It’s very hard for me to assign a rating to this book. The writing is excellent. The premise seemed interesting but I never had a compulsion to find out what was going to happen, perhaps because for a large part of the book the larger societal actions are very far in the background and there isn’t a focus on what might happen to the characters in regards to that society. I didn’t connect with the characters and didn’t care what happened, yet the writing is such that I wasn’t bored.

Couldn't finish this one. The writing is good, just the story was too much for me. Too much starvation/food talk, too much making fat the "other", too much culty religious stuff.

This unusual dystopian tale twines the lives of Beatrice, who grows up in a cult that worships starvation, Reiko who drops out of school and becomes a grifter of sorts, and Ijo who wrote an autobiography centuries before. Chapters of Ijo's book are included but Ijo remained somewhat of a mystery to me (more Ijo would have been appreciated). Food looms large here- it's almost a fetish, especially in Beatrice's world where it's shameful, I would have liked more world building but the characters were well done. There are many themes here and readers will no doubt find some of them more subtle than others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Interesting read.

This book had such an interesting concept, but for me, something was missing in the delivery. I think with some editing, this could have been a very interesting story because it is clear that the author has a lot of talent. My main gripe is just how long and disjointed this book felt.

This story follows a few different storylines, mainly those of Beatrice and Rieko. Growing up in a society where there are no sexual taboos but where food is scorned and eating is shameful, their stories give us a very interesting glance into this very bizarre society. Beatrice grew up basically in a cult where no one ever ate in public and didn’t eat for enjoyment, only for survival. But Beatrice loves food and loves the process of cooking, so she escapes. I was very into her story and the rejection of this church that requires people to basically starve themselves. Her story was really the highlight of the book for me, and I kind of wish this book was about her and expanded upon her life more.

I do love Porter’s writing style. The way she writes the most unsexy sex scenes (as people are just having sex in public all of the time so it is a very rote activity) as juxtaposed to her very sensual way of describing cooking and ingredients was just so good. It really brought this society to life for me. I think this is why Beatrice’s story spoke to me more than Rieko’s. Beatrice’s story was a little more straightforward in terms of describing the society and critiquing that society (as well as our own). I think when it came to Rieko’s story, there was a little too much going on which then kind of watered down the book as a whole.

I am still very interested in reading this author’s work in the future despite my reservations about this one. My husband really enjoyed her other book, The Seep, so I hope to check that out later this year.

Inelegant Mashup of Erotica, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Giver

Even at 38, I blush 38 shades of crimson if I have to utter the word “sex” so we will have to see what euphemisms I can come up with in this review. Shall we?

The Thick and The Lean is a dystopian novel set on a planet with two moons. Readers follow two young women, Beatrice and Reiko.

Beatrice lives in a religious movement named Seagate where calories are restricted, but Beatrice is dying to live a flavorful life.

Reiko is a poor student, attending college on scholarship. What will Reiko learn when she spreads her wings?

I loved the idea of this book, but the execution left much to be desired.

At least half of this book is about getting in the birthday suit. In the Advanced Reader Copy (“ARC”) which might be different than the final version, “sex” is mentioned 49 times. The relationships felt v. superficial because characters would essentially lock eyes, do the deed, and declare love. And The Steam wasn’t even that good.

The book is overly ambitious, trying to squeeze in as many hot-topic social justice issues as possible: climate change, religion, food relationships, higher educations, even GMO’s. However, you know the saying, “When you try to please everyone, you won’t make anyone happy?” Yep. That is this book.

The author does a poor job crafting the narrative thread. The two character arcs are not evenly balanced, and the book covered too much time. Characters are introduced and then forgotten, very limited development.

The worldbuilding is entirely underwhelming, and this is coming from someone who prefers realistic fantasy. We know very little about the new world and its history. A lot of the worldbuilding seems to be borrowed from other novels and isn’t particularly unique or interesting.

A book that needs a counter for how many times characters indulge in “afternoon delights/funny business/getting lucky” and has a message but gets lost

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This is a fantastic book. Is it perfect? No, but that actually lends itself to the book. I continue to think about this book, and if that doesn’t denote a good book, I don’t know what does. Set in a world where the oceans continue to rise, there is a distinct line between the haves and the have nots. The religion makes food and eating taboo but sex is public, often and normal. We follow two young women living very different lives, but both heavily impacted by an old, banned book that talks about when the religion was in its infancy. Reiko is a thief and con artist that is always looking for her next big con even as she tries to settle into her fake life(s). Then there is Beatrice who loves food but grew up in a corporate cult that doesn’t want its members to eat at all to be closer to God. This isn’t a book of heavy action, but it explores heavy topics like religion, corporate greed, taboos and classism. Read this if you want to think about said heavy topics and you are not squeamish about disordered eating or sex.

**Full review to be posted closer to publication!**

The Thick and the Lean is a fascinating look at a world in which food and eating are taboos and sex is viewed as natural, somewhat public, and full welcomed part of life. It took me quite a while to really adapt to this world where so many social norms of our own world are flipped on its head. And as much as there are a lot of differences, there were also plenty of similarities that felt all too real (looking at you, college debt). This book wasn't quite what I expected, but it also worked surprisingly well. There was something about it that didn't quite work for me, and I'm still trying to put my finger on just what that was, but overall I found this compelling and a truly fascinating thought experiment of what a world like this might be like to live in.

This is a phenomenal read that creates a whole new way to view sexual and eating habits! They are something that can be compared, and a truth about one can lead to a truth about the other. This spins both issues out in much different ways than how our world typically views them.

Sex is something that is a freedom in this book. An appetite to be sated. While the joy of food and flavor is viewed as the opposite. The two main characters go through different aspects of this. I feel like the ending does a good job of summing this wild story up.

