Queer Body Power: Finding Your Body Positivity

by Essie Dennis

'A must read' JAMIE WINDUST'A beautifully honest book' JUNO ROCHE'A superb and necessary book' BEN PECHEYAs a young, queer, plus-size person, Essie Dennis has spent a lot of time feeling like they weren't enough - not queer enough, not feminine enough, not perfect enough. When they took to social media to share how they felt, they were overwhelmed by how many others felt the same.I look too masculine to be non-binaryI look too feminine to be a lesbian Am I too fat for drag?Inviting you to challenge accepted beauty standards and the concept of 'the perfect body', Essie takes everything they have learned on their journey to self-acceptance and body satisfaction to help guide you towards loving your queer body. From gender, sexuality and reclaiming your body, through to food, politics, social media and fatphobia, this radical book starts a conversation about body image and mental health that queer people are so often left out of.Fiercely and unapologetically written, and with honest advice and powerful stories from a diverse range of queer people throughout, this is an inspiring and necessary book that will show you that you are enough.

Genres: Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Self Help, Mental Health, Feminism, Audiobook

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 21, 2022

Reviews

[Nessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appologise, I am going to be very harsh on this book. Due to no real issue of the book itself, it was near unreadable to me. I trust this book can help a lot of people, but I feel like I am beyond it's scope, and the author is speaking from a position of privilege far beyond the experiences I had hoped to find advice for. It's hard to hear someone tell you they struggled having to wear a size 12, when you yourself wear a 19 and can only shop in specialty stores. In the same vein, is it hard to read about someone's experience being sexualised when you live in a body that is considered beyond sexual appeal. I am unsure if the author realises that the body described as the one they had to learn to live with is the body others envy. I think this sense of awareness was lacking in the writing, if I am honest. This, is what made reading this book very hard on me, as it just caused so much mental distortion that i put it away on the verge of crying various times.
On a related note, I was happy to see the book mention gender dysphoria, but it did nothing to give any advice on dealing with it other than "learn to accept yourself"... this may be helpful for some, but it doesnt reflect the experiences of many. Sometimes, bodies need to be changed to be a home for those living in them, with hormones or surgery, and I feel this aspect of the queer community is very overshadowed here.

Ultimately, I think the match between me and the book may not have been ideal, and I would prefer not to give it a star rating at all. But I think my view needs to be out here as well, for people to be able to make an educated decision on wether or not this book is for them.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need more books like queer body power!
In this book Essie Dennis tackles the not often discussed intersections of gender, sexuality, size, and ability status. With splashes of memoir and interviews with many queer people topics from eating disorders to fashion to fatphobia and more are tackled. I felt like this book could read my mind. There is a definite need for books like this in a world of “don’t say gay” bills and book banning. In it, Dennis is unapologetic and loud in the best possible way.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

[C.J. Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sincerely believe that this book will change some people’s lives.

Reading it honestly felt less like I was reading a self-help book, and more like I was having a conversation with a person who’s had a lot of experiences, and wants what is best for me. In that sense, it almost felt kind of like a memoir, in how much of the advice is grounded in lengthy description of personal experience, but it makes the whole message more personable. It causes a little bit of feeling like “Wow, that sounds like good advice, and that’s so great for you, but what you’re describing sounds impossible for me, and I almost feel envious that it was achievable for you,” which more speaks to it’s impact on me as a reader, and highlighting how necessary these conversations are.

My only fear for this book is I think it will be dated very quickly. Many parts are written in the current tense, saying “last year” or “a few months ago”, which currently makes sense in the context that I am reading it, but won’t in a few years time. A prime example of this is the small section entitled “Our Body Image Post-Pandemic”, despite still currently being in the pandemic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this title.

