An interesting plot. I’ve definitely not read anything like this. The author played with topics of body positivity, fitness and toxic diet culture in interesting ways. I found the fitness element compelling.

This is a fast-paced, easy read that’s full of unexpected twists. But for me - something was missing. Not my favorite read but entertaining nonetheless.

3.4 rounded down to 3.

I found this much more enjoyable than I originally expected. When I started, it just didn’t feel like something I was going to love since there was a decent amount of what felt like body shaming. However, as the story progressed, I found myself invested in how the story was going to end. There was mystery and suspense and likable characters which kept me going. In the end, it was a solid listen!

It's a psychological thriller, centered around the main character Gemma, who was once over weight and is now competing in a bikini competition. It follows Gemma as she gets ready to compete in this competition but as she's getting ready all these contestants are slowly dying around her and Gemma fears shell be next. It covers a lot a serious themes, and and shares insights on how woman and society in general both push internalized ideas about the appearance. It was definitely a unique thriller for me, it gave insights to the fitness world as well.

I'm just going to start off by saying that this book just wasn't for me.

If i'm being honest it felt silly & extremely predictable. I didn't really like any of the characters besides Ashley & then as the book continued I became annoyed by her too.

I probably would have DNF this one but I wanted to see it through to give an honest NetGalley rating.

This book is was so good. I couldn’t put it down. Blew my mind and recommend it to everyone. This is a murder mystery that involves the diet and fitness world. Gemma is a fitness influencer and Ashley, fat shamed into fighting back as a fat activist.

The author had a very mixed message with their story, and I don't really like either side of this body shaming issues. However I will say that I didn't guess who the killer was and the thriller aspect of the story was good, just not in this context.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Lori Brand, and Blackstone Publishing for my copy of this book

Sadly, Bodies To Die For is not a book for me. I wasn't able to look past the idea of people criticizing someone else’s body for an entire book. The idea of a thriller centered around female body building was and interesting concept and that everyone seemed to have a motive kept me generally interested in the end. I'm sure with the right audience this will be a fun read.

2.5 stars

𝑩𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒐 𝑫𝒊𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒓
𝘣𝘺: 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘪 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥

𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒃: Popular fitness influencer Gemma has transformed herself from a Before into an After, complete with washboard abs, thriving business, and gorgeous husband. But social media can be deceiving. Offline, the cutthroat world of bikini bodybuilding may just eat her alive. That's if she's not first devoured by the secret nemesis that lurks beneath her polished surface, waiting to destroy her.

With breakneck pace and keen insights, Bodies to Die For takes a hard look at social media, the $70 billion diet industry, and the war on women's bodies--the wars we wage with each other, and with ourselves.

𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓: Gemma. I really enjoyed her development, she wasn’t my favorite until the end. She truly has such a great transformation and that was very insightful for me as a woman, and as a woman with daughters.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅: I really liked that this story was a mystery/thriller, but also had some great family and growth aspects along with it. Also as a woman and the pressures we face every day along with ads and media, it was so good to read a story that touched on that and could help someone feel less alone.

𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚: This book was different than any I’ve honestly ever read before. If you are looking for a different kind of psychological thriller you should add this to your list!

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒀𝒐𝒖: NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing-Audio, Lori Brand and
The narrators Jennifer Aquino, Chelsea Stephens, and Joe Hempel for this audio arc.

Read 8/29/24

This was shockingly good. Influencer convention but with bikinis, body builders and.... MURDER. F*ck fad diets and f*ck social media for making women feel like they aren't enough.

Thank you so much Blackstone for the audiobook!

It certainly made my second time reading this even more enjoyable! The narrators were perfect and I especially enjoyed Gemma's voice. I'd highly recommend the audiobook to anyone who enjoys them. My favorite is to read the physical book paired with the audio and this audio definitely kicks the experience up a notch!

My initial review of the book is below.
____

“As long as I don’t do anything stupid like let Fat Gemma out of her cage, or a serial k*iller into my room, tonight is looking promising.”

Gemma is a before and after success story. Once morbidly obese, she is now a bikini fitness competitor at the top of her game with a huge social media following and paid sponsorships. Gemma still has a relentless voice inside her she refers to as Fat Gemma, who is ALWAYS hungry and looking for excuses to eat, eat, eat. Gemma’s biggest rival in her upcoming competition turns up dead, and more strange deaths soon follow. Is someone killing off “fit girls”? Is Gemma next?

Ashley is fat and frustrated with her attempts to lose weight. She’s tried everything and just when she is considering bariatric surgery, she meets a charismatic woman (Lydia) who is happy just as she is and recruits Ashley into the world of Fat Activism railing against Diet Culture. Ashley finds herself empowered, even as she’s dragged into dangerous situations by Lydia. Remember Big Bob drinking the Tyler Durden Kool-Aid? I was gettin Fight Club vibes y’all!

Lori Brand shines a bright light on the diet and fitness industries, and the war of body acceptance in this insightful satire. She perfectly nails the internal voice most of us have that whispers self sabotaging lies. I felt like simultaneously eating a cake and doing a workout! Both Gemma and Ashley are relatable and have a refreshingly honest vulnerability while fighting to find their inner strength.

Bodies to Die For is so wonderfully deranged, you want to be ON the CrAzY train even as it plummets toward wreckage! The pure I n S a N i T y is as addictive as a sugar high. I’ve never met such a huge cast of people OFF. THEIR. ROCKERS! Multiple POVs all over the place and just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, POV shifted to an even more delusional and obsessive mind. I loved every unhinged and humorous minute of Bodies to Die for and inhaled it faster than a protein shake! Lori absolutely crushed her debut thriller.

