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A review by apollo0325
The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
If you’re coming in hoping for plot, you will be disappointed. This book is a social commentary about our relationship and obsession with food and beauty standards, the complacency of and the active harm done by the wealthy / corporations, and the climate crisis. There’s a lot happening (and also not happening) in this book, and it’s a double-edged sword.
When we talk about food, the climate crisis, corporations, and beauty standards, we’re encompassing a nuanced and complex conversation that requires anyone dabbling into this subject matter to understand how everything is intertwined and connected. We see how the depletion of natural resources destroys our world and ourselves and how at the end of the day, profits come up on top.
But I think this book was trying to include too much in its effort to commentate on these social issues. I also just didn’t really care about any of these characters except for Ijo and by the end, Beatrice. My care for Ijo came more from her romance than her as a character (arguably the best romance in the book), and my fondness for Beatrice grew as the book progressed. I had the same problem when I read the Seep. I definitely didn’t give a shit about Reiko, and ultimately even though Beatrice became my favorite, I still didn’t really feel any like… immeasurable joy for her ending.
The other gripe is how sex heavy this book is. Everybody’s having sex in public and with each other. I’m tired lmao
Ultimately, this book has some ideas that fell flat with characters that felt flatter. I don’t think this is going to be a book I’ll revisit especially considering how fucking LONG it is. WHY IS IT SO LONG???? I don’t think Chana Porter is an author for me.
When we talk about food, the climate crisis, corporations, and beauty standards, we’re encompassing a nuanced and complex conversation that requires anyone dabbling into this subject matter to understand how everything is intertwined and connected. We see how the depletion of natural resources destroys our world and ourselves and how at the end of the day, profits come up on top.
But I think this book was trying to include too much in its effort to commentate on these social issues. I also just didn’t really care about any of these characters except for Ijo and by the end, Beatrice. My care for Ijo came more from her romance than her as a character (arguably the best romance in the book), and my fondness for Beatrice grew as the book progressed. I had the same problem when I read the Seep. I definitely didn’t give a shit about Reiko, and ultimately even though Beatrice became my favorite, I still didn’t really feel any like… immeasurable joy for her ending.
The other gripe is how sex heavy this book is. Everybody’s having sex in public and with each other. I’m tired lmao
Ultimately, this book has some ideas that fell flat with characters that felt flatter. I don’t think this is going to be a book I’ll revisit especially considering how fucking LONG it is. WHY IS IT SO LONG???? I don’t think Chana Porter is an author for me.