

Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules-like "no making waves," "avoid eating in public," and "don't move so fast that your body jiggles." And she's found her safe space-her swimming pool-where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse.Įver since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight.