[J. (Better Off Read) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so full of love! I couldn't get enough of it, so I read extra slowly and reread sections to savor it. This reads like a conversation with a trusted friend or an older sibling. I enjoyed the varying perspectives and personal stories. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to feel more comfortable and empowered in their body or to try new ways to celebrate and affirm their body. We need more books like this!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly, the cheapest therapy ever 😂
i wrote all over this book, it was so relatable and made me reflect on so much of my own struggles with body dysmorphia and gender presentation.
I'm going to give it to every last one of my queer friends hahaha

[Gabbi Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that younger me needed, and that present me is grateful for. Throughout the entirety of the book, Essie sheds light on the inherent link between queer identity and body image, something my 22 year old self had never thought to consider linked! But it makes so much sense. As a queer, working class, disabled woman whose body has changed so much over the past few years due to chronic illness, this book was everything I’ve needed for so long in order to work on being kind to myself, stop trying see myself through the male gaze, and only focus on how what I wear or how I look makes ME feel. I would recommend this book a million times over to every single queer individual who has ever struggled even slightly with their body image, accepting their sexuality, and loving themselves. We are all so valid and incredible in our own way - thank you Essie for reminding us <3

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an advance reader's copy.

This felt like a long zine, and not one that i needed at this point in my life, but one i would have really appreciated when i was younger. I think it could be a really good addition to school libraries and GSAs. It works to balance content, support, and readability, and i don't think it always succeeds but there are a lot of gems in there.

[Linnéa · Rating 3 out of 5]

i just don't think this was the book i needed to read. it was good, and the conversations in it are important, but just. yeah . not the one i needed <3 will try to pass it on to someone who needs it more <3

[Fay Pretty · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I want us to write an infinite number of books about this issue, from all different perspectives, because understanding the feeling of isolation that can come from struggling with queerness and body image is something I know I would have benefited from when I was younger. So, if you are reading this book and it brings something out in you that you want to put on paper, do it. I want to read it. I want our community to have more resources.”

This is the tone that carries the book; reminiscent of a mentor sitting down with you with a cup of tea to discuss an array of personal, and likewise, complicated topics. There’s no preaching, just understanding. Essie, as a young queer, plus size disabled person herself, discusses the intersection of health, body size, gender, sexuality, class and the unfortunate consequences that society, from social media to the normalisation of disordered eating, has on our bodies and lives. Bringing in other queer icons on all the various topics to present their range of experiences and combat that isolation that Essie talks about above. Together with statistics and fact, even if sometimes it is just highlighting the lack of research and the potential inadequacies and bias in research, there is a well-maintained balance between personal reflection, others voices and fact.

As a queer plus size young woman myself, growing up with very little money, there were definitely elements I could relate to. To hear others also feel the same way is incredibly powerful. My own experiences felt like they had been given a voice, but also, there were quite a few discussions, especially on the intersection of both sexuality, body, health and gender, which I honestly have never considered before. This is a relatively short book, however, after every chapter, I needed to pause and soak in and work through all the new information and perspectives I had been given. Additionally, there are many areas I don’t have experience in and it was so good to read own voices of those who actually have experience and to gain greater insight. I finished this book feeling both heard and challenged whilst knowing I’ve learnt something important, to take with me into society.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like you belong to any of the communities previously mentioned, I’m still going to recommend you this book. It is vital that we work together to combat the normalisation of toxic behaviours and other issue areas, but also it is so important that we can have a greater understanding of each other and the silent battles we might be facing.

"You are worthy of companionship regardless of what your body looks like."

I just wanted to leave you with that one quote. There are so many parts of this book I want to share (which largely adds up to please read this awesome book) but this last quote, in particular, has really stuck with me. It’s a phrase I don’t think we hear enough and I know I’ll need to hear again. Just like ‘Queer Body Power’ which I know will be a book I return to.

Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Essie Dennis for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very thankful to have received an ARC for this book from Netgalley.

This book was so much better than I expected!
When I went into this book I was expecting that the author was not going to mention disabled people and how they are often times left out of the body positivity movement, but to my surprise (and delight) the author did mention it. The author themselves is disabled, so that's probably why they mentioned it, but still. I was so happy that disabled people were talked about when it comes to this subject!

