I didn't particularly care for this memoir. It was written dully and since I had heard so much about Crystal Renn's story through magazine interviews that I didn't learn anything new. However, it you're new to how fat is demonized in this country even when studies prove it isn't as bad as the "Media" makes it out to be, you'll gleam a lot of info from this book. I'd gift this book to any teenage or preteen girl who feels like she has an imperfect body. Crystal Renn writes directly to that audience. ( )

I was super excited to read this, then I actually started it and I was kind of let down. I thought the voice, and the story, at the beginning were kind of... hm. Not what I was hoping for? I guess that's the best way to put it. But after I got into the second chapter something shifted and I really got into her story.

This is a wonderful book. It's a fascinating glimpse into the world of modeling for those of us who only see the end product, it has humor and witty asides all over the place, and there's tons of great statistics that are presented without making the text all boring and dry. This is what I'll be recommending to teen girls who are interested in modeling instead of that book [b:America's Next Top Model Fierce Guide to Life|5016449|America's Next Top Model Fierce Guide to Life The Ultimate Source of Beauty, Fashion, and Model Behavior|J.E. Bright|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q6Tz00s5L._SL75_.jpg|5083030]. It doesn't vilify the fashion industry or modeling in general, but it does address the problems that crop up when your working world revolves around your appearance.

Plus there are some great pictures included. I only wish they could have put in shots from every shoot she describes. Some of the outfits sounded pretty awesome. ( )

When Crystal was 14-years old, a modelling scout saw her and told her she needed to lose a lot of weight (she was 5’9’’ and 165 lbs), but if she did, she could make it in the modelling world. Crystal decided this was what she wanted to do, and went down to 95 lbs before heading to New York City to seek out that scout and the Agency he was a part of. She suffered for three years with anorexia before she pulled herself together, only to become bigger, still (no pun intended!), in the plus-size modelling world (at a size 12 once her weight settled).

I thought this was really interesting. Horrifying how skinny she became. She did share photos in the book, as well. After her bout with anorexia, she seemed so much more positive about her body-image as a plus model. I did look her up online after, though, to see that she’s gone down a couple of sizes since. What an awful world that is, though – the fashion industry. ( )

Crystal Renn is one of my favorite models to begin with, but reading about her struggle to become a model (hint: anorexia figures prominently) and her eventual success as a full-figured model was extraordinarily inspirational. Fun fact: she loves Bikram (hot) yoga. ( )

Interesting -- but even more so knowing that she went back to straight-model-size several years after her self-described 'epiphany' about resting into her natural, set-weight. I am genuinely curious as to what she would have to say about the story she presented here now that she's back to reducing to a size that is obviously below her size 12 set point... I certainly wish her well. ( )