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A review by mishale1
Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers
3.0
Solidly 3.5 stars.
I love how the author devoted time to really letting the reader get to know the characters. The storyline switched between the stories of Alice and Daphne. When the story began, the first several chapters are Alice’s, then the next few are Daphne’s. I really appreciated this writing tactic. I felt like I truly got to know each character before moving on to the next. Also, both Alice and Daphne were given very clear, individual voices.
This is a thought provoking story. If you read it within a book club, expect the topic of food issues to arise.
I think it really promotes an honest discussion.
The ladies in this book have major, major food issues. I can’t claim to relate to that but we’ve all got our own food issues and I think we’ll all recognize someone we know in these characters.
Alice’s food issue can be connected to her husband.
Alice grew up with supportive parents.
She had a bad breakup in her twenties and met her husband Clancy on a rebound. When she met her husband, she was at her lowest and that had resulted in her not eating right and being at her skinniest. So, while Alice’s image of herself wasn’t wrapped up in being skinny, Alice’s husband fell in love with her when she was skinny.
She quickly got pregnant, gained weight and never lost it.
Her husband had made no attempt to hide the fact that her current weight is an issue for him. He doesn’t find as attractive anymore. It’s hurting her. It’s causing her issues. And she is secretly eating behind his back and then throwing up to undo her binges.
Daphne has a wonderful husband and a couple kids. She grew up with a weight obsessed mother. Daphne had a lot of traumatic incidents both at home and at school growing up and she’s still struggling with them.
Both are at their lowest points when they learn about a tv program to help them lose weight. It is promoted as a very inspirational program. It implies that the goal is to help them get past their food and weight issues.
But when they get on the show, they found something completely different than what they are promised.
From day one, they are belittled.
They are humiliated and shamed.
They are all but starved and forced into extreme exercise routines.
They are expected to lose a completely unhealthy 10 pounds a week.
Needless to say, this is far from an ethical situation and it only serves to make the weight obsession more severe.
It also should raise some questions about why society places so much emphasis on being overweight when there’s people starving in the world.
Honestly, I think these characters would have needed therapy after their time on the weight loss program. I think the ending was possibly too smooth. It’s not that I ever want an unhappy ending in a book but after causing so much thought on food and weight issues, I think it would have been a longer path to the resolution.
I was given an early copy of this book to read and review with my book club.
I love how the author devoted time to really letting the reader get to know the characters. The storyline switched between the stories of Alice and Daphne. When the story began, the first several chapters are Alice’s, then the next few are Daphne’s. I really appreciated this writing tactic. I felt like I truly got to know each character before moving on to the next. Also, both Alice and Daphne were given very clear, individual voices.
This is a thought provoking story. If you read it within a book club, expect the topic of food issues to arise.
I think it really promotes an honest discussion.
The ladies in this book have major, major food issues. I can’t claim to relate to that but we’ve all got our own food issues and I think we’ll all recognize someone we know in these characters.
Alice’s food issue can be connected to her husband.
Alice grew up with supportive parents.
She had a bad breakup in her twenties and met her husband Clancy on a rebound. When she met her husband, she was at her lowest and that had resulted in her not eating right and being at her skinniest. So, while Alice’s image of herself wasn’t wrapped up in being skinny, Alice’s husband fell in love with her when she was skinny.
She quickly got pregnant, gained weight and never lost it.
Her husband had made no attempt to hide the fact that her current weight is an issue for him. He doesn’t find as attractive anymore. It’s hurting her. It’s causing her issues. And she is secretly eating behind his back and then throwing up to undo her binges.
Daphne has a wonderful husband and a couple kids. She grew up with a weight obsessed mother. Daphne had a lot of traumatic incidents both at home and at school growing up and she’s still struggling with them.
Both are at their lowest points when they learn about a tv program to help them lose weight. It is promoted as a very inspirational program. It implies that the goal is to help them get past their food and weight issues.
But when they get on the show, they found something completely different than what they are promised.
From day one, they are belittled.
They are humiliated and shamed.
They are all but starved and forced into extreme exercise routines.
They are expected to lose a completely unhealthy 10 pounds a week.
Needless to say, this is far from an ethical situation and it only serves to make the weight obsession more severe.
It also should raise some questions about why society places so much emphasis on being overweight when there’s people starving in the world.
Honestly, I think these characters would have needed therapy after their time on the weight loss program. I think the ending was possibly too smooth. It’s not that I ever want an unhappy ending in a book but after causing so much thought on food and weight issues, I think it would have been a longer path to the resolution.
I was given an early copy of this book to read and review with my book club.