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callidice's review against another edition
5.0
I found that I really loved this book! It even had me crying at the end, because I was already emotionally attached to Stevie's character. I felt that the story was well written, and the flashbacks were seamlessly woven into it. I loved many of the side characters - including Stevie's sweetheart of a cousin, Lance, and her quirky friend, Zena. I do, however, feel that some characters were a bit underdeveloped and perhaps stereotypical - mainly her main squeeze, Jake, who doesn't seem to have much of a personality except as 'Mr. Perfect.' Still, this may be just because he's only described through Stevie's eyes. At any rate, this novel was definitely worth my time, and I would recommend it to anyone. Stevie was a witty, likable character, and her story was very touching.
booknerdofok's review against another edition
5.0
This book is wonderful in so many ways. Read it and I hope you love it as much as I did.
emiliefox's review against another edition
4.0
okay I loved this book! her work scenes are straight out of Janet Evanovich and her subject matter is sooo heavy, it's a little disconcerting going back and forth from zaniness to tragedy. That said, it is a fun romp with all kinds of satisfying "revenge" stories, things you would just love to see happen, and it's peopled with lots of friends and relatives who are loveable and kind and understanding and PC, just like you'd like your real life friends and fam. to be. The bad ones all get theirs in the end, and the good ones are all well on the way to recovery.
mdeters's review against another edition
5.0
I've never read a book so full of heartache like this one. It was hard to read about her struggle but I found it to be a page turner. It definitely shows the raw emotions in life!
namaria's review against another edition
5.0
This book was an excellent read! I really enjoyed how I felt as though I really understood the main character and the problems she was faced with. I understood the struggle she was going through with her weight problem, letting people push her around, dealing with her schizophrenic mother, the bad memories, and all of it. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to people.
katesaysyep's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favorites by this author. I loved the cast of characters. Really loved the messages and themes. I own this and reread it often.
loribulb's review against another edition
3.0
This book had a great plot, but I kept getting distracted by the bad writing... and I'll be the first to admit that I read a lot of mind candy/chick-lit garbage, so when I object to writing, I've really found some flaws.
That said- this book definitely had a great story. The characters were a little two-dimensional, and she told us who they were instead of letting us get to know them through their actions, but there was enough there to enjoy them when the writing didn't get in the way. Except her romantic male lead... he was as flat as something you'd find in a Harlequin novel.
If bad writing doesn't bother you, if you're a fan of Dan Brown... then you'll love this book since you won't want to gag everytime dialogue is used to deliver information. (Like I did.)
That said- this book definitely had a great story. The characters were a little two-dimensional, and she told us who they were instead of letting us get to know them through their actions, but there was enough there to enjoy them when the writing didn't get in the way. Except her romantic male lead... he was as flat as something you'd find in a Harlequin novel.
If bad writing doesn't bother you, if you're a fan of Dan Brown... then you'll love this book since you won't want to gag everytime dialogue is used to deliver information. (Like I did.)
kleedc73's review against another edition
5.0
In this fourth offering from Cathy Lamb, Stevie Barrett had a heart attack at age 32 at the amazing weight of 320 pounds. Now, two years, a divorce and 170 pounds later, Stevie is struggling to find herself and emerge from the painful past that caused her to eat her pain and try to lose herself and her past in food. The book also follows the journey of some of Stevie's friends and relatives, who similarly struggle with their painful pasts and their fears about the future. The journey to a new Stevie is fraught with peril, as Stevie has to revisit some truly tragic incidents from her past and also confront some of the monsters from her present. She, along with her cousins Polly and Lance, are wonderful people with serious issues and Cathy Lamb tackles those issues in a way that makes you want to stand up and cheer. At one in the book, Stevie finally confronts a family member who has mistreated her since she was 11. I literally jumped out of my chair and did a silent victory dance -- it was that moving.
Cathy Lamb has fast become one of my favorite authors. She is enitrely unique in her ability to tackle incredibly difficult, painful subjects in a way that is genuine and heartfelt and gut-wrenching but without being too depressing, maudlin or trite. Her characters are always quirky and amazingly full and real and the books are filled with as many funny moments as painful ones. You don't just read a book by Cathy Lamb -- you consume it, and it consumes you. As with her other books, I simply could not put this book down and, when I finally finished it, it took a moment to get back to real life. Her books pack a huge punch and are utterly, completely unforgettable.
Cathy Lamb has fast become one of my favorite authors. She is enitrely unique in her ability to tackle incredibly difficult, painful subjects in a way that is genuine and heartfelt and gut-wrenching but without being too depressing, maudlin or trite. Her characters are always quirky and amazingly full and real and the books are filled with as many funny moments as painful ones. You don't just read a book by Cathy Lamb -- you consume it, and it consumes you. As with her other books, I simply could not put this book down and, when I finally finished it, it took a moment to get back to real life. Her books pack a huge punch and are utterly, completely unforgettable.
books4thewin's review against another edition
4.0
I have never read this author before and didn't know what to expect. To be honest, the writing style didn't blow me away. However, I loved how she put a face to mental illness and the affects on all around one suffering from such. I was so drawn in by each character. While I did feel that they seem a bit excessive at times, the story line itself was great.
afro8921's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a good look at what mental illness can do to a family. It's a good read