This book has some great quotes as well, that I definitely wanna try and get a physical copy of this so I can annotate it. Here are some of my personal favorite quotes:

"You are worthy of companionship regardless of what your body looks like."

"This reluctance to give your body the right medicine in case you gain weight is a perfect example of why fat phobia is so damaging."

Both of these quotes, and lots of other ones as well, resonate with me a lot. Some of the subjects talked about in this book hit way closer to home than I expected, so it seems that I need to work through some... issues that I have. Obviously a single book is not gonna fix all of those, but I definitely helped me realize what some of my issues towards my body were caused by.

So yeah, definitely gonna buy a physical copy of this book and annotated it, because having some of the best quotes in this book in my notes app on my phone seems a bit weird...

Edit: Bought a physical copy, reread it and annotated it! Still highly recommend this book, it's great!

Edit 2: Reread it again to annotate it even better!

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
It was an enjoyable and interesting read, a good introduction for thinking on those topics. I would have liked it to go more indepth, and maybe have more concrete stories or advices, but it was still a very solid book.

[sahra (readwithsahra_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

***ARC***

best non fiction I’ve read in a very VERY long time.

this spoke to me on ways, wow. it was political, social, activist, had such great analysis and it was so full of representation.

It broke down society standards incredibly well.

this is a really REALLY important book.

everyone should read it, queer or not. because understand yourself is as important as understanding others!

[eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay wow! this book is so incredibly important!! and very well written and conceptualized!! i would highly recommend this to any and every queer person!! i’ve unpacked so much whilst reading this and honestly i feel all the better for it!! this book is a reminder that you are enough and your queerness is beautiful!!

[Abbey Cutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer Reading 2024 prompt: Outside Your Comfort Zone
I am the last person on the world to pick up a self-help book. I really couldn't care less about the "pull yourself up!" bullshit that self-help books are. That was before this book. I've never seen a self-help book for fat queer people before. This is my self-help holy grail.
This book brought things to my attention that I had no idea I was holding inside. It made me realize I want to be the friend to myself that I am for others. I literally brought this book to my therapy session and told my therapist about it.

[bee (they✧them) ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best books are the ones that make you feel like you're not reading a book - you're talking to an older sibling. This is exactly what Queer Body Power felt like. I am amazed at how eloquently Essie has written this. I laughed, I cried, and I cried some more. I truly feel like Essie Dennis materialized, locked eyes with me, said, "You're my younger sibling now, and I need to talk to you about some things.", and walked me through this book.

There are some passages that spoke to me as a chronically ill, disabled and queer person, and I feel like Essie couldn't have put some things better. They truly spoke so eloquently, and when they didn't feel like they were able to get their point across, or someone else would better be able to answer, other people were quoted.

I think one point that I loved being driven home was what body acceptance truly is, and what that means as a queer person. As Essie put it, "Body acceptance doesn't even need to mean intense positivity; it can also be neutrality. Neutrality is a genuine part of accepting your body, but that too is a challenge." That part was what sealed the deal on the book for me. Essie had been telling me things I needed to hear throughout the entire book, but this was the point that I think I most needed to hear. As a fat queer person who has struggled their entire life with body acceptance, it's been extremely hard to get to a point of neutrality and truly feeling comfortable in my own skin.

Queer Body Power was beautifully put together, I don't think I could have asked for more. This is already in one of my top reads for 2022, and I almost feel silly having two already!

Thank you to NetGalley, Essie Dennis, and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the eARC. I can't wait to go buy three copies of my own when it comes out.

[Avory Faucette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book’s refreshing aim is to look at all aspects of the body through a queer, body-positive lens. The format is a mix of personal memoir, research, calls to action, and takes from a handful of other queer folks interviewed to provide a more diverse range of experiences beyond the author’s. Author Essie Dennis brings the specific perspective of a white, nonbinary, bisexual, disabled, and fat body-positive advocate on the asexual spectrum. While as a non-binary person I generally hesitate to overemphasize “assigned sex,” it’s worth noting that Dennis’s experiences as someone raised as and often presumed to be female also factor heavily, as does their working class British background. Readers who share some or all of these identities / experiences may find the book particularly resonant, but I think most queer folks would find at least something relate to.

