3.5 stars. I felt so seen in a lot of this book and even though some of the chapters were uncomfortable to read, I could not put this book down because it felt so realistic.

The reason why I gave it a lower rating is due to it sometimes becoming too preachy and I felt that the characters dwelled too much on the same thing.

Overall, a good read!

I received a copy of Waisted from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Waisted by Randy Susan Myers is the story of seven women who agree to participate in a documentary j featuring their participation in a four week weight loss journey. It focuses on Daphne and Alice, two very different women who struggle to control their weight.

I enjoyed this book because it gave voice to some of my own struggles with weight. The theme of the book wasn't the natural weight that others could obviously see. It was the emotional weight that years of disparaging remarks and demeaning behavior embedded in these women. In my opinion this was more evident with Daphne than Alice. Daphne began to carry the voices of people who only looked at her and saw her weight. She was unable to accept love or positive affirmations. All she saw was the woman the voices told her she was. This resulted in a life of comparing herself with other women and the expectation that her size would be the catalyst for the rejection of others.
I feel that the author did an excellent job of delving into an issue that is still an issue when so many women are speaking out against body shaming. The need to fit into the ideal weight for your height and body type are still monsters that plague even the strongest of women. Even women who on the surface seem to be the “right size” struggle with maintaining the weight and image that is fueled by societal standards. I am giving this book four stars.

This was a good story. The characters were enjoyable and the plot kept my attention. Thank you for a copy of the book.

This book was difficult to get through. I’m not sure if I’m just not the intended audience or if it was the writing that turned me off of it. It didn’t hold my interest well, there were some eye-roll inducing parts and some of the dialogue was just over the top. If you like reading deeper books that make you think or have a lot of character growth, I do not think this would be an enjoyable read for you. If you like sillier books with a bit of cheesy writing and dialogue, this would likely be something you would enjoy.

this book hits a little too close to home with the weight/body issues. i've been struggling with weight gain for awhile and reading this book kinda make my anxiety worse, like how i legit do worry more about my thighs than bigger worldly issues.

overall a decent book, but could deal with a little less men bashing, like saying the scale had to be a male thing since it was "mocking" you when you get weighed, like what does that even mean, it's a machine that just tell YOU how much YOU weigh,

Our society is obsessed with weight. There are shows about obese people losing weight, there are so many diet products on the market and gyms in almost every plaza. I used to watch The Biggest Loser and do challenges with a team on My Fitness Pal, with the goal of losing weight. Now, my goal is to be healthy, whatever that entails and no matter how I look. In Waisted, there are seven women that sign up for a documentary about weight loss. This is not a reputable group, they use humiliation, speed, rewards and lies to produce a documentary that belittles and degrades the women involved. The good thing that comes out of it, are the friendships and sisterhood. The women find out what is going on and strike back. In their fight to get back at the group, they develop backbones to stand up for themselves and realize that if they want to lose weight, it has to be on their own terms. An empowering story for overweight women. The audiobook was narrated by Robin Eller and Amanda Ronconi. This was a great audiobook to listen to. I could feel the sense of despair, anxiety, fear and humiliation in the voices of the narrators. I felt a bit like a voyeur, listening to these women, like I was there watching them. Very well done!

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

This was a did not finish for me. It was a little choppy and I struggled to get through some of the chapters. The characters fell flat for me.

I wasn't exactly sure what this book would be like. I, myself, struggle with my weight and hoped that this might be something that I could relate to. What I felt at the end was both eye-opening and disappointing.

What I liked about the book was the fact that there were characters that not only myself, but other women could relate to. Whether it was the mother or significant other or yourself that you were struggling with, this had someone for everyone. You really felt for each of the characters and their journeys and the desperation they felt when they signed up for this "spa".

What was hard for me to like about this book was the cruelty that these women faced. While I understand that this was part of what they had to go through it felt slightly overboard for me. I also had a hard time with some of the characters as I don't feel like they were developed enough. While there were so many characters I wanted her to really develop Daphne and Alice more. And I felt unsatisfied with the ending. I felt like it came too quick and while it might not always be HEA, I wanted that for this book. I know that's not a realistic ending for this type of book but I felt after all they went through that they deserved it.

I think that this book brings a lot of conversation to the table. I think that it could be a great springboard for others to talk about weight and society and expectations. I feel like there could have been some better editing with the story to get those points across. But overall it was just an okay book for me.

