I absolutely LOVED this book. I initially requested the arc not really knowing what to expect but having been attracted to both the cover and the blurb on NetGalley. Little did I know just how insanely relatable and lovable Saffron was going to be. 

Girl, Ultra-Processed is a YA contemporary novel all about insecurity, lack of self-confidence and it absolutely blows up diet culture and societal expectations. As a female who has always felt ‘fat’, Saffron’s character really resonated with me. The hours she spends with her social media feeds telling her she should be thin to be beautiful, that ‘fat’ girls shouldn’t wear certain clothes or that because she’s larger than others she simply *must* want to diet. I loved that this book explored all of these things but managed to ooze body positivity as we see Saffron grow and develop into a more confident version of her true self. 

The storylines were all written so well and interwove seamlessly into the book: really cute romance (although I would have liked to see more of what happens next!), family ups and downs, the trials and tribulations of friendships and especially how they change when you leave school. There’s social media pressure, catfishing, disordered eating, jealousy, love, friendship and self-acceptance. 

The characters are so well written that I truly adored Saffron, Veronica, Toby, Otis and little Rue whilst effortlessly disliking Jack. The way in which Saffron’s friendship with Veronica in particular developed and strengthened so naturally had me beaming. It was easy to relate to my own super natural friendships, those which develop simply because two people are meant to know one another and that’s what it felt like for those two. 

I am so pleased that I picked up this book and will absolutely be encouraging as many people as possible to read it. Saffron is a character I’ll be thinking about for a long time and I’ll be taking some of the messages away into my own conscience too. 

Thank you to Faber and Faber, Amara Sage and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.