I don't read a lot of poetry. Years and years of studying English Lit kinda ruined poetry for me, I think. But this was simply amazing.

I didn't realise I had seen a video of Rachel Wiley perform her 10 Honest Thoughts on Being Loved by a Skinny Boy years ago, until I came across that poem in this collection. I remember crying during her performance years ago, and I cried this time when I read it to myself.

She combines wonderful vulnerability with biting anger and wit. You're left wondering what does happen to a KFC that runs out of chicken, and then you turn the page and are bowled over by the brutal and unapologetic honesty of what it means to be a fat, biracial, queer woman in the world today. Her words make me feel seen.

GOD this was so good. I’ll be honest, the only poem by Rachel Wiley I’d ever heard was the most famous one. But this collection was a treasure trove of gems. Some were hilarious, some were tragic, all were intensely relatable. I came out of reading this book feeling genuinely more confident and self assured than when I started reading. Love it when that happens. This is one of those ARCs that I’ll probably buy physically. Button Poetry never disappoints, and this book was no exception.

Rachel Wiley writes poetry enthusiastically and in a way that shares insight, as well as surprises. I recommend this book for readers of literary and lived experience, and those looking for strong poetic voice.

Fat Girl Finishing School by Rachel Wiley is an empowering collection of poetry focused on body positivity and non-conformity, and I would recommend it to anyone who has ever struggled to fully allow themselves to love the skin they are living in, without condition or judgement. Ms Wiley's conversational prose was both relatable and accessible, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. This is a collection that is equally affirming, thought-provoking, and relevant.

Thanks to NetGalley and Button Poetry for the opportunity to read this collection.

This was such a fantastic read, timely and so necessary. Thank you for making this happen Rachel Wiley.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fat Girl Finishing School is the first full-length collection of poems from Rachel Wiley, the Queer-Biracial-Feminist poet, performer and body-positive activist whose work spans from body image, to love and loss, and feminism. Fat Girl Finishing School is a love letter to the body. When confronted with fatphobia, sexism, misogyny, and shame each poem chooses self-love, despite society’s expectations. This is a book steeped in experience, every story is striking, powerful, and unmistakably palpable.

Fat Girl Finishing School - Button Poetry
I can very much relate to this book. Unfortunately, eating disorders and anxiety are very real issues that are really hard to talk about and tackle, but this book did a great job of it. As a woman who deals with many of these issues every day, many of these verses resonated with me deeply.

Wiley’s poems create a striking and very real commentary on important issues in our society. But this collection of poems covers much more than just eating disorders―gender, race, and faith are just a few of the various themes these poems touch on.

Some of the best poems in the collection are the most difficult to read. Shutter calls out selfie culture while Gorgon calls out the fashion industry, and Wife Material provides a grand commentary on stereotypes within the home.

Brass Knuckles is an ode to feminist activism: “We are not done yet.” These poems force us to face reality for what it is, showing us exactly why the world makes us feel less-than on a daily basis, and why we can not stand for it. Wiley has a wonderfully simple way of expressing politics through poetry; identifying the problem and rejecting it. “We are meeting the horizon line to tell it our demands.“

The Love Letter To My Body poems are some of my favorites in the collection. These poems know what it feels like to be judged, and what it takes to rise above. Instead of showing us what is wrong with the world, these poems show us what is right within ourselves. They tell the reader it is okay to accept yourself as you are. Full of acceptance and confidence, they proclaim you are worthy. You are enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Button Poetry publishers for providing a free ARC!

https://thewandererliteraryjournal.wordpress.com/2020/06/07/fat-girl-finishing-school/

Rachel Wiley's poetry is impactful and empowering.
Wiley speaks about her experiences as Biracial Queer Woman and her relationship with body image with candor and raw emotion.
Wiley has a talent for her ability to really make you feel her pain and also feel her love too. There is a real strength in her words that gives you an understanding of her feelings in a way that makes your heart beat faster.
I loved some of the alliteration in poems such as Americana. A Poem For Amy Winehouse was another favourite for the way she translates the sounds to paper in her descriptions on Amy's voice. Demeter spoke to me as a woman and Blood Tongue and Tradedy was utterly moving and insightful.
I have followed Button Poetry on YouTube for a long time and watched Rachel Wiley's spoken word poetry videos before and to see it on paper was just as powerful.

t's really hard to review poetry. Especially if you've always had love/hate relationship with poetry.

While reading Fat Girl Finishing School I realized that I've heard some of the poems before! One Google search later I found multiple videos of Rachel Wiley reading her own poems and, oh boy, it only made reading this book better! I read her poems in my own voice and then listened to her reading them in her voice and she is so powerful and vulnerable at the same time and I love it so much! If you have a couple minutes, do listen to: 10 Honest Thoughts on Being Loved by a Skinny Boy; Paper Babies; Conversations With My Father In A Dunk Tank.

I wish there was a recording of her poem Blood Tongue because it's so, so, so relevant to the current situation in the USA.
"There is danger in being black in the wrong place
at the wrong time.
Wrong place: America.
Wrong time: All the time."

As I mentioned at the start - it's hard to review poetry. But I loved this collection so much! I can see myself rereading Fat Girl Finishing School. And that's rare.

4 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

This book was originally published in 2014 and this cover change is such a vibrant almost Betty Crocker cake mix box. I loved reading this collection especially since the author has had relationships with both men and women. She is half black, half white and a lot her poems relating to her experience with being called "a half breed" and white people's obsession with saying the N word right to her face. All of which are still very relevant to this day especially with the recent riots and protests. Her writing is lovely and all the positive self love towards being a fat girl. Something I think every young woman should read.

