Eat, and Love Yourself
Written by Sweeney Boo
Art by Sweeney Boo and Joanna Lafuente
Lettering by David Hopkins
Published by BOOM! Box
‘Rama Rating: 8 out of 10
“Body dysmorphia keeps us from seeing ourselves how we actually are. But you have the power to fight it.”
When you look in the mirror what do you see? Writer and artist Sweeney Boo takes a deep dive into this very notion with her comic book, Eat, and Love Yourself. First launching as a successful Kickstarter, Boo’s debut has found a home at BOOM! Studios.
A tale about self-love, Eat, and Love Yourself is an extremely raw, character-driven narrative that takes a look at Mindy’s relationship with food, and how it affects her other interpersonal relationships, but most importantly her image of herself.
Following a lousy night with her best friend Shae, Mindy goes to her favorite convenience store to pick up a few snacks, which includes a new candy bar titled after the graphic novel’s namesake. The chocolate has the power for Mindy to transport back to the moments that had defined her emotional connection to food – a mirror, if you will. Boo takes the time to navigate Mindy’s love life, her friendships, and her relationship with her parents.
None of the supporting characters are two-dimensional. Mindy’s parents and friends aren’t trying to be toxic towards her mental health, but at the same time don’t realize how their offhand comments have shaped Mindy’s view of food.
Even when Mindy is upfront about her feelings, they don’t take her seriously until it’s too late. This forces Mindy to distance herself from these relationships. She realizes that she needs to start loving herself before she can jump back into any type of relationship — be it familial, romantic, or friendship.
Boo takes on both writing and art duties with colors by Joanna Lafuente. The artwork is a bit darker than expected with the bright purples on the cover and credits. The interior linework can be harsh at times, given Boo’s cartoony style. It can be a little jarring at first given the subject matter, but after a few pages it begins to fit the storyline as the narrative takes a darker turn.
While Eat, and Love Yourself is a story that features bulimia, Boo never fully shows the act of Mindy’s eating disorder in her artwork – she only brings in the audience either before or after she purges. Mindy hides this part of herself, so Boo hides these moments from the readers. This is a perfect example of how an emotional journey of a main character can be displayed not just through the script, but visually as well.
Eat, and Love Yourself is a wonderful debut by writer/artist Sweeney Boo that delicately dives into difficult topics like binge-eating, bulimia, and self-worth. It’s a story that shows that loving yourself takes time. It’s not a change that happens overnight, and you’ll have to do a lot of soul-searching to begin navigating through that tough terrain. You must love yourself before you can start loving others.