Mirror, Mirror

"Mirror Mirror" by Andaleeb Wajid is the kind of book and guiding light that I wished I had as a teen, who was continuously body-shamed - sometimes in the form of concern, sometimes in the form of a supposed 'compliment' (your face is so pretty, now only if you'd drop the extra weight) and sometimes just blatant to-my-face cruel remarks that gave me plenty of tear filled nights of shame.Andaleeb's book is the story of Ananya, but really, it is the story of every teen out there who has ever heard callous remarks about her body. The core theme of the book is body-shaming and how it significantly affects one's psyche and the relationship with our bodies, but it does so in a non-preachy, very approachable manner. Truly, as the title suggests, it DOES hold up a mirror to society - that yes, body shaming exists (and very viciously, I might add!) - what are you going to do to make things better?Ananya faces humiliation at the hands of a 'friend' in her building that makes her hate her own body. From a sweet, loving teen who had a passion for baking and maybe an extra slice of cake as a treat, she morphs into a salad-eating, hangry young woman who is determined to be skinny at all costs. She knows she is a work in progress, when throwing a spanner in her works is her parents' announcement that they are expecting another child and the return of her childhood friend turned nemesis Raghu back in her life.How does Ananya handle all these sudden changes? She believes her parents will no longer love her as much as they do, her best friends (who are now a couple) will not have time for her & Raghu will add to the mess that her life already is - situations which seem manageable as adults but so so HUGE when you are in that cusp of childhood and adulthood.Mirror Mirror is a swift, poignant read about all the turbulence of being a young adult and the fact that it does take a good, hard, long look in the mirror to help us understand that self-love comes from within, and no one will truly be able to love us until we love ourselves.Truly, all my heart for this one!

What a delightful read! A book that focuses on body shaming and eating disorders and teaches us the repurcussions of words said to a child and how it has an effects on its relationship with people around them. The book is so cute and such handles such serious topics in such a breezy manner that this is something that can become part of the curriculum in schools to read. Highly recommended and love Andaleeb s humourous writing that makes you laugh out loud.

YA readers, here's an author whose work shows an empathetic understanding of social clichés and the need to strike out at the root cause.The protagonist here is studying in the 12th grade and now hates her once best friend Raghu. That is linked to a particular incident of body shaming and the subsequent low self esteem. How she redeems herself and begins to find peace with her own body rivets the reader's attention.The characters are well developed and themes are brought out well in the interaction between various characters. The novel is notches above most YA fiction I've read.I warmly recommend this book.

It's a must read , not only for YA but for everyone. Andaleeb mam is an awesome writer who handles emotions well in her books . This book has gone one step above in her benchmark. I wish I read this book couple of years earlier. Good work mam ! 👍

Review🌈✨Mirror mirror✨Author - Andaleeb wajidGenre- Fiction, young adultPages - 280Rating - 3.5/5This book is specially for teenagers and also for those who feel insure about their body.The book deals with issues like body shaming and eating habits among teenagers and how just few words are enough to be imprinted on a childhood conscious.

(Voluntarily reviewed a physical copy of the book on For The Love of Fictional Worlds)Trigger Warning: Fat Shaming, Eating Disorder, Mental Health Issues, Anxiety•This coming of age YA novel set in Bangalore is told in the PoV of the protagonist - Ananya - who used to love and find comfort in food; until she hit puberty and realised that her body doesn’t conform the societal norms of “beauty”.And when one such cruel incident traumatises her, she decides to take matters into her hands and does her best to keep to a “healthy” lifestyle.However, her definition of Healthy might not exactly be healthy.With her ex best friend, turned hottie comes to stay safe to her family and her mother announces a life altering news, as well her own future looming ahead; she knows her life isn’t going to be same anymore.•Written simplistically, Mirror, Mirror stands true to the title - more than just fat shaming, it’s also a look at the pressures of making adult decisions when you don’t feel adult enough 🤷🏻‍♀️

I loved this YA novel that handles the heartbreakingly prevalent theme of bodyshaming in such a beautifully sensitive manner. The writing is fluid, the characters are real and the story is both heartbreaking and lovely. One of my best reads of 2021.

Mirror Mirror is the story of Ananya, a teenager who has been shamed into hating her body. Watch how she fights back!It is a beautiful, funny and kickass story of young love and self-acceptance.