This was such s great read! Bravo to Randy Susan Meyers for tackling such sensitive and real subject matter in a truly beautiful way that’s only she can.

Thank you in advance to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

The premise of the book was really strong and I loved the sound of it, I was hooked!

But right from the start it kind of got away from me and I found myself having a hard time focusing or wanting to continue it. It was a little over the top and cheesy at times but the overall message was good and strong.

Just not sure if it was what I really expected.

Full of wit, hard-hitting emotion, and social commentary on being overweight in our culture, I devoured WAISTED. Randy Susan Meyers is a pro at keeping us turning pages while we walk alongside her deeply human characters.

A measure of a good book, for me, is being able to see something in a different way and WAISTED delivered. I used to love watching The Biggest Loser. I thought it was a positive and encouraging show, but I also wondered what things were like behind the scenes. While WAISTED isn’t about the reality show (but does make one mention of it), its style, in addition to feeling these characters’ despair, hurt, and shame, gave me new glimmers of understanding.

My heart ached with the two main mother-daughter relationships. Daphne’s mother was unkind, critical, and mean-spirited all under the guise of trying to “help” her daughter. Though Alice’s mother was loving and caring and gushed with wanting the best for her daughter, the fact that she was white and Alice was mixed-race, caused its own voids in understanding, its own unconscious and implicit judgments of Alice. As the mother of two daughters, fifteen and twenty, (and a son in the middle) who I’m very close to, it gave me pause to consider what I might be doing out of love that isn’t being perceived that way. Could I be hurting my kid’s hearts without meaning to? Without realizing?

In a fast-paced, easy-to-read style, Randy Susan Meyers dives thoughtfully into issues of ethics, family relationships, cultural expectations surrounding body image, appearance, and race. Put it on your TBR today!

I empathized with the two main characters in this book. I did not read this book expecting enlightenment on weight loss but as fiction meant to be enjoyed. Yes, the lengths some women go to lose weight is horrible but this story was enjoyable for me and I found the characters to be credible in the world that I inhabit. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

I am so iffy about this book. In one sense, I enjoyed it's take on the dieting/exercise shows like The Biggest Loser and the behind the scenes look at what may or may not be in those shows, plus the backstories of some of the women. But I also disliked some of the characters and backstories as well.

I think it does a good job of showing the different sides of being overweight, and the lengths people are willing to go to fit into the body image society wants them to be. I also thought it did a good job of showing different family dynamics where some are supportive, some are ambivalent and some are downright mean. That is very realistic and something we have all experienced.

In the end, it was a good book but also left me wanting a little something different.

𝓒𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰. 𝓡𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮. 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓵.

Randy Susan Meyers has written a thought-provoking story about women and their relationship with their weight. Alice and Daphne befriend each other while at a weight-loss retreat that turns into a weight-loss nightmare. Alice is a strong woman with a rewarding career, a loving family, and a beautiful daughter. She met her husband when she was break up skinny and has always felt that he was not happy with her subsequent weight gain. Daphne is a make up artist with two wonderful children and a loving husband. Her mother however has always made her feel as though she was not good enough, because she was never thin enough. The women are determined to lose weight and hopeful when they enter the weight-loss retreat in Vermont, however their hopes are soon dashed. The weight-loss program is demanding, dangerous, and degrading. The women are treated more like prisoners then guests and soon they begin to wonder if they are even allowed to leave?

Parts of this book were so tough to read, these women were pushed to such limits. I have spent most of my life working in the fitness industry. My weight has yo-yoed up-and-down throughout my life and I have had a healthy and an unhealthy relationship with my body image, so I get it. I have done things that were not necessarily in my best interest all for that number on the scale. It was sad and hard to watch these women push themselves so far just for that number. Depriving them cells of calories, pushing their bodies to physical extremes, not to mention the emotional toll that this places on a person. And for what? A documentary that ends up being pure entertainment an experiment to see how far women will go for that body ideal. The unfortunate thing is even though this is a fictional book it is based on truth.

