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stitching_ghost's review
3.0
Maybe my expectations were off the mark for this one (I was really hyped) but I was sort of disappointed by how YA and sort of toothless the stories were. I probably would have loved it more if I had been a younger reader.
mfrisk's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Similar to other reviewers who’ve commented on it I felt like this short story anthology did a great job in terms of representation of fat folks - many of which held intersecting queer and BIPOC identities as well. The characters were a beacon in terms of representation in horror and were complex and decidedly not
one-note.
However, I think most of these stories felt very YA in terms of their endings, how themes were discussed, and it felt like we were being told and not shown often times which made these ideas fall flat. I would also agree with some other reviewers who noted many of these stories feel more fantasy than horror. I think because of that the marketing for this book in terms of the cover blurb and even the title felt confusing.
Some of the standout stories for me were Easy Bake and Lake House as they felt like stories which did more showing and felt truly horrific. They felt like stories which built up and the endings felt far more earned.
While I liked almost all of the other stories in this collection as well I felt many of them could have gone further or done less telling than showing to help me get more immersed in the world.
one-note.
However, I think most of these stories felt very YA in terms of their endings, how themes were discussed, and it felt like we were being told and not shown often times which made these ideas fall flat. I would also agree with some other reviewers who noted many of these stories feel more fantasy than horror. I think because of that the marketing for this book in terms of the cover blurb and even the title felt confusing.
Some of the standout stories for me were Easy Bake and Lake House as they felt like stories which did more showing and felt truly horrific. They felt like stories which built up and the endings felt far more earned.
While I liked almost all of the other stories in this collection as well I felt many of them could have gone further or done less telling than showing to help me get more immersed in the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Child death, Murder, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Gore, Cannibalism, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
hauntedtesty's review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Think my faves were Curious Garden, The Floor is Lava and Like A Thief In The Night
akoala's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
raincorbyn's review
4.0
Something for everyone in this righteous, fun, and much needed collection!
I've gained and lost weight rapidly enough and enough times in my life to notice how differently people treat me at different sizes. And hoo-ee does horror ever have a problem conflating fatness with monstrosity, evil, grossness, or moral weakness. The Big Guy From Maine is especially awful at this.
Enter Diet Riot, an anthology that's varied in stories and mostly consistent in tone, which centers fat people as heroes or villains if they choose; protagonists, love interests, and active participants - all the things we've been shut out of.
The tone overall is pretty light, considering the important subject matter - more popcorn and candy watching a slasher at a drive-in than intimate, heartbreaking, profound etc. Exceptions to this are the stories by editor Nico Bell, and by Roxie Voorhees, and their emotional weight made them two of my favorites. Overall, though, a fun, fist-pumping, righteously affirming, vengeance taking, ass-kicking, second-helping-of-splatter-taking good time, that I hope makes horror people reconsider the place of fatness and fat people. Spoiler: we're right behind you.
I've gained and lost weight rapidly enough and enough times in my life to notice how differently people treat me at different sizes. And hoo-ee does horror ever have a problem conflating fatness with monstrosity, evil, grossness, or moral weakness. The Big Guy From Maine is especially awful at this.
Enter Diet Riot, an anthology that's varied in stories and mostly consistent in tone, which centers fat people as heroes or villains if they choose; protagonists, love interests, and active participants - all the things we've been shut out of.
The tone overall is pretty light, considering the important subject matter - more popcorn and candy watching a slasher at a drive-in than intimate, heartbreaking, profound etc. Exceptions to this are the stories by editor Nico Bell, and by Roxie Voorhees, and their emotional weight made them two of my favorites. Overall, though, a fun, fist-pumping, righteously affirming, vengeance taking, ass-kicking, second-helping-of-splatter-taking good time, that I hope makes horror people reconsider the place of fatness and fat people. Spoiler: we're right behind you.
n0rmann's review
4.0
As a lifelong fat man and a life long reader, I can't tell you how excited I was to see a book dedicated to heavy protagonists rather than relegating them to the funny sidekick or the villain. It made me very happy.
Beyond that, I really enjoyed the stories, for the most part. They may not all have been homeruns, but they were all good, fun reads and that's all I ever ask for.
Beyond that, I really enjoyed the stories, for the most part. They may not all have been homeruns, but they were all good, fun reads and that's all I ever ask for.
chaptersofchi's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
judetheunbeliever's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
ericarobyn's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology edited by Nico Bell and Sonora Taylor is a collection of fat-positive horror tales that serves up the freshest horrors without cutting anyone down. Well, at least not in regard to appearance. With their lives? That’s another story…
This collection includes life-threatening elements that range from zombies and curses, to a bizarre cosmic terror, and more! But this book goes much deeper than the horror. This is a huge step in the right direction on the path of how address we all talk about the bodies of ourselves and others not just on the page, but in everyday life!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from one of the editors per request of an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology edited by Nico Bell and Sonora Taylor
These tales, while right up my alley with their horror themes, also made me tear up time and time again as I wanted to cheer for the writing. It was so nice to see bodies described like they were here.
I’ve been trying for hours to put my exact feelings into words, and I just can’t find the right ones… So I will just leave these notes here:
- This is the book that my little eight year old self needed when a boy in my class commented on how much bigger my thighs looked when I sat down in a chair, which made everyone around us laugh and try to see, while the words “thunder thighs” started to be whispered whenever I sat down for weeks after that.
- My ten year old self needed this when a family member commented that I was gaining weight and needed to be careful otherwise I would get too big.
