Sick of Being Healthy by Monisha K. Gumber (Book Review)

Sick of Being Healthy

Genre: Young Adult, Teen Fiction
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing
Release Date: August 11th, 2016
Pages: 170
My Rating: 4 stars

Sick of Being Healthy by Monisha K. Gumber follows the story of 14 year old Tara who is a little on the heavier side. She is outspoken and dramatic and is a total bollywood fan. This book narrates her daily life as she deals with various issues that befall a teenager.

I liked this book much more than I expected to. It isn’t a cliché YA book where the girl suddenly becomes a superstar and a handsome guy falls in love with her. The author didn’t sugarcoat things. She kept it realistic and I’m really happy for that. The book deals with some real issues concerning teenage girls such as body image, insecurities, and bulimia. Despite this, the tone of the book is very light throughout. The book is short, doesn’t stretch too much and didn’t try to cram too many issues into one book. It was also very relatable at times and touched me straight in the heart. However, one thing that I found very unrealistic was that Tara’s school hosts a prom. I just can’t imagine an Indian school having a prom night.

The illustrations were great and really funny at times! They were one of the reasons that I liked this book. The writing and narration fit perfectly with the story. The tone was light except at moments when it needed to be serious.

I love how much Tara’s character develops so much by the end of the book. The character of Baby Didi who is Tara’s sister was incredibly real and I am so glad she was included in the book.

This book really brightened my heart. It delivered a great message and was fun to read. I think the author did a fairly good job. She took some real issues and discussed them in a bright manner.

Sick of Being Healthy is a simple, light-hearted and inspirational book. I highly recommend it. We need more books like this and I would honestly encourage teenage girls to read it.

“I recieved a copy of this book from author. All opinions are honest and unbiased.”