Name: Shareca's review of Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas
Item: Does My Body Offend You?
Rating: 3
Author: Shareca

Mayra Cuevas

Marie Marquardt

For fans of Nic Stone and Erika Sánchez comes a story of friendship, feminism, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter where you come from. Malena Rosario is starting to believe that catastrophes come in threes: First, Hurricane María destroyed her home, taking her unbreakable spirit with it. Then, she and her mother are now stuck in Florida, which is nothing like her beloved Puerto Rico. And, three, when she goes to school bra-less after a bad sunburn, and is humilliated into covering up, she feels like she has no choice but to comply. Ruby McAllister has a reputation as her school's outspoken feminist rebel. But back in Seattle, she lived under her sister's shadow. Now her sister is out saving underprivileged communities, and she's in a Florida high school, unsure of what to do with her future, or if she's even making a difference in the world. So when Ruby notices the new girl is being forced to cover her breasts, she is not willing to keep quiet about it. Neither Malena nor Ruby expected to be the leaders of the school's dress code rebellion. But the girls will have to face their own insecurities, biases, and privileges, and the ups and downs in their newfound friendship, if they want to stand up for their ideals and--ultimately--for themselves.

Does My Body Offend You?

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Shareca

Does My Body Offend You?
Mayra Cuevas, Marie Marquardt ★★★

🍋 pgs: 413
🍇 genre: feminist, ya
🫐 pace: medium
🍓 pov: dual - ruby & malena
🍌 tw: sexual assault, post-hurricane maria

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Malena has relocated to a new school, where she is preyed upon because of her larger breasts. As a result of a sunburn, she is unable to wear a bra, so she goes to school braless. Because Malena's nipples are visible, the school advised her to wear panty-liners over them to prevent 'being a distraction.' Thus… Ruby's entry into the equation! Since she has small breasts, she attempts to emulate Malena's behavior to see if she would also be singled out. (Unlike Malena, Ruby is white and privileged.) The moment Ruby realizes Malena had been singled out because of her larger breasts, she and Malena decide to start a ✨revolution✨.

The problem with DMBOY? is that it presents a dual narrative, but neither of them is well-developed—with one narrative being more engaging than the other. Throughout, Malena's voice is beautifully portrayed as she deals with the aftermath of Maria, but Ruby's is stuffy and lacks the same engaging quality that Malena's Spanish culture provides. 🤒🤧 With Malena's Spanish background and Ruby's whiteness, DMBOY? provided an interesting perspective regarding privilege, but the plot was not particularly compelling. It was a pleasure listening to Malena's voice; it would have been wonderful if it had been a single POV.

The premise felt muddled by its attempt to address so much more than the central concept of feminism for YAs. Multiple plotlines in this story detract from the purpose of the 'panty-liner' issue. But there is no doubt that this is a fantastic novel for teaching YAs about what feminism is and what it means to stand up for your rights! 👏🏾 There is also a focus on racism, relocation following a traumatic event, and sexual assault, among other issues. 😮‍💨

Vivien Luisa Seifert

I cannot begin to describe how much this book as inspired me and changed my view on the world. It's so beautifully written with a strong message behind the story of two strong women ,I screamed in the end. Pretty sure I almost cried multiple times while reading. This is a million out of ten and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this is one of the best books I've ever read. Ever. And I am a very committed bookworm. 
I will forever be grateful for the writers of this book and that I happend to stumble upon it. If you want to make a change ,make it happen. But know what you want and don't equal a step-back with giving up. Thank you

Zoe Smolen

This book is stunning!! This is such a fantastic tale about intersectionality. 

Cuevas and Marquardt created to distinct, flawed, and lovable characters as well as a spectacular cast of support characters that allowed them to explore intersectionality as robustly as possible. I think that's really wonderful about this book is that it really speaks to a wide group of people. Melanie validates the feelings and experiences of teens of color, and Ruby gracefully helps explain how white teens trying to be allies can steamroll (in the words of the book) initiatives they should be taking a backseat on. 

I highly recommend this one.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas