Cheeky: A Head-to-Toe Memoir

by Ariella Elovic

A Beat Most Anticipated Graphic Novel of Fall 2020

The funny, exuberant, inspiring antidote to body shame--a full-color graphic memoir celebrating the imperfections of the author's female body in all its glory.

Too tall. Too short. Too fat. Too thin. The message is everywhere--we need to pluck, wax, shrink, and hide ourselves, to not take up space, emotionally or literally; women are never “just right.” Well, Ariella Elovic, feminist and illustrator extraordinaire, has had enough. In her full-color graphic memoir Cheeky , she takes an inspiring and exuberant head-to-toe look at her own body self-consciousness, and body part by body part, finds her way back to herself.

How does Ariella learn not to see herself as a never-finished DIY project, but to accept and even love the physical attributes society taught her to hide? How does a mirror go from a “black hole of critique” to a “who's that girl” moment? Essential to her journey is her posse of girlfriends, her “yentas.” Together, they discover that sharing “imperfections” and some of the gross and “unsightly” things our bodies produce can be a source of endless laughs and deep bonding. It helps to have a team with some outside perspectives to keep our inner bullies in check.

Charming and hilarious, full of empathy and candor, and gorgeously illustrated, Cheeky aims to inspire all of us to embrace our bodies, flaws and all, as well as our bodies' needs, desires, and inherent power.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Memoir, Nonfiction, Feminism, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Humor

256 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 2020

About the author

Hey there! I’m Ariella, an NYC-based illustrator and founder of @thecheekyblog: an online platform through which I seek to combat the shame so many of us feel in relation to our bodies. My work has been featured in The New Yorker, Teen Vogue, Alma, and Buzzfeed. My graphic memoir CHEEKY is available where most books are sold.

Reviews

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Oh, how convenient for the patriarchy” may become my new catchphrase.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put this on hold at the library this up because I thought it was a graphic novel, but it's one of those in-between books: a heavily illustrated memoir with some pages just being a picture and others dominated by many small paragraphs or one large block of tiny, typeset text. I thought about passing entirely but decided to give it a go after flipping through and seeing a bunch of gross stuff and nudity. Turns out that's the point of the book.

Elovic takes us on an intimate yet bawdy tour of her body and tells us how she has come to embrace its imperfections and inconveniences. It's a little inspirational and a lot amusing as she keeps things moving along briskly with lots of potty humor and her cheeky attitude. Fun.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so, SO grateful that I went into a bookstore that had this book face out. Sadly, I’d never heard of Arielle Elovic’s “Cheeky” Instagram or blog before seeing this book cover, but once I picked it up and flipped through a few pages, I knew I absolutely had to have it.

I don’t think I can overstate how amazing it would have been to have this book when I was 8 or 12 or, you know ever. Or just someone around who would talk about body stuff and help me realize that all the things I was weirded out or grossed out by were 110% normal. Elovic really nails the weird veil of secrecy that surrounds just about everything about women’s bodies. We shouldn’t fart, poop, bleed, smell, have any hair out of place OR have hair where it shouldn’t be. It’s so ingrained that girls can’t even talk to each other about it. Seriously, I remember getting my period in the sixth grade and just pretending I didn’t get it for like...a year since none of my friends had their period (that I knew of). That’s so weird! Or how I too planned so many of my outfits around what wouldn’t show sweat stains or the stretch marks on my thighs. DAMN! I wasted so much time and energy on that shit!

There were so many moments in this book that reminded me exactly of the same moment in my life. Discovering hair under your armpits or someone telling you you need to shave for the first time, or finding a stretch mark or dimples on your thighs, or pulling back your thighs to see what a thigh gap would look like. Fighting against your hair or hating your body or SO many moments, gross or otherwise. It’s all here and so funny and just so affirming. Like an antidote to shitty teen magazines that try to tell you that you should love yourself but are also trying to sell your depilatories and bleaches and telling you how to look for other people. I remember a journal I kept from the sixth grade until partway through the seventh grade, which I still have and look at from time to time. And so many of the entries were wondering if boys didn’t like me because I was fat or gross, and thinking I needed to lose weight or diet or buy things to rid myself of any body hair and make the hair on my head smooth and less frizzy. Or all the contorting I did, just like Ariella, to be the person people expected me to be. All the making myself smaller or quieter and less myself. It’s all so real!