Reading this book upon release in 2022, I’m struck by a bit of sadness and nostalgia for the “old days” of the early 2000s internet. Dennis speaks at length about how their recovery from disordered eating as they were simultaneously coming into queer identity and broadening their perspective on what queer can look like was shaped by body-positive queer online spaces. Body positivity here isn’t just an individual mindset, but rather a community experience with activism at its center—“the radical act of liberating bodies that have been marginalized by society.” Dennis considers some of the central tenets of this movement form an intersectional lens.

For example, one major focus is how disordered eating is so incredibly culturally pervasive and normalized that we don’t even see it as a problem—especially if we’re not a skinny, white, straight girl with anorexia. This really landed with my own experience, and the way my mom measured “unhealthy” restriction not with reference to health but by making sure I stayed above the “too skinny” bar (a bar that itself was defined by her own experiences with weight in a very different body shape!) At the same time, I can easily see how my own healing was supported by having positive role models—which, as Dennis points out, is easier if you’re white and somewhere on queer femme spectrum.

While Dennis treats the mainstream body positive movement with a critical lens, pointing out how it marginalizes queer and non-white fat bodies, their story also reads like a love letter to the spaces that did allow them to see and celebrate representations of queer beauty that go beyond skinny, gender-conforming examples. I immediately recognized the online landscape they describe, a world of fat queers hyping each other up with pictures and blog posts that defied mainstream beauty standards (even as these spaces also suffered from racism and ableism). Personally, I find myself missing that bygone world—for while people being mean on the Internet is not a new phenomenon, current cancel culture and the nature of social media algorithms seem to be pulling queers away from these affirming spaces, or censoring our access to our communities altogether.

I might recommend this book most to non-queer folks, younger queers, or queers who are unfamiliar with fat positivity / body positivity, as a lot of the content provides important education. Using the umbrella of the queer body, a whole array of topics are addressed with an eye to intersections—everything from queer fear of health care stigma to acceptable body hair types to the challenges of eating disorder recovery when you’re also broke or poor. Fat bodies and disordered eating get the biggest spotlight, but aren’t the only focus. Our relationships to our bodies are treated in the context of systemic oppression and capitalism, exploring familiar-to-queers themes of control, protection, identity, and shame. I might’ve liked a little more time spent on intra-community dynamics and queer attraction economies, but some of this does come up, and Dennis does an excellent job of explaining some of the nuances of how queer people experience harmful beauty standards that may result in some lightbulb moments for queer readers.

Beauty standards come up across chapters with particular attention to how desire, gender, and understanding of self shape our relationships to these standards. Readers raised as girls, I think, will particularly relate to Dennis’s stories of growing up grappling with the expectation to be sexually desirable (a standard that others ace-spectrum folks) to men (presumed heterosexuality), according to norms of femininity (which ignores gender identities and expressions). I personally related strongly to mentions of how non-binary folks are expected to present androgynously, and was taken back to the discomfort in the pit of my stomach when I first got brave enough to wear a flowing skirt to work after years of suits and ties. My joy in wearing what I actually wanted to wear after years of trying to present a queer identity that would be legible to cis folks was rudely squashed by coworkers remarking with surprise “you look so pretty!” These sorts of experiences, where cishet expectations or intentions complicate queer efforts to be seen, come up again and again in the book.

The one thing I would’ve liked to see that wasn’t really included is a discussion of queer sex and experiences with genitals. While this topic might be a little taboo to many, it’s a rich ground for discussion—I’m thinking here of spaces that exclude trans women based on genital configuration, of the way pelvic pain and infertility issues are often discussed in incredibly essentialist language (”find your way back to womanhood!”), of how racialized sexual stereotypes show up in a queer sexual context. While it comes up tangentially around the topic of health care, there’s a lot more to explore.

(ARC provided through NetGalley.)

