THE GIST:
A plus-size office worker at an evil weight loss company becomes embroiled in corporate drama when their next big product disappears.
THE VERDICT:
Slimmit is a profit-obsessed weight loss company more interested in pushing their products and supplements than promoting a healthy lifestyle. Emmy is a believable protagonist who feels crippled by self-loathing and refuses to take any risks until she loses The Weight. She gets mixed up with vapid, half-starved "slimming specialists," an evil wannabe CEO, and a slightly chubby B-list celebrity.
This is a fun novel with surprisingly complex characters. Each one is flawed, interesting and sympathetic in their own way. The toxic relationships between people with long histories form the core of the novel. Their interactions are funny and sometimes extreme, and they give vivacity to the complex plot. I particularly enjoyed the expertly handled public meltdown scenes throughout the story.
Catherine Ryan Howard's writing style is like her blog: chatty, entertaining and unapologetic. Each time I thought the plot or characters might spin out of control, she brought them back together in a clever web of strained connections and thwarted ambitions. This is a page-turning novel that makes a great subway read.
THE LINK:
Catherine Ryan Howard: I like to read Catherine's blog. You should check it out.
THE COST:
$0.99 for the Kindle edition
THE QUESTION:
Are you more interested in plot-driven or character-driven novels?
This does sound like a fun read. Nice review. Your friend from BookBlogs.ning
ReplyDeleteThanks Shannon! LOVE this review. I should also employ you to help me with my synopses because you manage to encapsulate the story so succinctly while I spend pages and pages trying to whittle it down! :-D
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to read & review.
Thank you for your comment Catherine! I think I would enjoy being a blurb writer actually :). I wrote drafts of pitches once upon a time for a literary agency. Hopefully I'll get to do something like that again.
ReplyDeleteHello DM. Thank you for stopping by :).