Scan barcode
A review by woodsybookworm
The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
In a world where eating is a taboo and restaurants are tucked away like speakeasies, a young woman finds herself at odds with her devoutly religious community after discovering a passion for cooking.
Beatrice lives in Seagate - a community where sexuality is open, God is revered, and food has been replaced by supplement pills. When she discovers a secret cache of food and a society of people who cook in secret, Beatrice opens the door to a whole new world and must decide whether to stay in the safety and uniformity of her home or escape to discover new delicacies.
While I enjoyed The Thick and the Lean there were a few things that prevented me from rating it higher...
I feel like this would have been a better novella, the book tended to drag at times. Additionally, I felt like the story would have been stronger strictly following Beatrice's story rather than jumping to other characters' POVs. Beatrice was such an interesting character and to suddenly shift from her perspective to a new character was pretty jarring.
Beatrice lives in Seagate - a community where sexuality is open, God is revered, and food has been replaced by supplement pills. When she discovers a secret cache of food and a society of people who cook in secret, Beatrice opens the door to a whole new world and must decide whether to stay in the safety and uniformity of her home or escape to discover new delicacies.
While I enjoyed The Thick and the Lean there were a few things that prevented me from rating it higher...
I feel like this would have been a better novella, the book tended to drag at times. Additionally, I felt like the story would have been stronger strictly following Beatrice's story rather than jumping to other characters' POVs. Beatrice was such an interesting character and to suddenly shift from her perspective to a new character was pretty jarring.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Classism, and Eating disorder