[Oliwia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, I am really happy this book exists and there should be more books tackling queerness and body positivity. It might be great for younger readers who are just starting to explore their identities, but for those who already delved into similar reads, it might not offer anything groundbreaking.

Unfortunately, it was a tedious read for me, and even though the author was talking about things that are very close to my heart, I found myself quite bored and disengaged for the majority of the book.

[Ana Dias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found the book to be a bit repetitive and not very well structured and some parts where very difficult to follow and focus. There are really important messages here and nice parts about the impact of gender norms and body shaming to trans people. Good that the new generations have books like these more available. Very important content but could have been delivered more clear and impactful.

[Essie (Sarah) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important book! I’m so glad I found this. I’m recommending it to all my queer friends.

[Kevvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of Queer Body Power by Essie Dennis in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t read self-help books very often, but Queer Body Power is very much my kind of self-help. It is all about the intersections of queer identities and fatphobia, and the unique experiences found at this intersection. This book contains so many important lessons, including:

* Identity is not intrinsically linked to your partner. This is important to understand for bisexual individuals, whose identity is often erased depending on who they are dating. Conversely, this applies to situations like a lesbian dating a trans man. Just because she’s dating a man doesn’t mean she is no longer a lesbian; that is her identity.

* The difference between disordered eating and eating disorders, as well as explaining what normal eating behaviors look like. Food isn’t moral, it isn’t good or bad. Food is neutral.

* Social media discriminates against queer content creators, especially when they’re plus size. I myself have had so much of my content removed from various platforms just because I am a fat person comfortable showing a little skin. Meanwhile a thin person can show their entire naked ass on an instagram post and it doesn’t get flagged.

* Most big name clothing brands and designers discriminate against plus size shoppers, rarely carrying anything larger than a size 12, and then the selections available for bigger bodies are basic and boring. Support small business fashion, because oftentimes they are much more inclusive with their designs, and willing to go the extra mile to make sure things fit correctly. I have been blessed to model for many of Chicago’s queer designers, such as Sky Cubacub at Rebirth Garments and An Authentic Skidmark. These designers prioritize fashion for people who are queer, fat, trans, and/or disabled. When you can, buy from small businesses like these so you can wear clothes that make you feel confident, comfortable, and even sexy!

* Queer people often use tattoos to express their identities. This is very much true in my case. I have my stretchmarks on my stomach and up my back tattooed many bright colors. I see this to be not only a celebration of my fatness, but my queerness as well.

* I think one of the most important lessons in this book is to fake it till you make it. Dennis reveals that even while writing this book she continues to struggle against her internal monologue, against the fatphobic voices which have been planted into every one of our heads. Despite this, she persevered and wrote this book full of kind and encouraging messages. I remember having a similar struggle. For years I hated my body. A few years ago I decided to start showing off my body more in my outfits when I perform. While it was a real struggle at first, the more I did it the more confident I became. Now I love my body. It can be really hard to internalize these positive attitudes, but if you begin by simply doing an outward display of them, it will become so much easier to accept and embrace them.

This book is delightfully queer. I felt so much joy when Dennis quoted one of Chicago’s most talented drag queens, Shea Couleé. One of this books greatest strengths is that Dennis not only provides her own personal experience, but she interviewed many, varied queer voices so that the reader could have a more diverse understanding of each subject. It shows that so many people have gone through similar things as you. You are not alone.

Queer Body Power is an important book. It is full of vital messages that queer and plus size youth need to hear. Because so much of the pain, so much of the trauma that we as fat queer people experience could have been minimized had we had access to a book like this, something telling us that who we are and how we look is okay. Thank you, Essie Dennis, for providing these kind words for future generations. Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the advance reader copy.

[Anna]

This is a great nonfiction that focuses on the intersection of body image and queerness. I think that this is something that a ton of people can relate to and understand in regards to how our own body image and view of ourself is intricately connected to our queerness, especially when your body image doesn't fit the way that you view queerness or the way that society views queerness.

