Embrace your size by hara

This manga is a collection of graphic essays about Hara’s life, where she battled weight as a junior high student, developed an eating disorder, and found body positivity in her young adult years. Hara shares a lot about her struggles with trendy clothing, and how she came to terms with being plus sized and still able to wear clothing she considered to be fashionable and cute. Clothes were an initial trigger for Hara, so it is one of the main foci of her essays. She also shares her development of anorexia that turned into bulimia nervosa in college. She continues to struggle with eating enough food, but through therapy and hard work, she is able to keep her eating disorders in check.

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The chapters/essays are very personal, and thus don't really get into discussing what we as society do to folks, or what we need to do to change. This might be a let down for some who are looking for a more philosophical conversation, but Hara is pretty up front about this book being a personal journey. Rather than be a critique on the society that led her to insecurities, this is more about sharing a story and connecting to others who might have similar struggles, and giving them permission to still love themselves despite constant messages that tell them they shouldn't.

I found the art very pleasing. Hara has a cartoony style where everything is very cutesy. This style makes approaching a difficult topic a little easier.

Since Hara is reflecting on her time through junior high and college, this might be better suited to teen readers, and especially those who might be struggling with body image or eating disorders. 

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12

Publisher: Yen Press
Publication Date: November 22, 2022
ISBN: 9781975347291 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Autobiography, Disabilities, Friendship, Yen Press