Monkey Taming

by Judith Fathallah

"You've eaten too much, you fat pig."

When Jessica was thirteen years old, she met the Monkey.

The Monkey lived inside her: a driving, fiery voice telling her that thinness was the only way. The only way to be safe, to be good, to be acceptable and above all, to escape from the cold, looming threat of approaching adulthood. Jessica listened to the Monkey, and it consumed her.

This is the illuminating story of a teenage girl's wanderings in darkness: the spiral down into madness, the terrible realities of an adolescent psychiatric unit, and the stark choice that she must either tame her monster - or die.

Through memory, reflection, and enduring black humour, Jessica makes a tenuous peace with the world and with her emerging adult self.

Genres: Young Adult, Mental Health, Fiction, Psychology, Contemporary, Mental Illness

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Clara Sian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard of Monkey Taming through a recommendation from my friend, and from the moment I started reading, I was automatically hooked. This book is mildly graphic (nothing major or traumatizing) since the author is referring to anorexia, so it's more appropriate for teenagers. I enjoyed this book a lot! It was very moving; at some points I felt as though I was about to cry. However, that didn't stop my from reading the book in a day. It really is remarkable how the author managed to fully recover from such a disease and it's very creative of her to retell her story through the protagonist Jessica. I recommend this book to anyone who lives for tales of the powerful and meaningful catagory; especially to those that have had experiences with eating disorders. Anorexia Nervosa in particular.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially read this book ten years ago when I found it at my local library and I was in the grips of an eating disorder. It gave me so much comfort to know I wasn’t alone and to start to feel like maybe recovery was a possibility. I loved the book a lot and could relate to many of the characters who were struggling in the book.

I decided to reread it again recently, now that I’ve been fully recovered for a number of years. I fell in love with it again. Yes it brought up so many somewhat painful memories, but it also brought me so much relief to remember that I got out.

The only reasons I’ve given it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I know my past self would have taken all the weights, heights and calories in the book and then compared them to myself. So although I don’t remember being triggered when I read it many years ago, I do know it can be a huge trigger for those living with eating disorders to see numbers and then feel not sick enough. And I believe like the writer could have still had the same impact with her novel without including the numbers.
My second reason for giving it 4 stars is that her recovery suddenly happened, it became rushed in the final few pages and she was suddenly better. I think I would have liked more detail into her recovery as things started to improve.

Apart from that, I had also forgotten the author had a lived experience of anorexia, so reading that at the end made me cry a bit. Only because I was so happy she managed to recover.

[Elly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago and found it to be a good read. Unfortunately, the author failed to justify Jessica's line of thought and actions, which leaves the reader frustrated at the character. Other than that, I like how we get to see how the anorexic mind sees things. Not just the clinical point of view, leaves you with a better understanding of anorexia nervosa.
3.5 stars

[mimi (semi-hiatus ‘cause on vacation) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It doesn’t sit right to put a rating on people’s lives, but this book is one of the best written pieces about eating disorders that helped me a lot in a tough period of my life.

↠ 5 stars

[Overlady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I disliked how she called anorexia a monkey. Just sounded a bit cringey and odd in general.
Can't really decide if I actually liked this book or not.
In a way it was a good representation for people who never went through it.
Control and lack of control at the same time, negative thoughts running through your mind constantly, ongoing obsession with numbers.
It shows that even if someone recovers physically it doesn't mean they are OK mentally. There's always a chance of relapse.
The book was OK, just far from being my favourite.

[Vita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still not sure if I liked this book. It carries a lot of emotional weight, at least it did to me. I am definitely not like the main character, but I do like her have a hard relationship with food. I don't have any kind of problem like this girl does, but I do feel like throwing up after I eat something "bad" for me. I get quite sensitive when it comes to food, so I don't really know what to say about this story.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistica storia di una tredicenne alle prese coi mostri della sua mente. Anoressia, disturbi ossessivi. tutto molto più vicino a noi di quanto sembri. "Da vicino nessuno è normale": è vero. Ciascuno di noi in alcuni momenti della sua vita lotta coi propri mostri. Il bel messaggio di questo libro è che da questa lotta si può uscire vincitori. feriti, magari, ma trionfanti.

[Aleksandra Czerwońska · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can tell that its own voices. Feels real and is well written.
*it might be pretty triggering for some people at points, if you don't like seeing exact numbers (I mean weigh/ BMI).