While fat phobia is not present every single conversation in this book, it is an overlying theme and one of the major connections. There's a lot of discussions about living in a fat body as a queer person and what your life and experiences can be like. However it is not something that is on every chapter and it is not a qualifier for you to relate to this book.

A few of the chapters just to give you an example include talking about eating disorders, gender expression and body image, healthcare, social media etc.

I was going through the reviews for this and I got a little bit frustrated because I saw one person bash this book because they are fatter than the author and thought that the author was too whiny. I feel like the whole purpose of this book is to bring people together and not create these imaginary sections of what qualifies as fat and what doesn't. The author is fat and talks about being fat and that's that. As someone who wears an even larger size than that reviewer was commenting, I did not feel alienated from this book at all. My one critique is that I do wish the author would have commented about pretty privilege even within fat spaces. What I mean by that is that there are socially attractive levels of fat where your fat is dispersed in either generous curves versus a large belly, where you don't have any sort of double chin, where if people saw a photo they would say that person is conventionally attractive.

There's a disconnect between fat people with pretty privilege and fat people without. The author obviously drove from their own experiences when they talked about being sexualized and cat called and all of these examples where other people found their body desirable, and that isn't something that all fat people say. There is an entirely separate discussion to be had about body image and fatness and queerness when you have never been told that you were desirable or when you have never been sexualized. It sounds ridiculous to want to be cat called or want to be objectified and that's not necessarily what it is, but it is a conversation that wasn't even broached in this book. Please do not take this comment to me and that sexualizing or objectifying or sexually harassing anyone is okay, it absolutely is not. That's not what this is about.

Okay back to the regularly scheduled review, this book brings up a lot of conversations but it doesn't delve deep into very many. It makes you think but then kind of leaves you hanging. I almost wish the author had narrowed the scope down a little bit and spent more time doing a deeper dive because while I did take some time to contemplate these things and it made me think about my own experience with the intersection of my asexuality and fatness, it didn't really go beyond that. It brought up the concepts but didn't do anything about it.

I don't know as a whole this is kind of like a middle of the road nonfiction for me, I don't think that it is problematic or negative in any way and I would not discourage people from reading it, but I do think that there are better nonfiction books about queerness and fatness, specifically fat and queer which is an anthology, I think that this is one that I would recommend to specific people versus recommending it universally. It's a valuable book but it's only going to be valuable if you fit certain criteria etc.

[Milli Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essie Dennis’ writing is personal, political, relatable and accessible. Queer Body Power starts off with a careful and thought-out content warning which gives the reader a head start on figuring out which sections and chapters they may or may not need to skip. Dennis explores some heavy topics within this non-fiction publication such as: body image, eating disorders, ableism, fatphobia, racism and transphobia, which are all interconnected areas of society which need dismantling, the warning at the beginning is done with care.

Although this book is non-fiction with each chapter within Queer Body Power being written in essay-form, Dennis’ exploration and explanation does not gate-keep. The language used flows easily and the ideas presented are easy to grasp.

Although my own experiences as a queer, fat femme may be different, I found myself reflected within this book. The way that body image and queerness specifically intertwine is highly fascinating and I was able to read and think back on my own relationships with my queerness, my body and with food.

As someone who has come from a queer studies background, this book made me feel as though I was in a long conversation with a knowledgable, more experienced queer person than myself. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I am grateful that Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Essie Dennis and NetGalley provided me with a copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Rhiannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

So. This is only the second book I've read this year because I've been stuck on it for agessss. Part of that slowness is because of Life Stuff, but I think a large part of it was also being excited to have bought it and thus starting to read non-fiction when not necessarily in the most non-fiction place, and with the knowledge that even non-fiction I am deeply fascinated by does not normally grip me like a novel and cause me to read at pace.

Overall I liked this, I love Essie Dennis and all they stand for, but I think it suffered from being a bit repetitive and tending to repeat affirmations rather than delve into specific topics. I think it's an enormously helpful book for someone maybe not as far on their journey of living in a queer body, or with less experience of navigating body image issues, less confidence advocating for themselves, less familiarity with body positive and body neutral and fat liberationist media. I think because I already surround myself with so much of that content, none of this book was very groundbreaking to me.