Alice and Daphne were both very likable and relatable characters. I really love the bond that formed between them. Alice’s relationship with her mother was complicated, I really felt for her mother she really wanted the best for her daughter she just wasn’t always quite sure how to go about it (I know that feeling). Daphne had an amazing husband, supportive children, but her mom? Well her mom had some things to work on. Sometimes I don’t think we realize how much we hurt people we love with our words, even if our intentions are good. The ending of the story was sweet, but maybe a little too sweet? I am all for people accepting themselves how they are and I think as long as we are healthy it doesn’t and shouldn’t matter what number is on the scale. However it is such a hard balancing act that might have been made to appear a little easier than it really is? But then again this is fiction. I think the overall message of this book was extremely positive, and I think it’s great for women to know that they are not alone in the struggle. The struggle is real!

*** Big thanks to Atria for my copy of this book ***

What would you be willing to do/give up/incur to lose weight? Several women are chosen to attend a weight loss resort in rural Vermont. Privation is touted as the program which teaches how to lose weight in a supportive, balancing, motivational, and sustainable manner. From the beginning, the women experience quite the opposite.

This is a book about wanting something so bad that you are willing to ignore warning signs and abuse that in other circumstances they would immediately call foul. As I read it, I reflected on the many times I have lost weight only to gain it back. I also examined times when I remained quiet when I should have spoken up for others. It is a book about losing weight but more about what goals will allow others to make for us and what we will do to reach the societal expectation.

I cannot express how much I liked this book. It was unique in its telling while still being truthful in the way in which we see ourselves. So many people (particularly women) are obsessed with size and weight while ignoring other traits and behaviors that are more important to happiness and love. Alice, Daphne and Hania may have different reasons for wanting to be thin than I do but we get to the desperation of feeling fat just the same.

Whether you have ever been in a weight battle or not, this is an excellent fictional story about giving up our willingness (or not) to give up our dignity to be what society tells up we should be. I love the main characters; each have both flaws and exceeding goodness that makes us want to cheer their accomplishments and cry during their sadness. The instructors occasionally have a humane spot but are good villains. Family members are basically good people with major flaws they can’t seem to keep to themselves.

The writing is seamless. It will invoke laughing and crying but mostly awe.

I urge you to run out and buy Waisted. Start reading it now or put it at the top of your To Be Read list. You won’t be sorry.

Another success, Ms. Meyers.


I received an ARC from Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

My weight has been an issue ever since I was a little girl. I was constantly told, "But you have such a pretty face" ... to mean, "but the rest of you, not so!"  How many of you have  heard those words? Over a half century later, I still hear that phrase in my head every time I look in the mirror or try to squeeze into a pair of jeans. Heck, whenever I go to eat. Really, when it comes down to it, pretty much all the time.

Bestselling author, Randy Susan Meyers takes on the issues of women and weight in her novel, WAISTED (ATRIA). I ate it up ... I'm sorry but I couldn't resist! It's not an easy read, because it tackles some really painful topics. But it's definitely worth checking out - for all woman.

Alice and Daphne, both successful and accomplished working mothers, harbor the same secret: obsession with their weight overshadows concerns about their children, husbands, work—and everything else of importance in their lives. Scales terrify them.

Daphne, plump in a family of model-thin women, learned only slimness earns admiration at her mother’s knee. Alice, break-up skinny when she met her husband, risks losing her marriage if she keeps gaining weight.

The two women meet at Waisted. Located in a remote Vermont mansion, the program promises fast, dramatic weight loss, and Alice, Daphne, and five other women are desperate enough to leave behind their families for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The catch? They must agree to always be on camera; afterward, the world will see Waisted: The Documentary.

The women soon discover that the filmmakers have trapped them in a cruel experiment. With each pound lost, they edge deeper into obsession and instability...until they decide to take matters into their own hands.

One of the last 'acceptable' prejudices in our society today is against overweight people. The other is ageism but that's a story for a different book! Normal weight people are smug in assuming anyone overweight is lazy and could easily lose the weight if they wanted to.