Daphne and Alice are very unhappy with their bodies. They both meet one another at Privation for a month long stay at a camp that promises weight loss. Instead, it's an awful reality show documentary called Waisted that shames women for their weight. This is an experiment designed to see how far women will actually go to lose weight. As someone who has fought with weight issues my whole life, this book made me contemplate my own life and just how far I would go to lose weight. Emotional, funny, and uplifting, this was a great book.

Leaving their families for a remote Vermont mansion, Alice, Daphne, and five other women are desperate enough to join a program that promises dramatic weight loss. The only caveat is that the women must agree to always be filmed, as their journey will become a documentary called Waisted. When it becomes apparent that they have not been told the whole truth, will the women be able to turn the tables on the producers?

Although this was supposed to be a novel about a group of women, struggling with their weight and with the way that they are viewed by the world, it ended up having less of a message about self respect than I was anticipating. It was really more of a caper, with the women coming to certain realizations, then taking matters into their own hands. The struggles that the women faced in their daily lives seemed realistic, but were, at the same time, cliche in nature. It was as though the author took a list of complaints and incorporated them into the story as a whole. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Waisted to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Waisted by NetGalley and the publisher, Atria Books. The choice to review this novel was entirely my own.

I found this to be an ok read. A bit plodding but interesting to power through. Will probably try it again soon. Thanks for the ARC!

Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for an e-galley of this title for my review.

I can see how this book would appeal to some audiences, but it wasn’t a hit for me. The focus on “fat” vs. thin, and the emotions that go along with that can be a difficult topic.

Decided not to read this book after reviewing the subject matter. Not appropriate for my current frame of mind.

The premise of this book was very interesting. I read into how this book came about because I was having a difficult time understanding why the woman was described as very fat when she was not in my eyes. That being said, I am not the right audience for this book. I thought the presentation of bulimia and binge dieting and fat shaming was not done well, but I have not been in a position where I have snuck food or thrown up food. I have seen a lot of friends and family struggle with eating disorders and body dysmorphia and I could not help but read it through that lens. With that lens, it was not an enjoyable read for me, but I think that others might find themselves enjoying it and might be able to relate more to it or find it to be enjoyable and/or inspirational read. It was well written, I am just not the right audience for it. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Ok, this book was brutal. Lots of (unglorified) fat shaming going on and in the worst kind of ways. A group of women sign up to go on a sort of semi-documentary, semi-reality show reminiscent of The Biggest Loser, but these women are humiliated, demoralized, and held hostage under severe duress until they finally plan an escape. The friendships they forged in the process and the life lessons gained were all the good to come of it. Very, very triggering, this book. I went from feeling like I needed to be reading from the treadmill to salivating at the descriptions of food, and lord help me, I even found myself saying "ooh, I need to try that." No! Lol.

I’m normally a huge fan of this author but this is my least favorite of her novels. The concept had a lot of potential but I didn’t enjoy following these characters. I don’t leave negative reviews online so I won’t be sharing this.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers.
Waisted is a women’s fiction examination of the American weight loss culture and how it affects two women living outside of Boston.
Although both Alice and Daphne are smart, successful and surrounded by supportive family they struggle with how they see themselves. They both focus too much on the voices of censure and criticism they hear in their heads and feel uncomfortable in their own bodies. For Alice, it’s the voice of her urbane handsome husband and for Daphne it’s her perfectionist mother. Although the lengths the Biggest Loser style documentary they are tricked into goes to extremes (and sometimes painfully comical) to get them thin this isn’t a chick-lit style hilarious rom com. Each character has to examine themselves, their families members and their own culture to find balance. I think most American women can identify with their struggle.
I appreciated that Alice’s husband wasn’t the stereotypical DIVORCE THIS MAN bad guy but a person struggling with his own role in their marriage and that she also played a part in their dynamic and wasn’t just the victim. Daphne had to learn to channel her passions in meaningful ways instead of focusing on her weight and to also create boundaries with her mother.
This did get a little too public service(y) throughout the plot to enjoy completely but it is definitely relatable and readers will appreciate the diversity of characters.
I give Waisted 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).

I didn't much care for this book, despite loving the description. I found it boring and couldn't connect with any of the characters.

Thank you so much for the copy. I tried to pick this one up but it did not work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.