[jodie louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Eating disorders, self harm, suicidal thoughts & depression.
I'm going to hide this review for the minor spoilers and just in case someone may find it potentially triggering

Annorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any other mental illness, it has been found that without treatment twenty percent of people who suffer from eating disorders die. People with anorexia feel a compulsive need to lose weight and have a crippling fear of gaining weight. It effects every aspect of their life and there are many factors in eating disorders that effect each person that suffers differently and i feel that Judith Fathallah perfectly shows the struggles and severity of this illness in Monkey Taming- You've eaten too much you fat pig.

Jessica Hassan is a thirteen year old, who like women of all ages makes the decision once again to lose weight. She will cut out all pizza, ice-cream and those cursed Dairy-lea triangles that are her comfort blanket. She's made the decision many times before but has never managed to stick to her promises of no more junk food that is until she's on a family holiday and after one too many comments about weight Jessica vows she will lose weight, and she does cutting her food intake drastically and with the extra activities her and her family do whilst on holiday Jessica loses nearly a stone, with that a switch is flicked in Jessica's mind and she falls down the rabbit hole into the obsessions of eating disorders as Jess's weight decreases her obsession increases.

Jessica's mental voice is mature for a thirteen year old, she's an intelligent child who after suffering a crippling loss and other family dramas finds the control she didn't have in other aspects of her life in her strict daily routine all in the name of weight loss. We see through out the story the further and further she gets into her illness the more it effects her friendships, family life, her daily routine and her moods turning Jess into someone her friends and family no longer feel like they know.

Some Anorexic's have a mental voice that constantly berates them and makes them believe that thinness is the way to happiness, the way to perfection. Jess calls hers the Monkey, the Monkey is always there in Jess's mind controlling her fighting with Jess's inner voice as slowly it consumes her and drags her down into her illness.

Through out the story we see Jess's full spiral into Anorexia, how it starts wanting to lose a few pounds thinking as many people do, everything will be better when i'm skinny, into the compulsions of under eating, calorie counting and a strict exercise regime. Jess could not leave the house until she had weighed herself and done her exercises correctly- one wrong move and should would have to redo the lot sometimes more than once. Before long Jess is dangerously underweight, her mood are in turmoil and the Monkey's voice is getting louder, stronger and more demanding of Jess everyday. Jess is admitted into an adolescent psychiatric unit where she meets other teens some with eating disorders, some with depression and some who self harm. The unit is not somewhere the Monkey feels Jess should be still pushing her to starve herself whilst people are fighting to help Jess recover. The time Jess is in the unit isn't sugar coated, it's a dark time and harrowing as to just what an struggle it is for people fighting to recover.

Monkey Taming is in my opinion an excellent book showing the true damage eating disorders can to to a person's mind, body & soul. This is an incredibly insightful book into the mind of someone suffering with an eating disorder, it is a mildly graphic book but it is a book i would highly recommend someone to read who would not find it to be potentially triggering. I think that Monkey Taming could give insight to someone who knows someone who is suffering from an eating disorder just so they can have some idea as to what they're going through and recovery is not as easy or simple as eating something.

I enjoyed everything about this book but i especially enjoyed reading the growth and development of Jess and her Mum's relationship, it really is a fantastic read. I have read a few books on eating disorders but specifically about Anorexia and this is hands down my favourite. I feel even people without an ED can relate slightly in someway, feeling the need to lose weight through peer pressure, or feeling it will make everything better is something many people deal with.

I gave this book five stars not just for the story itself which is captivating in itself but because of the insight it could give someone who has someone in their life struggling with an eating disorder. It is a mildly graphic book and could be triggering to some people so please only read this if you feel you are well enough.

[Federica D'Ascani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nonostante la storia faccia capo al vissuto dell'autrice, cosa che si sente fin dal principio, ci sono state parti del romanzo in cui ho risentito un po' della lentezza. Ciononostante le emozioni sono forti, impattanti, e che si parli di Scimmia o di Anoressia il risultato è lo stesso: la bestia è nera e combatterla richiede sacrifici e sforzi sovrumani. Parlare di malattie mentali pone l'individuo in contesti difficile, soprattutto in relazione al sentire comune, ma la Fathallah ha il gran pregio di far comprendere come il disturbo ossessivo compulsivo sia qualcosa che, bene o male, riguarda un po' tutti. La Scimmia penetra quando le condizioni sono favorevoli, e non bisogna essere schizofrenici per permetterle di subentrare, anzi.

[Babette Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nonostante la storia faccia capo al vissuto dell’autrice, cosa che si sente fin dal principio, ci sono state parti del romanzo in cui ho risentito un po’ della lentezza. Comunque, le emozioni sono forti, impattanti, e che si parli di Scimmia o di Anoressia il risultato è lo stesso: la bestia è nera e combatterla richiede sacrifici e sforzi sovrumani.

