2006 ( )

This is the first "chick-lit" I've ever read, but I think I'm going to have to look up Jennifer Weiner's other books. It was funny and engaging, but also thought-provoking. As a "larger woman," it was painful to read parts of this book. I never had the misfortune of such a cruel and unloving father as Cannie, but still she is very reminiscent of how I once was. It was difficult to look back at the old me reflected through a fictional character - the obsession over body-image, the low self-esteem, the utter resignation to the "fact" that no man could ever find me attractive because of my weight. I also saw her desperate need for male companionship and acceptance, which is common among women of all sizes.

It made me sad because I know that a lot of women feel the same way, but also because I've moved on with my life. I'm no longer at the "without a boyfriend I'm worthless" stage of my life, which was a hard thing to move through. In a way I thought the ending was a tad too saccharine, but I felt satisfied at the end that the main things that got her through were by her own hand: her wit, her screenplay (which she wrote for herself and no one else), and her friends (which seemed more like genuine companions than a mere cheering section). It pleased me that while Dr. K was nice to have around, she didn't absolutely need him, which I think was the most important message of all: sure, certain men might not want anything to do with you because you're not thin, but there's a lot more to life than romance. ( )

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Awesome book! If there were more books written like this, there would be so many fewer women with low self esteem because of their weight. There are so many romance novels written out there (NOT saying this was a romance novel at all) that describe the woman as beautiful, petite and with a waist so small "he can circle it with his brawny hands". As a girl reading romance novels, it really makes you think that that is how you need to look to get these men to fall head over heels for you and romance you. If you don't look like that, you begin to wonder if maybe that is why men don't treat you that way. Great book, I totally related and being from the Philadelphia area too, I absolutely loved it! ( )

I was told that this was a really funny book by a friend. The character definitely has her own sense of humor, but I didn't think that this could realistically be classified as a humor book. If I'd had a better idea of what the book was truly about (namely, a lot of angst about being fat), I never would have read it. ( )