I want to reach back through the space-time continuum and hand myself this book, even though it didn’t exist yet, and just say: you’re not gross, you’re not weird. You’re totally fine the way you are. But I’ll settle instead for recommending it to everyone! I’m only sad I didn’t know about the blog or the work earlier!

[Hannah (hngisreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightfully strange and freakishly/refreshingly honest “head-to-toe” memoir.

Elovic tells us the story of her life through her body & her ever-evolving relationship with it. “Head-to-toe” is quite apt, as the author structures each section around a different body part/insecurity.

From frizzy hair on her head to unruly hair on her body; from fart jokes to period stains, Elovic (slowly) sheds internalized guilt and shame with the help of the women in her life—her sisters, her mother, her grandmother, and her friends. Most influential in her growth is her group of summer camp friends affectionately referred to as “the Yentas.”

This book made me laugh out loud multiple times. It made me sad, too, because I realized that even at my big age, I still have so much work to do in accepting myself. The world is so loud & capitalizes on these insecurities, however knowing that logically doesn’t mean feeling it. This book is a very good start, though.

[lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

She tells it like it is. The illustrations can be a bit disturbing, but she went all out/shoved it in your face and 100% accomplished that. 3.75 stars for the message. I love self love and think people should spend more time loving themselves.

[Kelly]

With the caveats that Elovic herself notes that she's cis, white, and Jewish, this comic about learning to accept -- maybe even love -- one's own body is a delight. The art is fun and fresh, with a bright, full-color palate, and Elovic isn't afraid to be honest about the "flaws" she saw in herself that are, turns out, completely normal.

This would be such a great comic especially for teen girls looking for insight into their own experiences or seeking a reminder that it's possible to accept your flaws as you grow. While Elovic is definitely positive about hers, the tone here isn't that every one should love their bodies but rather, it's a life-long relationship you work through to find a place of acceptance.

Even more than the physical realities explored here, from butts to periods to chin hairs to shaving and more, the inner wisdom and realities of being female in a world meant to shrink female-identifying folks down is rendered smartly without ever being a lecture. Rather, we see Elovic learn why it is she lost her backbone growing up and how she learned to rediscover her own power.

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% fantastic from start to finish. The artwork is colorful and so fun. The words are necessary to all people to hear. I wished I had this book when I was younger. Beautiful, compassionate, and empowering. This is the self love read that should be on everyone's shelf.

[Andrew Eder · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been on my list for a while, so I’m glad I got a chance to read. I loooove a graphic memoir and this did not disappoint. It was funny, empowering, honest, real, and a great time overall. I loved learning about each nook and cranny, and getting into every little crevice (and I mean every) to find the deeper meaning behind our bodies and the way we perceive them. It was definitely an inspiring story and I will continue to think about it!! Highly highly recommend because it’s so easy to read and so accessible / relatable!!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this book at 10, 16, 20 and still now. This book is raw honesty. A memoir about head-to-toe acceptance in a world obsessed with how a female body should look. Body hair, periods, stretch marks, and more are discussed from youth to adulthood. Lots of detailed illustrations have this cataloged as adult, but the message of self-love is for all ages.

[Devi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love loved this! Definitely see myself being friends with Ariella

[Zoo Wee Mama]

As a gross, hairy girl this really hit home.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

A body positive graphic novel with awesome artwork that talks about difficult topics regarding women's bodies. Overall, it was an okay book. She's a fabulous artist, but as a writer she could use some more practice. Many chapters in the book were not as well structured and detailed as some of the others, and I would like to seem them built out some more in regards to story. In some places, she has lots of exposition and a great conclusion, but no linking information of how she got from A to B. Her chapters on tummy, legs, and vagina were excellent in composition and detail of patriarchal ideals that have been pressed on women over time. Honestly, I would recommend this to young women in their late teens and early twenties that are have trouble with self-esteem and body image. As someone in the late twenties/early thirties age group, the book really didn't appeal to me as something to learn from but more as a "been there, done that" type of book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this graphic memoir about the author’s relationship to her body, and the screwed-up pressures we put on our bodies in American society. Elovic covers it all with such humor, warmth and frankness, it really makes you feel like she’s a friend by the end of it. A lot of this threw me back to being a teenager, but in a way where I was able to reflect on the body image issues I had back then, especially since I’ve always been a person hyper-focused on media and pop culture. Growing up in the 2000s, super toxic!!! Yeesh!! But Elovic covers these topics in a way that helps reinforce that your body is the way it is. Ingrown hairs, sweat, bowel issues, extra hair growth, hairy armpits, morning breath, etc. - all of it is covered, and it’s refreshing to see it ALL covered. Give this to the girlie who was into the American Girl The Care and Keeping of You books!

