New and Wonderful: Skinny by Donna Cooner

Find your voice.

Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she’ll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it. 

But there is another voice: Ever’s singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical—and partly to try and save her own life—Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.

With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own.

Goodreads

I just received this one in the mail and am excited to start it. Weight is something I am currently struggling with myself and this book has arrived at a timely point in my own life changing event. I hit twenty pounds lost a week or so ago. It was a hard won victory, but I still have over fifty pounds to go before I can call myself "ideal weight" for my height. 

If you are looking for a gritty book this one is for you. Due out in October 2012, I think you will be as moved by Ever's story as much as I am currently. Make sure you mark it on your to be read list. 

If you are currently in a battle with weight yourself, I would love to hear from you. Joining a support group and Weight Watchers is what has helped me. 

Donna Cooner lives with her goat dog, Roxanne in Fort Collins, Colorado where she works as a professor of education. As a former gastric bypass patient, she was inspired to share some of her experiences with readers.

If you want to know more about Donna Cooner and her debut novel Skinny, visit her website www.donnacooner.com/ You can also find her on Twitter under @Donna Cooner.