Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy

 Editor: Kelly Jensen

 Release Date: August 18, 2020

 Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Format: eGalley

Pages: 256

Source: Netgalley

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Summary:

It’s time to bare it all about bodies!

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.

Come on in, turn the pages, and join the celebration of our diverse, miraculous, beautiful bodies! (Goodreads)

Review:

  *I received a copy of this book from Algonquin Young Readers for this blog tour. This does not affect my opinion.*

What an incredible anthology! Although this is a “young readers” book, this is a key read for all ages. It is a mix of both powerful personal stories and more educational pieces that feels balanced and eye-opening.

Body Talk covers a range of topics allowing many people to feel see and others to better understand experiences they are unfamiliar with. Also important is the focus on using proper language when addressing people. Topics touched on in the anthology include weight stigma, gender identity, sexuality, body hair, various physical disabilities, periods & reproductive health, and more. There is so much to be taken out of each story, whether you feel seen by it or are learning from it.

The writing in the actual essays was also excellent. Each one had a distinct voice and personality to it which both added to the reading experience and made the piece feel even more authentic. There was not one essay in the collection that I felt wasn’t well-written and captivating.

Final Verdict: 

Read this. Read it again. And then pass it on to everyone you know. It’s a compelling read that flies by and has something for everyone.