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheeky for sure! This one’s an ode to body positivity, self acceptance and to the friends who help you get there. The art is raw and hilarious. Truly original. And maybe it’s just my penchant for bathroom humor, but I literally LOL’d from pages 132-151. That’s a long time LOL’ing. 😂Super cute and rewarding read. Brought me back to harrowing times that may not have been so harrowing had I had this book for reassurance. Two hairy thumbs up!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your body is yours to feel at home in, enjoy, take care of, and love.

Man!! Where was this when I was going through puberty?! Or middle school?!?!?!?!

Ariella (never heard of her until this) does an amazing job at depicting the imperfections of ones body, and NOT in a shameful way.

This memoir, which is heavily illustrated (which I love & appreciate), is quirky, fun, and just inspirational.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book for its honesty, wit, and empathy towards experience. I highly recommend it for anyone with a good sense of humor and for those who want to cultivate a new relationship with themselves and their body! I wish I had this book as a teen and earlier in life, but now as I reach the end of my 20s, it is still a very helpful and insightful book!

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really cute (in the obviously ugly way) and it made me think a lot about growing up. I'm also lowkey obsessed with seeing how people draw themselves and how they look in real life - I kept flipping back to Elovic's bio picture as I was reading her stories. This gave me a lot to reflect on and made me nostalgic, but also happy for the progress I've made.

[Addi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read and it is so relatable and real and funny and personal! She talks about gross body stuff and I LOVE IT. Literally my only complaint about this one is that the main text is a typed font, rather than handwritten. That took away from the charm a little for me, but otherwise I absolutely loved this book. It reminded me of many of my own bodily experiences in life, and made me grateful that I have my own group of badass women in my corner, processing weird and gross and amazing body stuff together.

[Alaina Hefferan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had my hands on this book for a few years now, and this was the perfect time to finally crack it open! This was a quick read, with Elovic’s beautiful and “cheeky” drawings, I smiled and laughed the whole way through. She begins with an introduction and the hope that by the end of her memoir you’ll find the beauty and self acceptance in your own body as she has. I can genuinely say that happened to me. As I sit here and write this, I have already given myself grace to be authentically me (and to appreciate all the gross and beautiful things our bodies have to offer).

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and empowering. While the author acknowledges that her unique experience wont be representative of everyone, I think every woman can relate with at least a couple things in here. A bold and ‘cheeky’ look at some of the most normal yet most stigmatised aspects of living life as a woman, and a pat on the back for the girls we used to be and the things we survived, as well as the strong women we’ve become.

[Karla Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is super fun, super gross, super funny, and super relatable! Thanks to Ariella Elovic for writing and illustrating it! If I’d had this when I was younger, I wonder if it would’ve taken me so long to get confident and comfortable in my own skin.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had this book when I was 13, but better late than never! From periods to farts Elovic talks and illustrates her way through knowing her own body in a super relatable, super unabashed manner. Must read for anyone who ever tweezed their eyebrows too far in the early 00s.

[Kristen McBee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brave thing Ariella Elovic has done. And the rest of us benefit from it. I laughed out loud at the recognition of myself in so many of the scenes. This book made me realize I wasn’t even questioning some of the things women are “supposed” to do to maintain their bodies. I hope I’m brave enough to stop doing some of them, but I’ll also give myself grace as I try to because the messages of how women are supposed to look are so ingrained in me and our culture. How convenient for the patriarchy!

[Jamie Jones Hullinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The body positivity featured is exceptional.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend.

[nic Ϟ(๑⚈ ․̫ ⚈๑)⋆]

I wish this book existed 15 years ago

[Yaree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que bonito ser mujer, que bonito todo! 💞

[Antonia Tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wish I had this book when I was like 12-14 years old. Love the message & illustrations!! I would recommend this as a gift to a newly pubescent girl.

[Aubrei Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me to not only give myself grace but to take the time to explore & fall in love with myself again 🩷

[Lisa]

I liked this fine but didn't feel compelled to finish it before it was due back at the library.