That being said, I am glad I didn't just stop reading it, and that I returned to and finished it when experiencing a bout of bad body feelings. I've seen other reviews say they felt like an older friend or sibling was soothing them reading this, and I did have that nice feeling of someone who has been in my shoes before reassuring me that I won't always feel this way.

[emma charlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 / I don’t know why I didn’t realize this is a self-help book, which is not one of my favorite genres, but it was a lot better than the ones I’m familiar with! The book mainly focuses on body image and body positivity/neutrality. Still, unlike most conversations around this, Dennis addresses realities around queerness, disability, racism, etc. that make body positivity harder for people who are not only battling internal thoughts but external oppressions around their bodies. This was a really validating read even as someone who doesn’t fit into most of those identities. While it occasionally read like more of a personal history (Dennis does include excerpts from many other queer people), it’s still helpful to read for anyone finding their way in the world with their body and online. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Your body doesn’t exist just to prove something to someone else”
this book was incredible, I don’t tend to read self help like books offen but this one was incredibly well with multiple accounts from queer people on each topic which was compelling to read through. The issues it tackles through a queer lens are so thought provoking, how people appear queer and what being queer means and looks like for people. The standards the “not looking queer enough” really well written and very well done the way the topic are covered is perfect and relatable while also being sensitive to the issues. I can’t wait for more work from this author in the future would recommend to everyone but especially queer folks!

[sintiareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you believe that some things happen when you really need them in your life? That's how I felt while reading this book. I've struggled with my weight and my body for a long time and I still am. The only issue is that my body is not good enough for the people around me. I have days when I don't feel right in my skin, but there are days when I feel great. Our society idealizes skinny people, but forget that we don't have the same body types and that they change for a million different reasons. Fat phobia is everywhere even though people don't want to admit that. Skinny is related with being healthy, having wider hips or a few stretch marks no.
I like all the things the author wrote in this book, there are so many new things I've learned about queer people and other people's experiences. It's really important to educate yourself and understand some things before say something stupid. We are all different and have our own stories and problems, this doesn't mean we are not good enough. I wish I had read this when I was a teenager. I think this will help many people not to feel alone.

''You deserve to be truly and honestly you.'' Always.

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the ARC. Most importantly, thank you Essie Dennis for this amazing book.

[Darcey Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queer Body Power is a book I, and likely most other, queer folks would have benefitted from in the early days of understanding our complex and unique queer bodies. While being extremely affirming, it did however lack a deeper analysis of queer bodies as radicalism in a society designed by colonialism. I would have really appreciated a more in depth discussion on the intersection of race, instead of Dennis's short and honestly shallow attempt at integrating this important topic into the conversation. Overall, I recommend this read for other queer folks who have struggled with body image, eating disorders, and find the body positivity movement lacking 2SLGBTQIA+ representation.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this book. I can't say enough good things about how I felt while reading this. I felt loved. I looked on Essie's experiences and the other experiences from the folks they interviewed for this book and I felt "Seen." I know that sounds trite, but to see your experiences or any one's similar lived experiences in others is so validating. Reading, to paraphrase James Baldwin, makes you realize you are not, nor have you ever been, alone. Five stars, no hesitation. I loved it! I read it in a 4 hour shift at work in one sitting!

[Ally Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly loved so much of this book. It was genuine and had a lot of heart in it. Essie interviewed and shared so many experiences with numerous LGBTQIA+ people which I found really beautiful because every LGBTQIA+ person can have completely different experience and while not every person will relate exactly to that story personally it allows you to be educated and for an opportunity for growth.

I would recommend any young queer person to read this book. I wished this was out when I was younger it would have been so beneficial so many queer people. Thank you Essie Dennis.

[Kai Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW: homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, body shaming, antisemitism, ableism, racism, classism, sexism

this one made me feel things