The Love Haters

Throughout the novel, the biggest challenge Katie faces is learning to love herself and her body. Years of subtle cruelty from her step-mother Angela, the criticism she faced when she was in the public eye with Lucas, and the general fact of “just being a girl in a world that is appallingly mean to girls” (27) all came together to make Katie not only insecure about her body, but convinced that her self-worth was directly related to her appearance. When Katie agrees to shadow rescue swimmers to learn about their dangerous line of work, her biggest fears are not about death or drowning, but about wearing a bathing suit and announcing her weight in front of others. Katie’s cousin Beanie is a voice of reason and helps her to challenge her fears. Having been Katie’s best friend since childhood, Beanie uniquely understands Katie’s insecurities and their origins, and her encyclopedic knowledge of self-help books helps Katie to understand why she is holding herself back in life. The beauty list Beanie makes Katie create is a symbol that represents her changing views of herself. As she begins to flippantly add items to the list of things she appreciates about her body, Katie starts to realize the truth behind her ironic remarks, appreciating parts of her body she wouldn’t have previously thought to notice.