Pixel Perfect: A y2k Horror Story by Renee Thomasin

Synopsis

When an anonymous bully rattles Kate’s self-confidence after a talent show, she is desperate to look just like the pop star posters on her bedroom walls. Lost in the toxic online world of thinspo blogs, she meets Ana, a digital stranger who convinces Kate to accept a deal that will transform her into her own thinspo. But there is a cost for everything. How far is Kate willing to go to become pixel perfect?

A Y2K horror short story that has:

💿 body image pressures

💿 teenage identity struggles

💿 toxicity of online communities

💿 00s nostalgia

Edited by: Nico Bell

Cover artist: Drew Huff

Ratings

Overall:

3/5

Spooky:

2/5

Gore:

0/5

Content Considerations

• Eating Disorders
• Body Image Concerns
• Body Horror

I would like to add that this short story focuses heavily on eating disorders, pro-ana, and thinspiration/thinspo themes. It does incorporate eating disorder behaviors – but not in a way that is too explicit.

So many times, when I read books or stories that incorporate eating disorders, they provide too much detail into eating disorder behaviors. This can be harmful for those in recovery and can be used as inspiration for some folx.

Pixel Perfect by Renee Thomasin does no such thing.

It is one of the most respectful representations of eating disorders that I have read. This is incredibly important to me as someone who has struggled with an eating disorder for the majority of their life.

Full Review

As someone who has struggled with an eating disorder since they were 13 (and is currently battling a relapse) I was wary going into “Pixel Perfect.” So many stories (horror or otherwise) either incorrectly portray eating disorders, include too much info into behaviors that can be dangerous for those in recovery or who are struggling, or glamorize the behaviors.

Renee Thomasin’s short story is an exception.

It was scary how similar this short story was to my experience as a y2k 13 year old. I fell under the influence of a person on Yahoo Messenger who taught me behaviors and monitored them, as well as my eating disorder progress.

It was incredibly toxic, and Thomasin’s short story highlights the incredible dangers of “thinspo” and “pro-ana” sites that were a very intimate part of my experience – as well as so many other people I know. The incorporation of y2k nostalgia also did well to create a subtle atmosphere of the times.

Thomasin portrayed eating disorder behaviors in a way that wasn’t too explicit, but also highlighted how these sites and people involved, unfortunately, cause young folx struggling with body image concerns to fall prey.

My one critique is that this story was too short. If it were expanded, it would be a 5-star read. The author did say she was considering expanding it into a novella – which I am greatly hoping for!

Expanding the character of “Ana” further, as well as Kate’s progression into her eating disorder, would make this a MUCH-NEEDED horror novella that gets eating disorders, body image concerns, and bullying RIGHT. As it stands now, it does feel rushed, and there is room to expand the characters/concepts explored.

However, this is still a prime example of horror and eating disorders, as well as how they should be portrayed.

Thank you, Renee, for portraying an experience that is real life horror – while giving it a classic horror twist.

Rating Information

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