The Next Big Thing

Whoa, this book is like a punch to the gut and I mean that in the nicest of ways. It cuts through all the crap big people experience and it really hits home. It was shocking how much I related to the story. A lot of women will find this explains their feelings to a "T." Really moving read.

Kat Larson is a size 18 PR researcher, living in Nashville, who is carrying on an online affair with Nick, her gorgeous British 'boyfriend'. They have a perfect long-distance relationship except for the fact that he believes her to be a size 4 after she alters some pictures on her computer. She becomes desperate to lose weight after Nick presses her several times to visit him in England and she uses up all of her excuses not to go. When her best friend, Donna, gives her an application for a new reality show called From Fat To Fabulous, Kat decides to apply and after several eliminations, is chosen to be one of the six contestants on the show. What follows is a 'reality show within a book' with the roommates forging friendships, bickering, and becoming the typical television characters that reality shows tend to make the contestants into - with Kat becoming known as 'The Brat'. When a twist is added into the show, she nearly decides to leave the house, but then makes up her mind to stick it out - and consequently learns a lot about appearances and relationships. This is definitely a great summer read; especially for reality show fanatics!

I just finished this book and for the last three days (since I purchased it) I couldn't put it down. Johanna Edwards is an amazing writer when it comes to portraying Kat (our heroine)'s problems with life because she's overweight. At first I was annoyed with the stereotypes that Kat was thinking when it concerns big women, and that all her problems will be solved if she was only a size four. However, I had to remind myself that I had felt that way too many times to count, and I'm sure it's what every woman who's overweight thinks at one time or another. Edwards is witty and charming in her portrayl of a weight loss reality show and Kat's (mis)adventures on that show. The book is fast paced, which made it extremely hard for me to put it down. I would definitely read another novel by Edwards and recommend this book to everyone, skinny or large.

This chick lit type book about weight and all the issues it brings was a wonderful read. Our main character, who has a fairly serious weight issue tries for and successfully gets on a reality show about weight loss. Although this book is obviously written with lots and lots of humour, you still manage to feel the pain this character is in. EVERYTHING she does is about her weight. The storyline is well written if a little cutesy at times and we genuinely like Kat. Of course this story also touches a chord with all women - because it deals with body image and more specifically romance and worldview of weight. My only slight negative would be that Kat is written a little too wishy-washy. This, in my opinion, is often the case in chick lit. I would have wanted her to pick her battles a little better. Still, this novel about love, weight, weight and oh yeah! weight ..... is a great read.

I picked this book up yesterday and read the whole thing in a couple of sittings. I don't do that very often and was thoroughly impressed with the style and the storyline. It's nice to read a "chic lit" book that isn't all about dates and shoes and shopping. The reality show theme wasn't entirely my cup of tea (I don't like the shows) but by the end I found myself playing along. Really good!