“…as in when I forget about the mirrors the windows the eyes looking at me judging me telling me what they think I should do – when I forget about the fear of pain of something coming soon to hurt me – I am in possession of my whole body…”
Every Body Looking is an autobiographical novel in verse. It was a finalist for the National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature in 2020 and was a Michael L. Printz Award Nominee in 2021. A contemporary fiction read, this novel explores a young woman’s struggle to discovering confidence, freedom, and the ability to accept her black Nigerian-American body as she ventures into her freshman year of college. This novel takes the reader on a journey to revealing Ada’s earliest childhood memories to her new life as a college student. Past abuse at the hands of a younger cousin, a mother with a growing addiction, and a persistent religious father down her throat all contribute to the stress Ada feels in her daily life. However, Ada soon has the ability to evaluate this stress and go on an adventure of self discovery during her time at college. The most important connection that Ada makes during her time at college leads her to a new best friend and a more in depth relation to her one hobby: dancing.
Every Body Looking is one of those books that is a quick read but still packs a powerful punch and makes you feel true emotion for the main character. Due to the trauma presented throughout the book I can’t say I “enjoyed” it, but it was a story that needed to be told and one that I do not regret reading. That being said, I did think Ada’s story was written beautifully and it was refreshing to finally read a novel about what self discovery looks like for a young woman who’s starting college. There aren’t many books out there that evaluate all the stressors that come with starting college and the fact that Ada gets to practically experience a new life made me want to say: “Yes, there you go! Go get ’em tiger!” From the very first chapter, there is this instant connection Ada that makes you sympathize with her situation and what she’s dealt with so far. As the reader, you get to go on this adventure with Ada and watch her grow and this fact was what made me appreciate this book so much.
I don’t read many novels in verse so at first the pacing was a bit odd for me. It felt very rushed due to the formatting of the book but I did get used to it rather quickly. Just having the book being in verse made it a lot easier for me to understand what exactly was happening and put an emphasis on the big events that Ada had experienced. I do not think there was one part of this book that I didn’t like. Sure, it was very sad to read what Ada went through growing up, but it was a story that the world needs to read and one that made me realize the importance of self-acceptance in the modern world. Iloh did such a fabulous job highlighting the most important details of all the characters in such a short amount of time that I felt like I understood all of the characters equally and their individual importance to Ada. Iloh’s choice of formatting, pacing, characters, and overall writing style all contributed to Ada’s story and made the reader build a deep connection to Ada’s life.
Personally, I think that anyone that has a heartbeat and a stable mind should read this book. I mean it. Especially in today’s society where acceptance and equality is becoming more and more popular, I think it’s super important for everyone to understand what hardships and struggles look like for a young woman growing up in America; a black Nigerian-American at that! Ada’s story deserves to be shared with the world and Iloh’s message deserves to be spread just the same. I definitely did not expect to like this book as much as I did and I am just so glad I chose to read it. Please, if you are reading this right now, read Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh. It will force you to have a connection to modern society that you maybe weren’t expecting and will surely pack an emotional punch.