. But my father always maintained a relationship with me and I can feel the terror of her father not even asking for joint custody. I was a thousand times more fortunate than she. I suspect the reason that she did not include her road to recovery in this book is that when you have an eating disorder, it is cruel because you still have to eat to live and although you may find a balance by learning to love yourself, there is always the possibility of a fall with self-hate.

I appreciate all that she put into this book and I know that it helped me to understand myself more.

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore book long poems and Crompton's beautiful memoir is just that. I found the focus on her eating disorder and issues of a drunk father and divorced family good. She illustrated them well with strong word choice. While some might not like the uneven time given to different periods I didn't find it too bad as the time spent in high school is important to lead up to her issues in New York. It makes sense then that it gets heavier page-time even if chronologically they should be more equal. That being said I did wish the epilogue was a big longer. It's good but it isn't very long. It doesn't need to be but I did wish there was some more of what she did after.
The poems don't have much over the top poetic techniques but they don't need to. Its meant to be diary-like and the plainer prose works for that. It only makes the poetic techniques that are used stand out more.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect to enjoy this book. I am not a big fan of poetry and I worried it would be stale and slow. It was anything but! I got hooked almost immediately. I felt like I was getting the highlights of her story, the key pivotal moments, without the "story building" background time. It moved quickly, given the few words on each page, but I felt like I was on a journey with her. The only complaint I had was at the end - - things wrapped up suddenly and without quite enough explanation for me. I want to call her up and ask her for more details! I agree with another reviewer who mentioned the role this could play in a middle/high school setting. I almost cried when she realized she was not alone. This book could play that role for others as well.
(I received this book as an early reviewer in exchange for an honest review. My review is based only on my own thoughts.)

[Nicole Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here we have a quick-reading memoir in verse and ink sketch that recalls being: the child of an alcoholic, a desperately seeking adolescent girl, and an eating disordered wannabe city slicker.

I'm not sure to whom I'd recommend it. To middle-aged women who have been there? To young girls who need assurance that "it gets better"? If you see yourself in any part of this memoir, the revelation is living through the patriarchy. Nothing here will come as a surprise.

"I am too present alive and grateful to remember my plan."

This is how eating disorders are conquered. This is how feminine self-hatred is vanquished. By action and mindfulness. Stay busy, set boundaries, stay humble. Center love and service.

[Tamela Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurie is an insecure teen with an alcoholic parent, an eating disorder, and dreams of living in the big city. Her youth is consumed with getting as skinny as possible and finding a way from her small Pennsylvania town to the bright lights of New York City. "The Denim Diaries" blends Laurie Boyle Crompton's poetic storytelling with nostalgic sketches that paint a young girl's coming of age. The book doesn't just address Laurie's correlation with her eating disorder, dysfunctional home, and influence of supermodel/pop culture norms; it interrogates it without bias. Sometimes, her testimony is cringe-worthy, pitiful, and/or heartbreaking. But, it's consistently rooted in amplifying the human experience that's wired on emotion, understanding, and capacity. Laurie's background and privileges are super-white. Because of this, "The Denim Diaries" lacks a level of culture and texture that would have otherwise correlated with Black and Brown marginalized genders. Still, it's worth using as a reference for disordered eating and feminist theory.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This powerful coming of age story is written in free verse, with little sketch illustrations on the side. This is classified as YA, but it's more New Adult, given how much of this book deals with the author's early adult life. Because the memoir is at an accessible reading level and starts out when the author is younger, this may attract some younger teens who won't be ready for where the book goes later. People need to know that in addition to covering the author's eating disorder and body image struggles in detail, this book also includes some graphic depictions of both consensual sex and sexual assault.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crompton's memoir in verse is a solid new adult title that deals with eating disorders, mental illness, parental alcoholism, and sexual assault. I think each topic is handled with care, especially the scenes depicting Crompton's father's addiction. The level of detail in the scenes make this more new adult, as much of Crompton's story takes place during her college-aged years in New York. I think the ending was a little rushed, and doesn't really depict the work Crompton had to put in to work through her eating disorder.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.

[Hannah Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crompton's poems give an in-depth look into the thought process of a person with an eating disorder. It's fascinating to watch her go from a carefree little girl to a young woman struggling so much. The style and subject matter within the poems reminded me of a mix of Amanda Lovelace's poetry collections and Jessica Valenti's "Sex Object".

I wish Crompton had included more poems about her life after her recovery journey started, but maybe she's saving that for the next memoir.

Thank you to Lerner Publishing Group and Library Thing for the gifted copy!

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin when reviewing this book? It's raw and honest, reads like an AA fifth step, has plenty of painful moments, but also, like the AA preamble, offers experience, strength and hope. It does so not only for battle scarred veterans of low self image and eating disorders, but more importantly, for teens who are struggling with their own eating and body image issues. Definitely a book that should have a place in public and school libraries where personal narratives relevant to teen health are valued.

[Violet Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: eating disorders, sexual assault, alcohol addiction, etc.

wow. wow. wow. this book was powerful, real, heartbreaking, uplifting.

this memoir, written in prose with drawings on most pages was very real. i got to read the self-loathing perspective from a young girl growing into an adult who struggled deeply with eating disorders and had these harmful beliefs reinforced throughout her life. stories of family troubles, forgiveness, growing up, & learning new things. this book has it all.

[Kristen M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This diary style memoir in verse novel format takes me back to the late 80s and early 90s. The author shares her disgust with her body and shares all the gory details of her battle with anorexia and bulimia over the course of several years. The author has an alcoholic father and her parents divorce. She then makes her way to NYC, dates around, and eventually gets a handle on her love/hate relationship with food and her shape. Teens would definitely appreciate this story.

[Lynie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt it is an honest portrayal of the messages heard growing up, and deciding to live with those thoughts even though the messages aren't good. I believe the author really expressed the realities of every stage and situation. I think it is a valuable and informative book that is relatable. Well done.

[Nicole Glynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very raw real encounter with eating disorders and self-worth. This young ladies' journey through the world of eating disorders shows the very unglamorous life that goes with it.

[Anna Sisti · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ronielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tough book to read but very well done.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touching memoir-eating disorders and other serious topics. Written in verse. Well written.

[Flesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes becoming a warrior means facing your fears and misconceptions and overcoming anorexia, or bulimia.

[Sandy Gudaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book ! So relatable

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I don't read nonfiction books often, I tend to love books that are written in the form of poetry. This book may be graphic to some readers as it goes into detail about eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and the plot tends to jump around a lot. Overall, this is a great book though!