Hug Yourself – You Really Should! [Review]

Rate this Book / Post

Title: Hug Yourself
Editor: Vinitha
Publisher: Penguin Random House India
Type: Paperback
Length: 272 pages
Age group: 11+ years (publisher recommendation is YA i.e. 13 years+)

A collection of 16 stories by some incredibly talented authors, this book talks about the many expectations weighing on young girls’ minds, and how they can become overbearing. From weight, to skin, to hair, every single aspect of our beautiful bodies faced with relentless criticism. By the time I finished this book, I did exactly what the title wanted me to – I hugged myself.

Initially when I picked up this book, I truthfully wasn’t sure what to expect. Most nuances of the thoughts that run through a young girl’s mind are overlooked for a simple goal of sending a message, even if it doesn’t seem accurate. However, this book covered it all through the different stories.

The inner conflict of knowing that you are not ugly, but not as beautiful as the women you see when scrolling on your feed? Check. The inner monologue constantly battling between self-depreciation but not wanting to drown in it? Check. The constant comparisons, the judging, even among close friends, and the guilt upon realising the hypocrisy of doing so? CHECK!

This book also covered something I don’t see in most books about this topic, and that is disabilities and disfiguration – whether from birth or through an accident; the implications they can have on somebody and their sense of self. For any young children reading this, or even someone slightly older, it can be an excellent insight into acceptance and understanding, and that is incredibly valuable.

I appreciate the different formats that the stories are woven through here. Most of the segments are short stories, however some are in the form of poetry, and one story was even a comic! That one was a personal favourite of mine – the decisions made by the author and artist to express their character’s emotions so perfectly encapsulated what someone would actually feel in that situation.

Each character, regardless of their format, also had incredibly distinct forms of self-expression – whether it was candid jokes or a beautifully written stream of thoughts. An absolute gem of a line I can remember is,

I want a T-shirt that says, ‘NOTHING TO SEE HERE, JUST BREASTS.’

Girl, SAME.

However, every book has its setbacks, and this one suffered a major disadvantage. As they are short stories, there are rather quick explanations and resolutions, which may sometimes feel rushed or out of place. Most tended to do well on this front, but some stories suffered because of it. There was one particular story where the writing was, unfortunately, quite Wattpad-y, which was an absolute shame since the subject matter resonated with me deeply. One tiny example I can remember here is,

“OMG! AK in the flesh!”

So, who’s gonna tell them we don’t talk like this?

Overall though, I enjoyed reading this book, and I think most people will appreciate the realistic
situations the characters are placed in, as well as their genuine reactions to it. I often found myself reading lines that I myself have said either to my friends or my mom, and everyone deserves to have that moment of relief where they realise,

“I’m really not alone in this. Not at all.”

If you enjoyed this review and wish to order the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),

CLICK & BUY NOW!

Disclaimer: Asmi a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc.