Fat Girl Finishing School Paperback – 8 Oct. 2014

What a wonderful book and amazing author! Rachel Wiley laughs in the face of fat phobists!

As with most poety collection, some poems fall flat, or don't resonate. But my GOODNESS when one of Wiley's poems resonates, it's RESONATES.

Fantastic

This new edition of Rachel Wiley's Fat Girl Finishing School from Button Poetry could not have found me at a better time. It is feminist, fat positive and full of social commentary that feels just as valid today as it did in 2014 when the book was first released, if not even more so. The cutesy cover with its delicate pastel shades belies the powerful messages that almost leap from the pages. This is a book that I would encourage every young , and not so young woman to read. Among the issues touched upon are race, sexuality, body-positivity , growth and acceptance. There are moments of humour among the seriousness, including a mini rant about a KFC that ran out of chicken, but there are so many other poems that are memorable for their power and simplicity. Among my personal favourites were a Love Letter To My Body #3 " My excuse is that my body needs no excuse to be loved, no excuse to be seen, no excuse to be touched, enjoyed, celebrated." , 10 Honest Thoughts on Being Loved by a Skinny Boy , Naked Atonement " Let no man bury his shame inside us. Let no woman whisper her fear into our thighs. You are not a bank for the discontent of others. You belong to a bold heart. " , as well as the razor sharp Wife Material and the heartbreaking and powerful Blood Tongue which sadly is more true than ever before. " There is danger in being black in the wrong place , at the wrong time , Wrong Place : America. Wrong Time : all the time "Overall this is a really strong collection and one that I am glad to have read.I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I'm not the biggest fan of poetry but I was blown away by this. I've never read any of Rachel Wiley’s poems before but I feel like I've been missing out! Some of the poems are raw and moving, while others made me laugh out loud. However, all of them are really impactful. A stand-out for me was Wife Material, I read it three times in a row.All of Wiley’s poems are so current, and I think that makes them even more brilliant, when I thought of what was currently happening in the USA as I read Blood Tongue I got goosebumps.Poetry is hard to review since it’s so subjective, but I personally really, really enjoyed this collection and would not be surprised if I found myself reading it again in the future.I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t normally read poetry but was intrigued enough by the cover and title of this collection to want to explore and I’m really glad I did. If all poetry was like this, I’d read a lot more of it.The depth and the imagery speaks to me. The poems are no holds barred and I appreciate that. As a reflection on gender, colour, size and many other social issues it’s not an easy read at times, but in that regard it’s reflective of a time and place and has many things that need to be said.The collection is very accessible even if you don’t normally read poetry so I’d encourage anyone to give this a try.I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written and powerful words."My excuse is my body needs no excuse to be loved,No excuse to be seen,No excuse to be touched, enjoyed, celebrated."Rachael Wiley speaks volume about body positivity and feminism in this beautiful poetry collection.I loved her way with words and her unapologetic way of being. It's a thought-provoking collection that should be read, enjoyed and reread.

Rachel Wiley's book 'Fat Girl Finishing School' is an honest portrayal of what it means to be a fat, mixed race woman in this world. Rachel is strong, vulnerable, and funny.. her words made me feel less alone. Highly recommend!

heartful

as I began to read these poems of Rachel Wiley's yesterday I had many thoughts going through my mind. Some of the time I was thinking I know what that feels like other times I taken to place of feeling I had never experienced before, those were my favorite pages,moments, poem that I read several times before turning the page. I love learning in other people's experiences, it's the biggest reason why I am a book and music fan. This book feels like a stranger you meet and when the time goes to part ways you are sad that it has to end. However the good thing about books is you can always open them back up and reread them again and that is what I did this morning. Definitely a book I will be keeping and recommending to all my friends.

I absolutely love Rachel Wiley and this book did not disappoint. There was laughter and tears and it was all amazing

This book was AMAZING I can not state that enough! Wiley makes you laugh, cry and laugh while you cry again and again from cover to cover.

My daughter loves Rachel Wiley, she was excited to receive this as a birthday gift.

I love Rachel Wiley’s poetry. It’s so passionate and funny and wonderful. I use her poems for forensics and it’s just so powerful. I always cry performing 10 Honest Thoughs on Being Loved by a Skinny Boy

Love Rachel Wiley

Rachel is an incredible poet, I absolutely love her work. 10/10 would buy again!

This is soooo good

Listen to her read a poem. Then go buy her books like I did. She’s powerful and real and talented. I hope she goes far.

Down to earth realness and raw honesty.

I cannot say this any other way than “yassssssss”, this is a must have

Amazing insight, and hilarious!

Since hearing Rachel Wiley peform on Button Poetry, I have been hooked. There is candor and beauty in these poems. Inspirational, funny and brilliant I would highly recommend this book of poems to anyone.