I will never experience some of the things that he describes, but I can better sympathize and empathize with people who have. I learned a lot about gambling issues and the emotions mixed in with being African American during a time of civil unrest. The novel made me tear up several times, and helped me reflect on my own personal issues and body images. This book is useful because it can be seen as both an instruction on how to think about people with mental health issues, as well as a guide on how to reflect on your own body and mind. While this novel is about a black man in a socio-economic dilemma who is going through body dysmorphia and witnessing sexual assault, a person outside the novel may identify with some of the issues Laymon has decided to open up about. I think it also gives people an insight into a life they may not be able to personally experience or identify with. This novel should be read by everyone for the simple fact that it better helps people empathize with people who struggle with body issues and mental health issues.

While he points out his own flaws and gives the reader insight to his mental health issues, he also makes the readers question themselves on their own judgement of people and their own selves. He also describes the many dilemmas he faced that affected him, causing him to become a certain way. At all of these times, he describes how his mother may have fostered mental health issues within him because of her own issues.

Laymon went from a chubby quiet kid, to an activist, to a gym rat, to an overweight man with body issues and a gambling addiction. The novel helps the reader look at people with a more open mind. The main purpose of Heavy is to show how a person’s experiences in life create their future and lifestyle. Overall, the memoir shows the reader how and why Kiese Laymon became the man that he is. The emotional novel begins with Laymon’s comprehension of sexuality he experiences at a friend’s house, and ends with Laymon trying to battle his own gambling addiction and negative body image. The novel follows Laymon through his family’s struggle through poverty, and his personal struggle with education, addiction, relationships, and being a black man in modern society. Heavy, a memoir by Kiese Laymon, is about the life of a young man and the challenges he faces as he develops into an adult. Location: Residence Halls Illinois Street Circulating Collection

Heavy by laymon