Review: Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged

I have no words for how bad this book is. I mean, I do, cos I am going to write them down but also, I really don’t.

We will get to the bad parts soon but this is for TFR so let us get to the horrendous fatphobia in this novel first.

The main character is a disgusting fatphobe. She just hates fat people. Honestly, I am pretty sure that Ayisha Malik the author just hates fat people.

Examples:

1. Khan constantly calls or thinks of calling people “fat cows.” (p. 207)
2. She doesn’t like the word “jaunty” because, and I quote, “jaunty is a euphemism for bubbly and everyone knows bubbly people are fat.” (p. 209)
3. The main character is obsessed with whether she is thin or fat. “Am I so fat that it seems as if biscuits are the only thing that make me happy?” and two pages later, “…even at my thinnest I never felt as light as I do now.”
4. Being called a racial slur is not as bad to Sofia Khan as being called fat (!!!).

“To be honest, if he wanted to be offensive then he should have just called me a ‘fat bitch.’ No one likes being a chub.” (p. 406).

I am so horrified that this passed an editor and got printed. A descriptive term like “fat” is filled with so much vitriol.