An expertly crafted novel that explores shame, the taboo, religious trauma, and so much more. As a huge fan of The Seep by Chana Porter, I knew I had to pick up this book. It felt immensely personal and nuanced, and in a not-quite-reality parallel universe setting made this story incredibly immersive and engaging. A tough read at times given the metaphors between the book's relationship with food and reality's relationship to sexuality in Western Christianity-dominated cultures, but definitely worth the read. A huge thank you to Gallery Books for sending a free eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'll be posting about this on my instagram closer to publication!

Some content notes to be aware of: eating disorders, mention of suicide, shame, bigotry, emotional abuse by family, fatphobia

The Thick and the Lean is a challenging book to read. I started reading time after time but the subject couldn’t keep my interest. I went back to the book time and time again, and having now invested over a month and reading only 20%, finally admitted I will not finish the book. I just couldn’t relate to the characters or the setting.

I loved Porter's "The Seep" but this book was difficult. The writing is excellent, but its extremely hard to read and not relapse into unhealthy thought patterns. That doesn't make it bad, but it made it bad for me, and while I think that this book will have its readers, I will have a difficult time recommending it.

Two young girls struggle in a society that praises abstaining from food over everything else.

Chana Porter's THE THICK AND THE LEAN was original and gripping. This sci-fi novel thinks carefully about the extremes of where diet culture could go. While it was hard to invite diet culture into my free time, I really enjoyed this weird and cool and imaginative read.

The Thick and the Lean was a book thats synopsis and stunning cover caught me…however I found that am not the audience for this book the moment I started reading it. And DNF at around 20%

This book might have hit a little too close to home for me and I think if it was a short story I could have pushed on.

Thank you for the ARC

This novel's dystopian twist on a puritanical society was amazing to read, though I had to put it down multiple times as I can only take so much dystopia and/or controlling christofascism in my fiction reading these days (thanks to nonfiction/the real world for this...). Porter's points are well-taken, and her writing is meditative and lyrical, as it was in 'The Seep,' Also, as an aside, this cover is stunning, and I hope it entices many, many folks to dive into the contents.

The Thick and the Lean was a book that I was intrigued by, but realized that I am not the audience for this book the moment I started reading it.

This book might have hit a little too close to home for me. There's also a lot of sexual situations.

I DNF'd the book at 40%. Maybe I'll go back and give it another chance if it comes out on audio.

CONTENT WARNING: emesis, bulimia, racism, mention of colonialism, fat-shaming, eating disordered thoughts, suicide, self-harm, blood, violence, murder, ableism and erasure of disabled people

I completely fell for the beautiful cover of this book, and seem to always be judging books by their cover. In this case, it worked out well for me, since this was a rather intriguing book that I couldn’t put down. While it isn’t quite a fantasy or sci-fi book, it’s definitely a dystopian society that incorporates elements of both, and kept me wanting to learn more about it.

Porter has created a society that operates on varying levels of complexity. There’s racist overtones, elements of colonialism, classism, and a religion-based society where food has become taboo, while sex is an acceptable pleasure to indulge in. There’s some degree of mobility between the classes, and society is stratified between the Bastian (the lowest level), the Middle, and Above, where the ultra wealthy live.

We’re initially introduced to Beatrice, who is a young woman living in Seagate, a community founded upon the religious principles. However, she’s struggling with inner desires that she’s always been told are wrong—she wants to eat food that has flavor, complexity, the kind of foods that stimulate her tastebuds. And so she starts on a journey that leads her away from everything she ever knew to indulge her passion for food.

The other main character is Reiko, who is from the Bastian, but earns an academic scholarship in the Middle. She succeeds beautifully at her studies, but when the school pulls her scholarship, she finds herself between a rock and a hard place—put herself into staggering amounts of debt to complete her education or return to the Bastian as a failure. Instead, she creates an alternate path in which she embarks on a life as a cyberthief.