Out April 18, 2023!

DNF very early on, unfortunately. I love the premise and the opening chapter, but as it progressed it was clear none of the characters were likable and it was hard to get attached to the story. Perhaps I'll try again once I've had some time away from it.

This novel trades traditional societal view of eating with sex. If that sounds confusing, so are the first few chapters but this somewhat parallel universe is thought provoking and worth exploring.

Reiko and Beatrice help the reader explore this world through their various stations in life. Beatrice lives in a cult-like compound with her family where each calorie is counted while desperately craving real food. Reiko goes to school in the Middle where she learns life is unfair no matter where you live.

If you’re looking for a dual perspective novel dissecting societal norms and taboos about eating and sex, you might be interested in this book!

I loved "The Seep" because it was an original story with great writing. That continues in "The Thick and the Lean," but these characters and plot didn't work for me in particular. Her vision of a world where food is taboo and sex is a public act is certainly unique. The disconnect for me was switching from Beatrice's to Reiko's. Beatrice's story was the food/sex one, and Reiko's was about class differences. It felt like reading two different stories rather than a cohesive unit. They may come together later, but I decided not to finish this book as it's just not to my personal taste.

I'll absolutely be reading more from this author because I think she's one of the most unique voices in dystopia out there.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really interesting book. I was unsure of it at first but the more I read the more I loved it. The concept was solid and the different perspectives really enhanced the story. I did wish the book was a bit darker but that is just a personal thing.

After I was sent an E-ARC of this i was really excited bc I thought the concept of this story sounded amazing. Sadly. for me personally, the execution fell flat. I don't even necessarily know how to put into thoughts what exactly didn't work for me. The story just kind of felt very static (not in a "nothing happened" way, more in a the story didn't move forward or backward way. Also something felt slightly off with the way the message of the story was executed. While the concept of a world full of religious fanatics, who won't eat sounded really interesting, the execution was often either very on the nose or nothing was done with it. At the same time the worldbuilding also felt very incoherent bc the oversexualisation of the society somehow didn't fit for me. It could be that some things just didn't work for me bc i didn't grow up in a religious fundemantalist surroundings (or even around particularly religious people of any kind)
Lastly something just felt weird to me about the way Reiko's facial features were described, idk if that was just me tho.

I read about the first twenty percent before realizing this book is not for me. I rarely ever like this type of dystipian story and I think they work better as short stories rather than full-length novels.

If you related to books like Talia Hibbert's The Brown Sisters trilogy or One to Watch by Kate Stanton-London for their positive depiction of plus size women falling in love, you need to read this one. The Thick and the Lean is the radical fat acceptance book for all 90's babies.

I will admit that I found this book hard to get into. I was about a third of the way through before it captured my interest. But, with all pun intended, I DEVOURED it from there after. This book offered social commentary on disordered eating, religious extremism, capitalism, and racism in truly the most unique way. I have suffered with an eating disorder since I was literally a child, mainly because of the way society views body size and health.

I grew up very similarly to the main character Beatrice. Beauty was intrinsically linked to body size. Hunger was demonic. Enjoying food to simply enjoy it was a base, shameful feeling. However, The Thick and the Lean takes it to a whole new level adding in a level of religious fervor to the anorexia. Not only was needing food a moral failing, but in Beatrice's world, it also affected your godliness. The book does a fantastic job of highlighting how restriction-based diets affect the person psychologically. The second main character, Reiko, has a roommate who hoards food in her closet and suffers from bulimia, All of these are symptoms of restriction. As soon as the restrictions are lifted, the person turns to binging and has no ability to self-regulate. Wrap all of this up into the shame culture surrounding religion and that is a recipe for disaster (again pun intended).

Watching the two very divergent paths Beatrice and Reiko follow through life was incredibly interesting. Beatrice learns to follow her own path and to how to love herself in her own skin. She accepts herself and runs away from her cult-ish island to pursue her passion of becoming a chef. Reiko, who grew up in the slums of the country, seized her opportunity to a university scholarship for computer science. The two of them with such similar starts, couldn't experience life in more different ways. Beatrice accepts the flaws of society and that she will never fit in. Reiko only grows to resent the world and becomes a grifter to float her way up through the ranks. You will need to read this book for yourself to see who is happier and more self-fulfilled. Also there is a grand reveal in the epilogue that will make you RAVENOUS for the next book.

Anyone who grew up in the early 2000's with the great monster of diet culture seriously needs to read this book. I will leave it here with my favorite quote of the book: "This body was not decorative, it was not slight, it was not willowy, it was not thin. This body took up space, this body made things. This body was her home." "I owe you an apology," she said into the mirror, her eyes streaming with tears.

Probably the first thing that is helpful to know about this book is that the term dystopia fits. Sex, eating, shame, religion, rebellion, it is all in here. I think if you have issues around disordered eating in particular you should skip this book. The dystopia in this book is harsh.
If that doesn't put you off reading this book, then know that the book is also excellent. The characters are complex. The world they inhabit is well described by the author and easy to picture. I found this book provocative, tense, and absorbing. I read it is just a few sittings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for an ARC of this book. The review above is my honest opinion.

I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This novel is based on an interesting premise but failed to capture my attention with any of the characters. I persevered in reading to the midway point but decided that I couldn't finish the story.

This book was super interesting and beautifully written (I especially loved the excerpts from "The Kitchen Girl"), but somehow I feel like I didn't really understand it's message? Maybe I need to re-read sometime.

Remarkably witty and enjoyable to read. I had a struggle with understanding the ‘why’ if it but maybe that was asking a question the book wasn’t meant to entertain.