Review – My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title My Eyes Are Up Here

Author Laura Zimmerman

Description from Amazon

If Greer Walsh could only live inside her head, life would be easier. She’d be able to focus on excelling at math or negotiating peace talks between her best friend and . . . everyone else. She wouldn’t spend any time worrying about being the only Kennedy High student whose breasts are bigger than her head.

But you can’t play volleyball inside your head. Or go to the pool. Or have confusingly date-like encounters with the charming new boy. You need an actual body for all of those things. And Greer is entirely uncomfortable in hers.

Hilarious and heartbreakingly honest, My Eyes Are Up Here is a story of awkwardness and ferocity, of imaginary butterflies and rock-solid friends. It’s the story of a girl finding her way out of her oversized sweatshirt and back into the real world.

Release Date June 23, 2020

Initial Thoughts

I saw this was a title available for request in the Spring 2020 Penguin Teen titles and I was excited to apply. I’ve been in Greer’s shoes. Not quite to the same extreme, but her feelings and concerns are ones that I knew well in high school.

Some Things I Liked

• A realistic and comedic approach to a topic that nobody ever talks about. Like Greer, and me, and pretty much everyone, being self-conscious about your body isn’t something people talk openly about. I thought Laura Zimmerman handled the struggle with a perfect balance between comedy and realism.
• Greer’s wit and sarcasm. She was a great character. I loved her thoughts and reactions to the things around her.
• Body positivity. I loved that the central theme of this book was Greer learning to see herself in a more positive light. We need more books with positive body image messages as well as books where the characters don’t change themselves to feel better. Greer found herself. She didn’t change herself and I loved that.

Series Value

Greer’s story feels complete. But, I think the author introduced some interesting side characters as well as an interesting concept through Greer’s mom’s job that could yield interesting spin-off or sequel stories.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. I wish it was written ten years ago so high school me could have read it. I could have really used a message like this back then. I spent a lot of time in oversized sweatshirts hoping my peers wouldn’t notice me. I loved the positive message in this book and I would recommend it to any young people who have struggled with their image.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

• By the Book by Amanda Sellet – if you liked the idea of a stubborn and sassy main character (who refuses to admit she likes her love interest), give this standalone a try.
• Today, Tonight, Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon – if you liked the theme of a self-conscious main character who learns to be more confident, try this standalone July 2020 release.