I thought the book started well (though it dragged a bit with so much info about Daphne & Alice). The descriptions of the 'camp' were horrifying! It was actually realistic, though. Most overweight/obese people (not just women) are so ashamed and desperate that the promise of weight loss would be way too tempting to pass up. The brochure made the camp sound so alluring and safe - when in reality it was anything but. The fact that company was filming the degradation of these 7 women to the point of filming them naked while the 'trainers' ridiculed their bodies was just beyond sad. and cruel.

The 'escape' was a high point - and after that, everything seemed to fall flat for me. Making the video to expose the company behind their torture could have had more oomph but we never really saw the consequences of it. The last part of the book was pretty preachy. Accept yourself how you are, Accept fat or thin, don't judge, etc. etc. etc. All worthwhile goals but a bit overdone here IMO.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with the advanced read copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is one of those books that comes into your life when you need it most. This was more of a 3.5 star read for me. The only thing that kept me from rating it higher was I felt there was too much emphasis on race - being mixed, versus white versus black. It’s a topic worth writing about but it felt too crammed into this book.

This book is centered around two women dealing with their weight issues. As a fellow fat girl, I can relate a LOT to what these women were feeling. One of the biggest take away s for me was - why am I disgusted when someone else says horrible, belittling things to women who are overweight when I say those EXACT same things to myself all the time and I accept that as ok?

I have been in a funk the last couple of weeks, one of the reasons is my weight. This book is giving me thoughts to changing my point of view. For that I’m very grateful.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and Randy Susan Meyers for the opportunity to read her latest novel. A good read - lots to ponder since everyone on the planet has to make food decisions daily.

Written from the viewpoint of two women who attend a weight-loss camp that promises they will lose weight quickly but in a supportive environment that will transform their lives. But of course that doesn't really happen. Instead, the women are subjected to The Biggest Loser on steroids - cruel, humiliating treatment that is also caught on camera.

Daphne and Alice both have big food issues. Alice was raised in a very supportive mixed-race family and was skinny when she met her husband, but has since gained a lot of weight and fears losing him. Daphne, on the other hand, has a husband who loves her the way she is but has a mother who raised her to feel that skinny was the only option.

Hopefully nobody will read the crazy diet restrictions and over-the-top exercise and feel that is a guide book to losing weight. A good read!

As a women who has battled mind, body and soul with weight and image, I found "Waisted" a very profound read. The story of these women (though fictional) represent much of what women put themselves through in order to be accepted and loved, by society, friends, family and loved ones. I read what FAT means to various individuals, and society. I read the lies people tell themselves, (as coping mechanisms) and the technique marketers use to control them. The emotions that pore through these women are real. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've liked other books by this author, so I was excited for this one too.

It was a great read... fun to read.. I can't say it was my favorite, but i enjoyed it.

In Waisted, Alice and Daphne are in a last ditch attempt to lose their excess weight at a private weight loss retreat.

Alice’s life before fat camp is meticulously recounted. However, I can do it in just one sentence. Alice blames all of her problems, some real and some imaginary, on her weight. I just saved future readers at least a half an hour of time. In the name of Alice, exercise in the extra time, or eat an entire cheesecake or, whatever.

Daphne is a professional makeup artist and owns a makeover store catering to woman with scars or other flaws. Unfortunately, she can’t heal, or hide, her own weight issues.

Both Alice and Daphne have people in their life that are over critical of their weight. Alice’s husband, Clancy, continually reminds her how beautiful she was when they met—only a few years earlier—with an unspoken, though heavily implied, “what happened to you now?” Daphne’s mother, Sunny, is a diet policeman, who has constantly undermined Daphne’s confidence since grade school.

As a larger woman who loves documentaries, I was so excited to read this book. A funny take on Biggest Loser-type shows? Sign me up! However, Waisted spent a lot of time belittling larger size woman even when it didn’t advance the plot. For example, here is the description of the ladies boarding the bus on the way to the weight loss camp, “After the last participant dragged her crazy-wide thighs up the stairs as though this ascension were an Olympic event”. This feeling is not linked to any characters—this appears to be the author talking. This type of emotion is displayed throughout the book. Worse, the book drags in the beginning. As I stated above, using 20% of the book to explain the stereotypical “fat woman” Alice is a waste of time and boring.

