This is a middle grade novel in verse, so it’s geared for a bit younger audience than the books I normally read, but it’s still great. Ellie has been bullied and made fun of for being fat her whole life. Her own mother forces her to diet constantly, and everyone at school calls her Splash, a cruel nickname given to Ellie at her fifth birthday by her sister. Ellie lives by her self imposed Fat Girl Rules: Don’t eat in public, no making waves, and don’t move so fast her body jiggles. Her only solace is her swimming pool, where she feels weightless. But then she meets her new neighbor Catalina, and it’s amazing. Catalina doesn’t judge Ellie because of her weight. And Ellie makes an ally in her new therapist, too. Throughout the book, Ellie learns to stand up for herself with the help of her dad, Catalina, and her therapist. I really like this book, but it could be potentially triggering for some people, as it has A LOT of fat shaming and fat phobia.
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