Along the way, both of these characters come across a copy of an illegal book, written centuries ago, and snippets of this book are inserted into the story. I really liked these excerpts, which came across much like a fairy tale combined with a history book. I was kind of expecting the paths of the two main characters to cross at some point in the story, and they don’t exactly intersect much, although they do come into contact at one point. However, their character arcs seem to cross over more than anything else, as these two women both decide to buck tradition and forge their own paths in a world that is focused on denial of specific desires while indulging others.

While the last part of the book shows the most growth for one of the characters, it also felt like the weakest part of the story. It seemed like the author was trying to do a lot with the book, and it was almost as if it was maybe too ambitious, but it didn’t necessarily detract from what the story was. Overall, this was a fantastic and light read that was fast-paced and intriguing. And it got me curious about Porter’s previous book, so that should keep me busy for a while.

A stunning, original dystopian fantasy that dives deep into the world of haves and have-nots where food, sex (and there is a lot of it, so if you are prudish, steer clear), and religion are as much a character as Beatrice and Reiko. The premise is utterly unique, but even in a world where morals are flipped on their head, humans still want the same things--love, friendship, respect, and freedom. The book doesn't wrap up nicely, just like life rarely wraps up in ways we would prefer. The characters are always, like we are in life, grappling with their choices, making difficult decisions, and forging forward. Sometimes those decisions have harsh consequences, but sometimes, just like in life, those harsh consequences might leave us better off than where we started. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book in all its discomfort, loving the strong female leads, and oh! all the food! The only thing missing, in my mind, is the companion cookbook that expands upon the myriad of flavors on the page.

I really liked The Seep, and I appreciate Chana Porter's writing so much. I'll definitely check out whatever she writes next. However, this book was not for me! I understand the theme and message that the author was going for, and I like the concept. Maybe I would have liked this more as a short story. This is a case where I will probably recommend the book to others even though I disliked it personally since my issues were personal discomfort with the subject matter and not a criticism of the actual writing. Also, for review transparency, I did not completely finish the book so I don't know how it ends.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book was really great as someone who enjoys dystopian and sci-fi esque books. I think the social commentary is very timely and I really enjoy the intersectionality of a lot of the issues that were covered. It does a great job at taking a macro look at fatphobia and racism in what is presumably America.

I think some of the world building took a little too long to understand. I was often confused for some parts of the book because there was so much going on. I also think the mention of disability, specifically spina bfida, at the end was too quick. It felt a little rushed and I wished that it was a bigger focus of the book instead of Soley focusing on class.

The story opens well. It doesn’t feel like an information dump, which is a huge win in and of itself considering the world it has to build. That said, I didn’t feel connected or invested to our characters. I stopped at 7%. I noticed the positive reviews mainly shared that it was “gripping from the first line” and since I really didn’t feel that way, I wasn’t motivated to continue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

Review of eGalley

In a future world, in Seagate, a religious town created to be the flagship town of the Stecopo Corporation, the people believe abstaining from food brings them closer to God. Despite the Corporation’s efforts to control everything that the Seagate citizens eat [and the religious community providing the support they need to do this], there are those who resist.

Beatrice Bolano, hungry and fascinated with forbidden foods [such as butter], is captivated by the smells, textures, and tastes of cooking and wishes to become a chef. But the citizens of Seagate consider restaurants, now driven underground, taboo. Can Beatrice find a way to fulfill her desire to cook?

Recipient of a technology scholarship, Reiko Rimando leaves home for college. But then, in the midst of her studies . . . and despite her flawless academic performance . . . the college pulls her scholarship. Should she switch her focus from her tech studies to art? Could she even contemplate staying at school without the scholarship funds?

In what might be a bit of irony, both Beatrice and Reiko come across a book, Ijo’s “The Kitchen Girl” and find within its pages both inspiration and strength to pursue what makes them happiest.

In a world where corporate greed dominates, can Beatrice and Reiko find their way to a life of freedom? And what of Ijo’s book?

