The Next Big Thing by Johanna Edwards

I'd been interested in reading The Next Big Thing by Johanna Edwards ever since reading a review at Chick Lit Books. Then when Màili posted about liking it in her blog, I decided to finally bite the bullet and pay full price for a trade. Of course, since I was shopping with my MIL, I didn't actually pay for it, so um, sorry Màili, can't tell you truly if it's worth the price, but I think it is. I agree that it has its weak spots, but overall, I really liked reading it. Once I started it, I couldn't stop reading it, one clue that I'm reading a very good book. Even if I may not think I like something (which is not the case here), when a book pulls me in so well that I don't want to set it down, it's good.

Kat Larson has always been battling her weight, something I can relate to. She has an online boyfriend who's from England and she's told him one teeny tiny lie. She told him she was a size 4, even going so far as to send him a photoshopped picture of herself. He's been after her to meet face to face with him, but she's been putting him off. WHen her friend tells her about a new reality show called Fat to Fabulous, she thinks it's the answer to her prayers.

In some ways, I can get annoyed with Kat. She believes being thin will be the answer to her dreams and the start of the rest of her fabulous life. While that may annoy me, that she can't think of herself as happy where she is, I can see where she comes from. She can also come across as quite bitchy in her remarks. On the other hand, I really related to many of things things that were written about. Had to laugh at the Lane Bryant references. So true. Ergh, most of my jeans are from there. *g* And the butt-ugly camp shirts with the horrid appliques. Really, once you're above a size 16, do you lose all sense of fashion? I think not.

Another thing that I really liked about reading it is that I got a real sense that Kat had some emotional growth by the end of the book and that's what I wanted to ultimately see. There is also some romance thrown in, but this is definitely more chick lit than romance. Very good chick lit, though, and I highly recommend it. Just don't kill me if you don't like it as well as I did. :-) I think some of my enjoyment was from what I brought into the reading experience from my own life and that may not be the case for others. But if you don't want to pay full price, check out the UBS or library. It's a great book.

Now I'm going to stop because I really can't think of anything else, yet I know there was more I wanted to talk about. Maybe some comments would jog my brain. Anyone else read this or plan to?