While I didn’t like the book at all, it may just be me so I’ll rate it 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Raise your hand if you've made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight. To eat better. To exercise more? If you've cried in a dressing room trying on a bathing suit, or while attempting to squeeze into those favorite jeans from high school. If you've ordered the salad, but really wanted the burger, or have looked at another woman and wished you looked like them or had their confidence...

Are there any women who are NOT raising their hand right now? I'm fairly confident there are few.

Waisted is truly a heartbreaking, eye opening and extremely relatable story, Whether you want to lose 5 or 50 pounds, or just want to feel better about yourself and how you look - we've all been there. And for Alice and Daphne - both accomplished and amazing women - they are both held back by their weight and those dreaded numbers on the scale. They decide to enroll in a reality show slash documentary - similar to a Biggest Loser type show - but soon find themselves in a cruel and humiliating experiment - where they need to decide: How far is too far?

I cried with these women. I laughed with them. I rooted them all throughout the whole journey. It's a tough world out there for women and I wish everyone would read this book. Those extra pounds are the most visible burden of some women - but what is invisible in what goes on inside - the hurt and anger, the obsession over the numbers and the counting, the fear, desperation and instability... I wanted to reach in the story and wrap up Alice and Daphne and the other contestants in a huge hug and let them know they are more than just a number. A brilliant story.

Daphne and Alice had families that made snide remarks about their weight. Both women were successful in their careers but their weight kept them from being confident in their own bodies They both go to a place like Biggest Loser but much more cruel. With five other women they are facing hell on earth.
I especially liked this book because as a bigger girl I could relate to their feelings toward themselves. And my family makes snide remarks as well. If you have ever dieted you will find this book entertaining.

Randy Susan Meyers is a great author and in her latest novel, Waisted she tackles a difficult subject. Waisted follows Alice and Daphne in their quest to lose weight. The character's back stories are compelling and their struggle to lose weight is real. Alice and Daphne meet at an extreme weight loss program called Privation in a remote Vermont mansion. They have left their families behind for the promise of dramatic weight loss and they have agreed to be filmed for a documentary. Yes, Privation is a play on deprivation and life at the mansion is horror from the first moment of the program. Meyers successfully combines compassion, humor and suspense to make this a provocative and enjoyable read.

Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3

This was a refreshing and interesting story!It deals with a serious issue.The characters are unhappy with their bodies. This is a problem I used to have and still sometimes find myself bothering me! I felted connected to the story and the struggles the characters have! It’s not easy and for us women we give a lot to our appearance !

This was definitely unlike anything I have read in a while, and although fiction, this seemed to be a topic that was very close to home for the author. I could tell because I could relate. Were parts of this book extreme and absurd? Yes. Have our thoughts about food / our relationship with food ever been extreme and absurd? Yes. And I think that is the point of the book.

When the women are feeling so low that they would leave their families for a month to lose weight, they have lost all sense of self, lost focus on what is truly important in life. And for Alice, who can blame her? Her husband basically tells her he will stop looking at other women when she gets back to the 'self' that she was when they met. Which was pre-kids and she was not at a healthy weight or in a good place mentally at that time either. As for Daphne, she could not see that she had a husband and two great kids that loved her no matter what, because she had a horrible mother that was constantly focused on her weight and how big she was.

I know that this book will not be for everyone, but it is a solid read regarding the focus that women are under with their weight, how the pressure is different but equally present for women of varying cultures and race, and how these women handle said pressure. Meyers does not hold back with the perceptions about overweight folks and how they are perceived, FYI. This was a little tough for me at the beginning, but I was able to get past it once I saw where she was going. The narrative is told from the two POV's of Alice and Daphne, who form a bond with each other as well as a few other women that also attend Waisted, and it was great to see them all come together under duress.

Thank you to Get Red PR, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to review. All above opinions are my own.