Description
Winter Mae Jones knows exactly what she wants. A career in fashion design. There’s only one thing standing in her way. She’s fat. And fat girls don’t work in the fashion industry. So Winter decides to take matters into her own hands.
She goes on a diet, which at first makes her feel fab and in control. It’s only when things get out of hand that she comes to realise that, not only has she less control than she thought, but also that her weight has nothing to do with what’s holding her back.
Review
Sixteen-year-old Winter is, and always has been, a larger sized girl, with a gorgeous Mum who makes her feel inadequate. Winter dreams of being a fashion designer, so she is over the moon when she lands a job at a local women’s fashion boutique.
Mabel, the owner and fashion designer, is everything Winter wants to be - Mabel is totally cool with her large body, whilst Winter is struggling to find her contentment.
But after Winter starts her first real relationship with the wonderful Oliver, Winter starts obsessing over her weight - resorting to laxatives as a form of weight loss. This starts brilliantly, but turn nasty when Winter is rushed to hospital suffering from dehydration.
The roller coaster ride that Winter experiences after this is heartbreaking, and you see how terrible the condition can be, and how media and societal expectations to be thin can put added pressure on someone who may be already struggling.
This book cuts to the heart of this insipid disease, but it is also an empowering story, that will help those struggling with body issues, as well giving others a better appreciation of the pressures that can exist for those struggling.
It is a particularly easy to read novel that will best suit teenage girls.
Reviewed by Rob