- My eleven year old self needed this when the girls I was shopping with made fun of me and told me I couldn’t shop with them anymore because I was the only one that had to shop in a different section of the store to find my size. Then again later when I was a women’s size 3 and they were all 00 or 0.
- My thirteen year old self needed this when my eating disorder first reared its ugly head.
- My eighteen year old self needed this when I was spending far too much time at the gym, desperate to lose weight I didn’t have to lose in order to keep my boyfriend happy.
I’m so grateful that I have this book now.
Everyone has stories about people negatively commenting on their body. And as the body keeps the score, none of those experiences ever really go away. The only thing we can do, is process them the best way we can.
I absolutely loved each and every tale in this anthology! They all brought something so unique to the table!
My favorite stories include:
- Cinderella And Her Demon Godmother by Stephanie Rabig
- The Red Dots In The Window by Judith Baron
- Fluffers by Die Booth
- Like A Thief In The Night by Kay Hanifen
- The Floor Is Lava by Nikki R. Leigh
- Easy Bake by Sonora Taylor
Now, let’s get to my thoughts about each story-
Cinderella And Her Demon Godmother by Stephanie Rabig
When a girl sick of being judged for her weight calls upon a demon, the being that arrives teaches her how to see herself without a shadow of hatred.
This tale was wonderfully heartwarming overall, but it still had a lovely dash of horror!
My favorite passage from this story:
“If you got the power to alter your body however you wanted, I’d want you to wish for gills or wings or something fun, not anything about weight.”
A Curious Garden by E.E.W. Christman
When sent to a camp to lose weight, the girls are put through grueling workouts. As the girls start dropping like flies, the main character starts to worry that something else is going on.
This one will get your blood boiling! Not only the fact that places like this existed, but that there are still TV shows that make losing weight a contest. These poor girls! The end was so chilling!
Blue Hair by Marsheila Rockwell
When two women literally collide in a park, they’re immediately drawn to one another. They quickly move in together, with a slew of cats. One of them has a room that she doesn’t want the other to ever go in. But of course, she goes into the room and things take a turn.
I absolutely loved the pacing of this one! It starts out so lovely but based on the opening paragraph, you know it’s going to turn dark soon enough.
The Lake House by Nico Bell
Scrambling to get boxes out of a basement and to dryer ground when things start flooding, the tension quickly bubbles over and truths come out. But the truth bombs aren’t the only dangers lurking in the watery basement.
I felt so bad for the main character! I wanted to give her a hug so badly. After what she was told, I wanted to cheer for the decision she made moments later.
Neon Afterglow by Roxie Voorhees
This one jumps into a heartbreaking real world horror in the beginning as the main character volunteers at a hospital. But then things take a darker turn…
Waterfall by Christi Nogle
When uprooted to go live with her aunt and uncle, this teenager is surprised to learn about a couple in school that seems to have everyone drawn to them. One thing leads to another, and this couple brings her to share in their magic.
This tale certainly makes readers question what they would do in this main characters shoes!
The Red Dots In The Window by Judith Baron
When a babysitter arrives at a home, she is told the child is already asleep. But when a child appears and tells her to leave, she tries to get him to go back to bed. But then things go sideways.
This one was SO spooky! I’m obsessed with the ending!
My favorite passage from this story:
The figures of a man and a woman appeared on the other side of the closet. Chloe’s heart was pounding now; she hoped they could not hear it. She held her breath for ten seconds at a time, trying not to make any noise at all.
Fluffers by Die Booth
Working to clean the tracks in the tube, this crew discovers something that they bring to management. But will it be looked into before it’s too late?
This was so unsettling! This one is screaming for an adaptation on Creep Show or something! My goodness.
My favorite passage from this story:
“Sometimes everything about the job was unsettling. From the commuters pouring out of the last train like steam to evaporate into the night, to the clatter and echo deep within the tunnels even after the journeys were done for the night and the power had been switched off.”
Like A Thief In The Night by Kay Hanifen
This thief has one rule, get in and get out. But when her curiosity gets the best of her, she finds herself stuck in quite the dangerous situation!
This one was so much fun! I loved how determined she was, and even though she didn’t listen to her gut at first, she certainly did later on!
My favorite passage from this story:
“There comes a time in your life where you have to choose between standing and fighting or running away like a coward. Well, heroism might immortalize you as a legend, but cowards live longer. I ran.”
Corpulence by KC Loesener
When two teens shopping at a local mall stumble across a strange pendant, one thinks it’s creepy, but one is drawn to it. The shop owner tells them a tale and the girl that was interested leaves the shop with it. But once she puts it on, things get dangerous.
I loved the friendship in this one so much! And oh boy, once things start getting weird, it gets darker and darker by the page!
The Floor Is Lava by Nikki R. Leigh
When a night of celebrating leads two teams of roller derby girls to a cemetery to watch a meteor shower, the celebration quickly turns to a fight for their lives as the meteors start striking the ground around them.
This one was so intense! The character development here was so perfect and the plot was terrifying! A wonderful play on the childhood game!
Easy Bake by Sonora Taylor
Brought in to be on a bake off, these contestants are shocked to learn what the show actually is.
MY GOODNESS. Sonora brings the terror here in such a wonderful way. Please try not to read any spoilers about this one. You need to go into it dark! I’m obsessed with this tale. From start to finish, I was totally hooked and love the arc that the storyline took. I need a limited tv series created around this ASAP.
My Final Thoughts on Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology
This was such a refreshing collection. I hope any author that needs to do work with body positivity takes note and gives this one a read immediately.
Thank you, thank you, to Sonora and Nico for organizing this, and thank you to all of the authors that took part and got your amazing stories out into the world.
Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology is a must read for all!