Reviews

Body Talk – ed. Kelly Jensen

Body Talk is a very special collection of short essays and stories, discussing all aspects of the human body from the perspective of a variety of authors and writers, accompanied by little FAQs and info blocks about the things you might not have known about beforehand. Spanning from period issues to dealing with cancer or being LGBTQIA+, most things that teenagers might encountered are included in this wonderful book.

Many thanks to Amanda Dissinger and Algonquin Young Readers for sending me an eARC of Body Talk in exchange for an honest review.

RELEASE DATE: 18/08/20

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: We all experience the world in a body, but we don’t usually take the time to explore what it really means to have and live within one. Just as every person has a unique personality, every person has a unique body, and every body tells its own story.
 
In Body Talk, thirty-seven writers, models, actors, musicians, and artists share essays, lists, comics, and illustrations—about everything from size and shape to scoliosis, from eating disorders to cancer, from sexuality and gender identity to the use of makeup as armor. Together, they contribute a broad variety of perspectives on what it’s like to live in their particular bodies—and how their bodies have helped to inform who they are and how they move through the world. (from Algonquin Young Readers)

OPINIONS: I wish I had Body Talk back when I was a teenager. It is the kind of book I would love to get into the hands of every insecure kid out there – and all the ones who project outward confidence for that matter – to give them perspective on themselves and the world around them. Understanding for what other people might be experiencing, helping to build empathy.

All of us have insecurities, especially when it comes to our bodies. Reading the very personal contributions from these writers, from names as big as Tyra Banks or Roshani Chokshi, or any of the thirty-five other contributors makes one realise that not a single one of us is free of these worries. And that is why Body Talk is such an important book.

Kelly Jensen has done a fantastic job compiling the voices featured in Body Talk, and enhancing the contributions through clever explanations of some topics that are commonly misconceived or FAQs that teens might have about certain issues. This makes the collection invaluable for young people and a fantastic resource for parents and schools to have on hand. Please get copies of this book and distribute them to the young people in your life so they can grow up feeling validated and reassured!

Find Body Talk on Goodreads here, and order a copy via Book Depository here!

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