Skinny Bitch

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

Skinny Bitch. Freedman, Rory and Barnouin, Kim. Running Press, Philadelphia. ISBN 978-0-7624-2493-1

PLOT SUMMARY:

Skinny Bitch is a no-nonsense book about being healthy, which for the authors means vegan. By omitting animal based foods (meat, dairy, and eggs) you will be feeling healthy and looking good in no time. The book also covers: exercising, smoking, drinking, government agencies and sugar. Also included are some important lists: vitamins you should be getting, vegan brand-name foods, and ingredients to avoid. Of course there is also four week menu to help you get started on your new healthy lifestyle.

CRITICAL EVALUATION:

If a book can yell at you, Shinny Bitch does. Instead of having a foul-mouthed drill sergeant yell at you, you can read it. First and foremost, I was shocked at the profanity used in the book. I understand why the authors used this attention-grabbing style. I am most certainly not against this type of language being used in a book, but Skinny Bitch took it to a whole new level. The authors used this as their way to catch your attention to get their point across. I agree with the book, being vegan is healthy and will lead to weight loss. I’m just not sure this is the best book for teens to learn about veganism. Some information is there, once you get past the pages of yelling. The chapter on government agencies was shocking. It brings to light things that the majority of the public does not know. Even more shocking was the chapter You Are What You Eat. I literally was reading the chapter with one eye open holding the book away from me. Honestly, I could not finish that chapter and I have not touched meat in about 3 weeks. Skinny Bitch does get its point across; I just think they could have toned down the language a bit. I think that teens will like this book. It’s direct and to the point. It scratches the surface of veganism. However, there are better books out there that have the same relaxed tone, no yelling and more information. I would most certainly recommend The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone over Skinny Bitch.

READER’S ANNOTATION
:
A no-nonsense guide to being vegan and losing weight.

AUTHOR:

Rory Freedman, a former modeling agent and Kim Barnouin, a former model met at a talent agency in 1996, and became fast friends. One of the foundations for their friendship was food. They were both completely obsessed with it. But they weren't always healthy eaters. So eventually, when Rory and Kim changed their ways, they experienced firsthand the difference a healthy diet could make. And the more they learned for themselves, the more they wanted to share their knowledge and help others. (Running Press)

GENRE:

Non-fiction, Diet and Nutrition

CURRICULUM TIES:

New York State: Health, Family and Consumer Sciences

BOOK TALKING IDEAS:

Did you ever think about where your food comes from?
Vegan diet
Losing weight the healthy way

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE:

Age 15 and up

CHALLENGE ISSUES:

Language, vegan diet for teens

In order to prepare yourself should this book be challenged you may wish to take the following steps:

•Read the book or familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
•Refer to the library’s collection development policy.
•Read the book reviews from sources such as Booklist, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Publisher’s Weekly, or BookSpot.com
•Seek the opinion of teen readers that have read the book.

Should this book be challenged you should follow the additional steps below:

•Advise the senior staff of the challenge.
•Let the patron know that their challenge will be filed and that senior library management will review their request and notify them once a decision has been made.
•Offer any further assistance should the patron have additional questions.

WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS BOOK?

Skinny Bitch was listed on the What’s New section of The Guilderland Public Library’s Teen page. I had to check out a book with a title like Skinny Bitch! This is an adult title.