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julibug86's review
3.0
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway! Really enjoyed the concept of the book - definitely something different. The story revolves around a cast of characters, all of whom have ties to Slimmit, a Weight Watchers meets Jenny Craig meets satan. Their latest product, the Lipid Loser, has been stolen. It becomes part who dunnit, part chick lit, and part craziness. The last quarter of the book really jumped around with twists and turns, some of which I felt lacked any sort of foreshadowing. I prefer when the reader has a fair chance at solving the mystery. The best part of the book was that it never mentions the actual weight of the "fat" character, Emmy. Emmy was by far the best character, and most developed, of the novel. Despite the wrap ups at the end, the book did leave the reader questioning some plot points and relationships. More of a history of the beginning of Slimmit would have been nice. Also more on the relationship between Nicola and Henry. And more on Nicola and Marianne. Overall, I would read another book by this author again - the writing was definitely there.
Also, the grammar errors were driving me nuts! But I understand that is to be expected since it was a "first read".
Also, the grammar errors were driving me nuts! But I understand that is to be expected since it was a "first read".
zigalayho's review
2.0
I don't really like to give books less than three stars, but I have to be totally honest if I'm going to review this book.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise was appealing, the summary sounded interesting, so I delved right in. However, once I was several chapters into the novel, I felt my interest beginning to wane. The characters were pretty shallow for the most part, and I didn't really care about the majority of them. Emmy was interesting, and her mother was a mess. The introduction of Danielle brought hope, but could have been taken much farther.
Don't get me wrong; major props to the author for having a good idea and getting it out there to audiences. For a first novel, I think it's a pretty decent offering. It wasn't as quick a read as I would have liked (not caring for the characters, their lives, or their world made it hard to want to pick it up at night), but I did finish it, and that speaks volumes for me. I would tell Catherine to keep writing and creating and giving her characters more depth. I would love to read her next book just to see how much she grows as a writer.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise was appealing, the summary sounded interesting, so I delved right in. However, once I was several chapters into the novel, I felt my interest beginning to wane. The characters were pretty shallow for the most part, and I didn't really care about the majority of them. Emmy was interesting, and her mother was a mess. The introduction of Danielle brought hope, but could have been taken much farther.
Don't get me wrong; major props to the author for having a good idea and getting it out there to audiences. For a first novel, I think it's a pretty decent offering. It wasn't as quick a read as I would have liked (not caring for the characters, their lives, or their world made it hard to want to pick it up at night), but I did finish it, and that speaks volumes for me. I would tell Catherine to keep writing and creating and giving her characters more depth. I would love to read her next book just to see how much she grows as a writer.
wildflowerz76's review
2.0
Oh boy. This book was a train wreck, but not for the intentional reasons. The author is Irish. I didn't know until I finished the book, but, reading it, there were too many mistakes for the author to be from the US. We don't say CV here, we say Resume. And we don't spell Labor with a U. There was another flub, but I can't remember what it was now. The story was supposed to take place in the US. The CV error was made by someone who lived in NY and FL before that with no hint that she was an expat. The Labour error was in Slimmit materials and since none of the story took place anywhere other than NY (in fact, in the same section, they referred to the times listed as being EST), so it was definitely an error.
Perhaps I'm being nitpicky. On to the actual story. At first it was novel...a book about all those diet programs. The "big reveal" behind the diet products anyone could see coming from a mile away. I didn't see some of the other mystery things coming, but mostly they were just needlessly convoluted and stupid. I did enjoy the play between and Danielle and Emmy and Emmy and...Josh? (her coworker, I think that was his name), but it was few and far between and not enough to save this book.
Perhaps I'm being nitpicky. On to the actual story. At first it was novel...a book about all those diet programs. The "big reveal" behind the diet products anyone could see coming from a mile away. I didn't see some of the other mystery things coming, but mostly they were just needlessly convoluted and stupid. I did enjoy the play between and Danielle and Emmy and Emmy and...Josh? (her coworker, I think that was his name), but it was few and far between and not enough to save this book.
lenoreo's review
4.0
Ridiculously biting humour....was almost hard to read from the evil person perspectives... Hyperbolic, but at times was almost not as exaggerative as it should have been...black humour? I enjoyed it. :)
agnieszka85's review
4.0
This was soooo hilarious! I loved it so much! It got a little confusing in parts, but overall it was a lot of fun to read!
missstarlamae's review
4.0
I liked this book. It was pretty funny, if a little odd. As a bigger girl, I have gone through or at least tried many of the diets or "lifestyle changes" out there: Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, etc. This book pokes fun at all of them. Most of the main characters are despicable people. If it wasn't for Emmy, I would have given this book only 3 stars. However, she was worth a star all by herself.
leahmichelle_13's review
4.0
When I read that Catherine Ryan Howard was going to be releasing a fiction novel, I was excited. I’d enjoyed her non-fiction book Mousetrapped and I felt she had a real flair for writing, which was confirmed when I read Backpacked, the sort-of sequel to Mousetrapped. It was another brilliant read and when Catherine asked me if I’d like to read an early copy of Results Not Typical, I jumped at the chance. It sounded entirely different to anything I’d ever read before so when it arrived I couldn’t wait to dive in.
Results Not Typical is not a typical (har-har) Chick Lit novel. Catherine herself confirmed that, but if you ask me where it should go, I wouldn’t know where to put it. I’ve never really read anything like it before; the closest I’ve come is E2 by Matt Beaumont, which is somewhat similar. It’s really a satirical novel (though please don’t ask me what satirical means), but Chick Lit fans will enjoy it. Results Not Typical spans just one day – I’m not joking, the novel – all 410 pages of it – covers a mere 24 hours in the life of the people who work at Slimmit – Where You’re Fat And We Know It! It’s an impressive feat, actually, but it’s incredibly fast paced so the book never lags and although you could perhaps say that everything that happens is a bit farcical, a bit unbelievable, well that’s the entire novel in a nutshell really. It’s ALL a bit farcical – in a nice way. It’s not (I hope!) a novel you’re meant to take entirely seriously.