Parlare di malattie mentali pone l’individuo in contesti difficili, soprattutto in relazione al sentire comune, ma Fathallah ha il grande pregio di far comprendere come il disturbo ossessivo compulsivo sia qualcosa che, bene o male, riguarda un po’ tutti. La Scimmia penetra quando le condizioni sono favorevoli, e non bisogna essere schizofrenici per permetterle di subentrare, anzi.

Federica D’Ascani

[Keryn Powell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found myself a bit troubled by this account of a young girl's anorexia and wouldn't recommend it for someone struggling with an eating disorder or their family. It was grim in its description of residential care and seemed as if the protagonist got sort of better despite rather than because of the help she received. Perhaps the main problem was that I couldn't warm to the main character. However, anyone who writes a fictionalised account of their own experience needs to be admired for bravery and honesty. At the end I felt the author should have put another decade between her experience and writing about it.

[georgia :D · Rating 4 out of 5]

In general, this book was great. I was recommended it by a friend and it was a great read and really shone a light on the realities of mental illness. The idea of Jess' anorexia being described as a 'monkey' is a very good way of putting it. I would have rated it five stars, but at times I found the book to be a bit rushed. The main character would go from multiple pages of description about her mental illness to a crucial plot point being described in around a page. However, this book is a great read and I would highly recommend.

[tulisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was reading the book, I saw the negative reviews and to be honest I don't understand why. As a person who struggled with major depressive disorder, anxiety and self harm problems in the past it gave me a fresh perspective for anorexia and how it affects people. I can relate to some parts of the book and I can say that it was definitely written beautifully. I loved it and I loved how it showed recovery was a progress. Mental illnesses are no joke and this books shows it to you well. I am glad I read it.

[Caren Oganga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw.
We get to see the journey of a teenager navigating her illness, how her illness affects her family, and her internal transformation.

For a good look into how EDs affect the victim and their family, this book is great.

[Bhavya Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

My absolute favourite, eye-opening and relatable all in the same breath.

[Lunabee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un racconto onesto della lotta di una ragazza con l'anoressia

[Liana Tomescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this about 12 years ago as a teenager, and it still stayed in my memory because I found the book to be so poignant, and I was even chatting about it the other day.

[Serena Kristín · Rating 5 out of 5]

las og var eihv bro já ég og anorexía mæli ekki sérstaklega með því triggerandi en samt góð, jú mæli með

[Diya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this when I was 12.

[Ksiazkamikaze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[klaudia kulawiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skończyłam ze łzami w oczach, cholernie ważna i trudna dla mnie książka

[m]

read this when i was 13 and it was the beginning of everything. i could never find it again at the library where i borrowed it. i like to think it was "meant to be".

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.


I quite enjoyed this. It felt realistic which is no surprise it was actually given that the book is loosely based on the authors on experience with Anorexia and OCD.

[Sheila · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I got bored and stopped at chapter 5.
The story is not new. I wish it had delved deeper into what was going on
inside Jessica's mind - what she was thinking about --- being anorexic.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would not recommend - I read this as a teenager and genuinely think it contributed to my eating disorder by giving me ideas. Please do not purchase / recommend for teenagers / young adults.

[lornedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

[Melissa Manzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lettura per ragazzi in cui si parla in maniera semplice e diretta dei disturbi alimentari, a tratti anche un po’ stereotipato, ma per il target va bene.

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Libro angosciante e tristissimo. Forse va bene per chi ha questo problema e vuole capire o sentirsi capita. Per me, alla mia età e in questo momento, no.

[Ewa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bardzo trudna tematyka napisana łatwym językiem.
Dlatego uważam, że tę książkę powinien przeczytać każdy.

Jest tutaj ogrom emocji. Myślę, że każdy wie, czym jest anoreksja, ale nie każdy zdaje sobie sprawę z czym dokładnie się to wiąże. Tutaj mamy czytelnie przedstawioną psychikę dziewczyny chorej, ale także uczucia osób z jej najbliższego otoczenia.
Łatwo jest powiedzieć komuś "jedz, to przytyjesz", ale nie mamy pojęcia co siedzi w głowie takiej osoby. Te osoby wiedzą, że powinny jeść, ale dla nich nie jest to takie proste.

Widzimy jak dużą rolę odgrywają zwykłe słowa. I proszę Was, zastanówcie się najpierw, zanim coś komuś powiecie, bo nie macie pojęcia z jakimi konsekwencjami może się to wiązać