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A review by stacyroth
Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers
2.0
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
Alice and Daphne have struggled with weight all their lives. Alice's husband has admitted that he doesn't find her attractive at her size. Daphne is the only overweight person in her family, and her mother constantly criticizes Daphne's weight in an attempt to get her to change. At the end of their ropes, Alice, Daphne, and five other women each make the decision to be part of the Waisted documentary. The pamphlet promises, “Respect. Health. Mindfulness. We believe by bringing these values to the forefront, women will have the opportunity to choose exactly who they want to be for just the right reason.” What really awaits these women is an unrelenting barrage of being shamed and trainers seeing how far they are willing to humiliate themselves in the attempt to become thin.
The organization of the story could have used some work. I feel like the message of the story didn't come through as clearly as it could have, and at times, the characters seemed to come across as caricatures rather than real people. Also, it was hard to remember at times whether chapter I was reading was from Alice or from Daphne; they did not have distinct voices. The premise was interesting but not well executed.
Alice and Daphne have struggled with weight all their lives. Alice's husband has admitted that he doesn't find her attractive at her size. Daphne is the only overweight person in her family, and her mother constantly criticizes Daphne's weight in an attempt to get her to change. At the end of their ropes, Alice, Daphne, and five other women each make the decision to be part of the Waisted documentary. The pamphlet promises, “Respect. Health. Mindfulness. We believe by bringing these values to the forefront, women will have the opportunity to choose exactly who they want to be for just the right reason.” What really awaits these women is an unrelenting barrage of being shamed and trainers seeing how far they are willing to humiliate themselves in the attempt to become thin.
The organization of the story could have used some work. I feel like the message of the story didn't come through as clearly as it could have, and at times, the characters seemed to come across as caricatures rather than real people. Also, it was hard to remember at times whether chapter I was reading was from Alice or from Daphne; they did not have distinct voices. The premise was interesting but not well executed.