Starred review from May 30, 2022
Sullivan (the collection Blue Talk and Love) charms in her stunning debut novel about a Black girl’s coming-of-age. While growing up in gentrifying Harlem during the 1980s and ’90s, Malaya Clondon is irrevocably impacted by other people’s perceptions and judgments of her weight. At eight, her mother, Nyela forces her to attend Nyela’s Weight Watchers meetings, and she endures cruel remarks from classmates at her predominantly white school. When she’s 16, Nyela and Malaya’s father, Percy, fight over the prospect of Malaya undergoing a gastric bypass. Throughout, Sullivan offers a nuanced portrayal of Malaya’s difficulties in navigating a world in which other people are unable to see her beyond her size, even after a terrible loss shakes Malaya’s world and reorients her family. All of Sullivan’s characters—even the cruel ones—brim with humanity, and the author shines when conveying the details of Malaya’s comforts, such as Biggie Smalls lyrics, the portraits she paints in her room, the colors she braids into her hair, and the sweet-smelling dulce de coco candies she eats with a classmate with whom she shares a close and sexually charged friendship. This is a treasure. Agent: Janet Silver, Aevitas Creative Management.
December 1, 2022
The melodious voice of the narrator Lisa Rene� Pitts eases listeners into 1990s Harlem, where eight-year-old Malaya is going to a weight-loss meeting with her mother. Malaya's weight dictates the way others think of her and treat her, but she doesn't let that limit her own outlook and possibilities. Listeners travel along with her until she's 18 years old, as her parents fight with each other, her grandmother berates her, romantic relationships go wrong, and friendships wax and wane. Pitts inhabits each character, bringing authentic emotions and accents as needed. Sullivan describes the luscious foods that Malaya wants, as well as the bland diet foods that she does not. Her depiction of shame-filled eating disorder behaviors is heartbreaking. This book is not an easy listen, as it is difficult to hear how others focus only on Malaya's weight, when there is so much more to this strong, bright girl. While cataloged for adults, Sullivan's affecting debut may also resonate with teenagers, despite the 1990s references. VERDICT An ultimately hopeful book with a top-tier narrator that does not disappoint.--Laura Stein
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