Book Review: Bad Fat Black Girl

Bad Fat Black Girl
by Sesali Bowen
Review by Alex P
I love this book so much, I finished it in a day. Written by the pioneer of the newly-coined ‘trap feminism’, Sesali Bowen, this book tells her lived experience as a fat, black, queer women. Part memoir, part manifesto and all-round educational tool, Bowen details aspects of her life through this lens, and gives us easy to understand, yet substantial definitions and examples along the way. This is not your JK variety of stale, outdated white feminism. This book, and trap feminism itself, is proud, loud and unapologetic. Bowen talks openly and unashamedly about her experiences with sex work, body image, queerness, fatness, sex and desirability, and being a Bad Bitch. She also delves into the struggles and heartbreak of being a Bad Fat Black Girl, especially in America. This book is celebratory and joyous, but also moving and tinged with heartache. Whether you’re new to feminism, or well-versed in the literature, this is a great book. For fans of Roxanne Gay and Bernadine Evaristo.