The novel is very much plot-driven rather than character-driven as most of the characters are rather despicable Cruella De Vil types. The plot is excellent, as Slimmit find themselves in a bit of a scandal – or rather, they will find themselves in a bit of a scandal, if word gets out that their new product Lipid Loser has been stolen. The novel follows Slimmit CEO Nicola Darcy, Slimmit’s Director of Slimming Marianne Brand, and Nicola’s daughter, Emmy, who works in the Travel Support department because she’s not thin or pretty enough to work anywhere but Level -1. I found it fascinating following each woman throughout the day. Emmy as she struggles to try and avoid food temptation; Nicola as she tries to bring herself back from the brink after a heavy weekend and Marianne as she plots and plans and schemes. It was great to see things unfold before the characters did, as we saw it all occurring without anyone else knowing.
The novel is very on point. I mean, how many people around the World are part of a diet group? Part of WeightWatchers or Jenny Craig or one of the many other diet groups around and I reckon Catherine Ryan Howard has hit the mark with Results Not Typical. It’s just brilliant. I loved how stupid the assistants at Slimmit were, I loved the villainous nature of everyone at Slimmit, except Emmy it seemed. It’s very on the button and Catherine has perfectly tapped into what life may well be like at companies like Slimmit. (Though hopefully not.) It’s a novel that’s larger than life, that’s hard to pigeon hole. I’d love to say something clever about the novel because it is more high-concept than I’m used to reading, and the goings-on and happenings are head-spinningly dizzy but I don’t actually know what to say that would/could be clever.
I wondered how Results Not Typical would end, why everyone was so worried about the theft of Lipid Loser, just how the rivalry between Nicola and Marianne would end, whether Emmy would ever come to terms with herself and her weight. There were loads of balls up in the air throughout the novel and Ryan Howard handled them marvellously. There wasn’t anything left up in the air come the end of the book and I thought it was a very satisfying read. It’s so nice to read something that’s different, to read something that’s not your regular girl-meets-boy fare. I truly hope this novel does well, Catherine has a natural flair for story-telling and her writing is immense. It’s a novel that must have been well thought-out and Catherine executed it perfectly. It was such an enjoyable read and I thoroughly recommend it.
Results Not Typical is not a typical (har-har) Chick Lit novel. Catherine herself confirmed that, but if you ask me where it should go, I wouldn’t know where to put it. I’ve never really read anything like it before; the closest I’ve come is E2 by Matt Beaumont, which is somewhat similar. It’s really a satirical novel (though please don’t ask me what satirical means), but Chick Lit fans will enjoy it. Results Not Typical spans just one day – I’m not joking, the novel – all 410 pages of it – covers a mere 24 hours in the life of the people who work at Slimmit – Where You’re Fat And We Know It! It’s an impressive feat, actually, but it’s incredibly fast paced so the book never lags and although you could perhaps say that everything that happens is a bit farcical, a bit unbelievable, well that’s the entire novel in a nutshell really. It’s ALL a bit farcical – in a nice way. It’s not (I hope!) a novel you’re meant to take entirely seriously.
The novel is very much plot-driven rather than character-driven as most of the characters are rather despicable Cruella De Vil types. The plot is excellent, as Slimmit find themselves in a bit of a scandal – or rather, they will find themselves in a bit of a scandal, if word gets out that their new product Lipid Loser has been stolen. The novel follows Slimmit CEO Nicola Darcy, Slimmit’s Director of Slimming Marianne Brand, and Nicola’s daughter, Emmy, who works in the Travel Support department because she’s not thin or pretty enough to work anywhere but Level -1. I found it fascinating following each woman throughout the day. Emmy as she struggles to try and avoid food temptation; Nicola as she tries to bring herself back from the brink after a heavy weekend and Marianne as she plots and plans and schemes. It was great to see things unfold before the characters did, as we saw it all occurring without anyone else knowing.
The novel is very on point. I mean, how many people around the World are part of a diet group? Part of WeightWatchers or Jenny Craig or one of the many other diet groups around and I reckon Catherine Ryan Howard has hit the mark with Results Not Typical. It’s just brilliant. I loved how stupid the assistants at Slimmit were, I loved the villainous nature of everyone at Slimmit, except Emmy it seemed. It’s very on the button and Catherine has perfectly tapped into what life may well be like at companies like Slimmit. (Though hopefully not.) It’s a novel that’s larger than life, that’s hard to pigeon hole. I’d love to say something clever about the novel because it is more high-concept than I’m used to reading, and the goings-on and happenings are head-spinningly dizzy but I don’t actually know what to say that would/could be clever.
I wondered how Results Not Typical would end, why everyone was so worried about the theft of Lipid Loser, just how the rivalry between Nicola and Marianne would end, whether Emmy would ever come to terms with herself and her weight. There were loads of balls up in the air throughout the novel and Ryan Howard handled them marvellously. There wasn’t anything left up in the air come the end of the book and I thought it was a very satisfying read. It’s so nice to read something that’s different, to read something that’s not your regular girl-meets-boy fare. I truly hope this novel does well, Catherine has a natural flair for story-telling and her writing is immense. It’s a novel that must have been well thought-out and Catherine executed it perfectly. It was such an enjoyable read and I thoroughly recommend it.
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