When I first saw the book Skinny, by Donna Cooner, I automatically inferred that it would be about an insecure teenage girl. Then, I read the back cover, and the first paragraph really caught my attention, “Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head”. It mentions that she weighs over three hundred pounds, and it explains what she has to go through daily, Skinny. After reading that one paragraph, I expeditiously started reading the book. The first chapter introduced the main characters: Rat, Ever’s best friend, Skinny, the diabolical voice in Ever’s head, and Briella, Ever’ stepsister. It also introduced a high school setting, where most of the book takes place. Ever believes she knows what other people are thinking of her because Skinny has been whispering hateful thoughts into Ever’s head since Ever started gaining weight, after her mom died, when she turned ten. Ever since her childhood, Ever has genuinely loved singing, and has a beautiful singing voice. When Ever hears about the school musical, she really wants to audition; so with help, Ever decides to withstand a risky surgery. Still, as much pounds as she sheds, Skinny remains there, and before Ever can go after her dream, she has to address that voice in her head, and find her true voice. Donna Cooner created the characters so that everyone who reads it can connect to them, and really feel what that character’s feeling. One thing I feel is really powerful about the book is, Donna Cooner is a former gastric-bypass patient, and shared some of her own experiences through this realistic-fiction book. This makes the book really eccentric compared to other books I’ve read. One theme in the book addresses anyone who has felt like Ever does, lost, invisible, and unloved. Towards the end of the book, Ever says one really meaningful quote that sums up the book is: “The surgery changed my stomach, losing weight changed my body, Rat’s love changed my heart, but saying goodbye to Skinny…changed me most of all.” If you haven’t already done so, I strongly recommend this book to everyone.