150 Pounds
A Novel of Waists and Measures
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4.6 • 14 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A smartly-written novel by author, Kate Rockland, of two women starting at opposite ends of the scale--and finding compromise and friendship in their journey towards 150 pounds
In the fast paced life of blogging, two women stand out: Alexis Allbright, of Skinny Chick, and Shoshana Weiner, who writes Fat and Fabulous. Both have over five million loyal readers. Both are hungry for success. But the similarities stop there.
With over 100 pounds on the scale separating them, weight isn't their only difference. Alexis is a loner who is so bitchy the only person who can stand her company is her gay best friend Billy. She gives neurotic New Yorkers a run for their money with her strict daily workout routine, and weighing of food. Shoshana is Alexis's opposite. Living in Jersey with rowdy roommates, she is someone who "collects friends," as her mother puts it; and treasures a life of expanding circles...and waistlines.
When both appear as panelists on a popular talk show, their lives intersect in ways neither could have imagined. In turns comedic, heartwarming--and familiar to any woman who's ever stepped on a scale--Alexis and Shoshana realize they have far more in common than either could have possibly imagined, and more importantly, something to offer.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bloggers find common ground on beauty in Rockland's second novel (after Falling Is Like This). For an episode on health and fitness, Oprah invites two bloggers on opposite ends of the body image debate to discuss views, and things turn heated. Shoshana's blog, Fat and Fabulous, dedicated to being "healthy at any size," shows that being big shouldn't detract from enjoying life. Meanwhile, at Skinny Chick, Alexis chronicles the strict diet and exercise plan that keeps her in a size zero, and warns about the health hazards that await if readers don't follow suit. After Oprah, Alexis and Shoshana go their separate ways and are in time forced to question their views. Alexis's rigid routine is disrupted when she falls for a handsome chef; Shoshana inherits an orchard and sheds pounds with physical labor and locavorism. When their paths cross again, they have more in common than they originally thought. Though Rockland does an excellent job of subverting chick lit tropes, character trajectories are easy to predict and her prose is too often leaden with exposition. Still, the uplifting message and quirky humor should satisfy readers of all sizes.