Funny, fierce, moving and powerful poetry in this collection. Wiley typically does spoken-word, and while reading many of these, I could imagine how it would sound spoken (awesome, in case you were wondering). Some of the poems could've used a little more refinement, but overall, a fantastic little book.

*Thank you Net Galley and Button Poetry for this advance copy*

As someone who loves reading and writing about body positivity and acceptance, the title of this book grabbed my attention. In this anthology, Rachel Wiley covers societal and personal issues (body images, race, feminism, relationships, family) from multiple perspectives. The poems that I enjoyed the most were written from her perspective. In Paper Babies, a poem about feminism and motherhood, Wiley recalls taking her first pregnancy test. She writes about coming to terms with a breakup in In Which the Poet Learns to Wake up Alone. Proof, another poem about relationships contained my favorite line "I wanted you to know that best I am okay, a choreographed apology." The poem that resonated most with me was 10 Honest Thoughts on Being Loved by a Skinny Boy. Having been in that position myself, even the smallest interactions had cause for me to feel fear and embarrassment. There are poems that are better suited for the stage than the written page. "On the Bus" paints a vivid picture of mass transit commuting that would resonate with those that have never rode a city bus.

Overall, this a fairly solid collection. I'd love to see the author perform some of her work and look forward to reading more poem anthologies in the future. I would recommend this to girls and women struggling with their body image and readers looking for a fresh voice.

“Medusa was born so beautiful, made ugly by another’s demands”
Let me take a second and say I was snapping my fingers because I can relate so well to the words written in this book. It makes you say yes! with pride and feel happiness, it’s body positivity and I’m all for the movement. This book is an anthem and inspiration for the plus size, the. It’s the anger and shame they are meant to feel be put aside. It’s to tell all plus size people (the ones people call fat) that they are valued, they matter and standards the world keeps trying to force on them don’t matter.
I really enjoyed this book, it’s a cool read
#VeryTada #BookReview

I wanted to read some poetry and as a person who has sometimes been considered overweight, I was attracted by the title of this collection. I hadn't heard of Rachel Wiley and it took me a few poems to get into her style. Once I googled her and watched some of her videos on YouTube, however, her poetry really came to life for me.

There are some truly powerful poems in this book. I particularly enjoyed Conversations With My Father In A Dunk Tank, Hoarder and Naked Atonement. But I'm sure every reader will be drawn to different poems, which deal with issues such as relationships, gender, race, and mental health as well as the physical body. Poetry works well when it's digested gradually over time and this is one book I'll keep coming back to in future.

I'll be honest that I had slightly higher hopes for what this book would be. That's not at all to say that I didn't enjoy it; I very much did. The words are lyrical in many cases, pulling the reader in, and it's a delight to read.

This was a fun, sad and fascinating call to arms about the body positive movement, discrimination against fat people, eating disorders and trying to exist in a world that tells you you need to be smaller. These poems spark off the page, but I think you need to watch them performed to get the full impact. But god, I wish i had these when I was younger.

I first heard of Rachel Wiley when her poem "10 Honest Thoughts on Being Loved By A Skinny Boy" went viral 7 years ago.
I was in my freshman year of college and I remember being in awe of this strong and honest woman.

Fat Girl Finishing School brings back that feeling with a beautiful collection of perfectly human and genuine moments, told through Wiley's very fresh perspective.

This the book for that bad day. The hand to hold your when when you feel alone.
Self love and self acceptace is a daily battle, a constant struggle, there's a learning curve and it takes practice.
I find that learning from people like Wiley helps me an enormous amount and makes me feel less alone.

I didn't like all of the poems in this collection. For example, the Bette Midler one went completely over my head. So why 5 stars? Because I did like several, and loved several, and found many notable lines, and in a collection of poems, finding multiple you love gets 5 stars.
"My excuse is pumpkin ice cream and three seasons of Luther on Netflix."
"I wanted to love you like a landmark
Now you just be some Fotomart."
The beginning of, "Blood Tongue".
Lot's of great lines in "Wife Material".
An interesting introduction to a lifestyle very different from my own.
I got a chance to free this free through Netgalley's ebook program.

I have seen Rachel perform some of her poetry on YouTube and was interested in the full book of poetry.

I would recommend it to girls or women who struggle with their bodies. The poetry is extremely body positive and accepting of those that are different. Some poems were much better than others but overall, a good book.

3.5/5.

A very nice modern poetry collection. I cannot say I am in love with the style, but I am for sure in love with the message.
On the one hand, this book opened my eyes to some things that I never experienced, and I think it is always important to learn, to educate yourself. On the other hand, I could relate to so many things that were brought up in this collection. I like how relevant, how up to date it is. The book reads easy and is very enjoyable despite some of the topics, and it is a true talent of the author as well.
I do wish there were more - more poems, more stories that author would tell us. I think it is a good sign, it means I think there is so much more the author can say and I want to hear it.
For sure will read more of Rachel Wiley works when I get an opportunity to.

You only need to look at my well-worn, well-loved copy of Nothing Is Okay to recognize my love for Rachel Wiley's poetry. Fat Girl Finishing School was actually her first book of poetry, but is being rereleased. The book explores fat-antagonism, self-love, racism, queerness, and many other difficult topics. Wiley's voice is raw, poignant, unapologetic, incisive, and witty. My review copy is full of highlights and bookmarks of resonant excerpts. I highly recommend this to all people, but especially to those who struggle with body-acceptance and fat-antagonism.