This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
Ever since Greer hit puberty, her world has become very small and very lonely. Last she checked, her bra size was 30H. Now, instead of spending time with other girls at school, she keeps people at a distance, afraid of what they’ll think or say. She wears one of her dad’s oversized sweatshirts, hoping it will hide some of the changes to her body, but she can’t control first impressions, the whispers that follow her, or the stares that linger.
Despite her careful guard, people seem determined to remind Greer life is not supposed to be lived this way. Soon, she finds an unexpected community on the volleyball squad. Then there’s Jackson Oates. He’s new to her school, and, unlike other boys, he seems more interested in her than in her body.
My Eyes Are Up Here is both witty and vulnerable, heartfelt and hilarious. It aggressively addresses how people — especially teen girls — fixate on their bodies, and in today’s culture, this is an important message to share.
Now, I’m not someone who can relate to Greer’s situation, but one thing did bother me. Her breasts were treated as overly large throughout the story, when, in my opinion, 30H looks proportionate for many body types. I had a hard time seeing her as oversized to the point of absolutely nothing fitting her. However, I can imagine it could feel that way to a young teenager struggling with insecurity and the changes of her body after puberty. On top of this, Greer could be very dramatic and her similes quickly got old. All of this led me to question if parts of the story were true to fact, an over-exaggeration, or an insecurity.
I really liked Greer as a character, though. She’s a huge dork and definitely relatable. Her humor added some laugh-out-loud moments, and I really enjoyed seeing her develop and become more confident as the story progressed.
The book also has great side characters. My favorite was Jessa, who proved not only to be a force to be reckoned with, but someone who was super supportive of Greer and willing to sacrifice for her team.
Overall, My Eyes Are Up Here is a cute contemporary with moments of humor amid an emotional journey. The loneliness Greer faces is a common struggle for most of us today, no matter our shape, size or age. And in a world where so many people are judged for their appearances, this book shows that you should never judge a person by how they look.
Rated: High, for 9 uses of strong language and 1 variation of strong language, 12 uses of moderate language (two of which were in German), 8 uses of mild language, and 5 uses of the name of Deity. A character gives someone the middle finger. Sexual content includes a lot of slang, general talk, and references to breasts. Greer recalls a few humiliating instances with boys — one of which includes a boy staring down her shirt. There is talk about characters’ changing bodies or body parts — sometimes in mixed company.