=========

In this futuristic world where rising tides have washed away much of the land, food is not to be enjoyed [or eaten in public] and the less one eats, the better. On the other hand, pleasure is everything so sex, anywhere and everywhere, with anyone, at any time, is perfectly permissible.

While Beatrice struggles with her family’s unshakable faith, Reiko struggles with her low class. With class divisions and marginalization still part of the culture, readers may wonder if this society has simply traded one set of taboos for another. The distribution of wealth remains unequal; climate disasters remain [presumably putting foodstuffs in short supply], and women are still subservient. Sadly, it seems as if one set of prejudices has simply taken the place of previous biases.

Both Beatrice and Reiko want to fit in, but in their own way, on their own terms. Readers may root for them to find their way, but this is probably not a world in which many would wish to exist.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Gallery Books, Gallery / Saga Press and NetGalley
#TheThickandtheLean #NetGalley

The Thick and the Lean surprised me in ways I was never expecting. The story is so unique and the prose are excellent. I truly was gripped by the first few pages and didn't want to put it down, always finding time in my day to pick it up whenever possible. Additionally, count me in for any commentary concerning breaking and crushing capitalism and distaste for women.

The synopsis puts it perfectly, saying that this novel "explored the reclamation of pleasure as a revolutionary act"

This is the first novel I have read from Chana Porter and it certainly will not be my last.
I enjoyed each of the main characters in their own ways, I never lost interest in the story, and I enjoy novels that lean toward the edge of weird yet still are able to convey meaningful discussions, The Thick and the Lean does that beautifully!

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

Oh my! This book was stunning. The storyline, characters, food, thought, detail, and truly everything. I couldn’t put it down and wish I hadn’t finished it. Beyond amazing.

Incredibly fascinating and unable to put down, it’s not just a story of a cult or of food, but of freedom and the struggle of two women to fight and survive in a society in chaos that could easily be ours.

The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter is a look at the possible future of the world where water rises and weather is so unpredictable that there are people and places that discourage eating to the extent that it becomes a religion. It is easy to see how that may happen, there is little land to use for gardens. People need to move to higher ground to keep from drowning. It probably helps to divert attention from the changes in the earth as a harbor of life.

In this world, people have no sexual morals, women become subservient and are used for pleasuring men, or other women, for that matter. There are no mores surrounding sex and love. Eating is frowned upon and does not happen in public. In fact, in the few "underground" restaurants, people as often order food to use as a place to have orgies as they do to eat.

There are those who want to see the world enjoy food as it once did, there is a banned book that circulates underground about a woman from a thousand years previous who cooks, but that was when it was ok to eat. It is also about a return to a time and place where there are kinds of prejudices against kinds of people, just not the same as we have today.

I have spent some time pondering the meaning of this book. It is a look at a future where people lose their anxieties about their future. Maybe it is a cautionary tale about what could be our future if we don't take care.

This book was phenomenal. I love the authors writing style and how descriptive everything was in this book. This was completely different than anything I have ever read and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Fascinating concept, and it was well-executed too. I loved the stylish, elegant writing. The main character's passion and resilience was admirable. I'll absolutely recommend this to people and check out more books from this author.

This was my first book from Chana Porter, but I doubt it will be my last. I adore her writing style, and the way she slowly opens up the world as the book continues, layering more and more details in until at the end you're left with a society that is so detailed, you'd think it really existed. The flip of food and sex's positions in society was startling, but it forced me to re-consider so many aspects of what Porter was discussing. And the way it dealt with religious concepts was fascinating, and how those interconnect with corporations and society. It created an entire subtext of critique that sticks in your mind and doesn't leave you, even after you've put the book down! At times I did feel like the book's messaging felt a little basic, but I don't think it necessarily took away from the book at all. And I wish we got to hear more from Beatrice and understand the path she took a little clearer. I'd like to keep discussing all of the different aspects of this book, but I'm worried I'm going to start veering off into spoiler territory if I do! Overall this was a fascinating book with incredible worldbuilding, and I'm excited to read the rest of Chana Porter's novels.