Bodies to Die For by Lori Brand was a compelling read that delved deep into the complexities of body image, social media influence, and the extremes of diet culture. The novel masterfully intertwines the lives of two protagonists: Gemma, a fitness influencer who has transformed herself from overweight to a celebrated figure in the fitness world, and Ashley, a software engineer grappling with societal pressures and her own body acceptance.

Brand’s portrayal of Gemma’s internal struggles is both authentic and relatable. Despite her outward success, Gemma battles with the remnants of her former self, referred to as “Fat Gemma,” highlighting the persistent nature of self-image issues even after physical transformation. Ashley’s journey, on the other hand, offers a contrasting perspective as she becomes involved with a radical group of fat activists challenging the pervasive diet culture. Her evolution from frustration to empowerment is both inspiring and thought-provoking.

The narrative is fast-paced, with a suspenseful plot that kept me engaged throughout. The mysterious deaths of fitness influencers add a thrilling layer to the story, raising questions about the lengths individuals will go to achieve societal ideals and the potential dangers lurking within extremist movements on both ends of the body image spectrum.

What I found particularly striking was Brand’s unflinching examination of the $70 billion diet industry and its impact on women’s bodies and minds. The novel sheds light on the pressures exerted by social media, the often toxic nature of influencer culture, and the personal battles individuals face in the pursuit of perfection.

Overall, Bodies to Die For is a thought-provoking and fun psychological thriller that challenges readers to reflect on societal standards of beauty, the authenticity of online personas, and the personal cost of conforming to external expectations. Lori Brand’s debut novel is both timely and impactful, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of body image, social media, and personal identity.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the theme of the book... in an age of influencers and social media obsession and body body body obsession, the fitness/fitfluencer space was ripe for a novel. But overall I fel this book was flabby not fit. It felt clunky and sluggish to get through... like when you show up for a workout class expecting one instructor and you get another who is not nearly as good. just meh.

This thriller was a wild ride. There are a lot of characters you get the perspective from and on audiobook that was at times a little confusing and hard to follow. Most of the characters are pretty awful (and a few are conflicted) and there isn’t anyone to really love (Tony was pretty great though), but it was still a good thriller. The two main characters are opposites in so many ways. Gemma is a fitness influencer who lost a ton of weight and now coaches other women trying to change their lives. Ashley is overweight and defeated by never being able to fit into society’s views. This story went in so many directions and while I saw most of the turns coming there were a couple that caught me by surprise. The narrator did a good job bringing characters to life. However you feel about the fitness industry this one is a fun thriller.

This one was not for me. I get very turned off by the general idea of anyone criticizing anyone else’s body let alone a whole book about it. The twist was lacking, I was not invested in the plot or any of the characters. 2.5 rounded up

This was quite a wild ride with some unexpected twists, which I love! Some of these women have seriously disordered eating/thinking about food and exercise which speaks to how our society views people that aren't skinny. This was my 1st book by Lori Brand but it will not be my last!

#BodiesToDieFor
#NetGalley

The idea around this book was interesting and entertaining. I’m not a prude but I’m put off by this books sexual content. It’s not the worse I’ve listened to but again, I’m just not into books with descriptive sexual content.

4.5 stars.

Popular fitness influencer Gemma has transformed herself from a Before into an After, complete with washboard abs, thriving business, and gorgeous husband. But social media can be deceiving. Software engineer Ashley is fat and frustrated with failed diets and a world that wants her to shrink. She falls in with a radical sect of Fat Activists who are fighting back by any means necessary. Gemma and Ashley are on a collision course headed for the Olympia, the bodybuilding competition where futures are made. When Gemma’s toughest rival turns up dead, it’s beginning to look like the body image war has gone too far.

I picked this up because I had seen rave reviews on bookstagram, and I’m glad I did because this was so good!

The plot was truly twisting in this one. Even though it had so many characters and PoVs, I was never confused about who was who, both because of the multiple narrators for the audiobook, and because the characters had different ways of speaking.

I loved how this story covered the opposing perspectives so well - the ‘players’ in the diet industry, and the extremists against body-shaming. It was so ironic that both parties actually approached the issue with the exact same way - through hate!

The storyline was solid, the characters had depths, the whodunnit was unpredictable and the suspense was amazing. I really enjoyed this book, and I think it should be hyped even more!

This was definitely a Bookstagram-made-me-do it and I’m so glad I did! Featuring a fun murder mystery that focused in on the fitness industry. With multiple POVs, each character voices the way the diet culture has influenced them.

🎧I listened to the audio format and loved the cast which pulled me into the story even more.

*many thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This thriller centers around the fitness industry and bodybuilding which I've never seen before in a thriller. I was really excited because it was such a fresh concept. I really enjoyed the characters but did think they needed a bit more development because the relationships just didn't resonate movies made the way I was hoping they would. I did really like the exploration of the fitness industry and all of the problems that come with it. Overall I thought the author did a good job of keeping things interesting but some of the reveals didn't land very hard. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly this thriller, while unique in its premise, didn't work for me. There are so many characters to keep track of, and not one of them was likable - leaving me with no one to root for. One of the hallmarks of a great thriller is making the reader invested in the outcome - who lives and dies and who's doing the killing - even if the characters are morally grey or unreliable. But in this case, I just couldn't muster an ounce of concern or curiosity and was just along for the ride while occasionally scoffing at the over-the-top campiness and preachiness of it all. I think this could have been improved on with some more editing to tighten up the plotting and allow the reader the chance to get invested in the characters' fates.

As it stands, though, Bodies to Die For was a dud with a muddled message.


Trigger/Content Warnings: eating disorders (graphic on page depiction), body dysmorphia, fatphobia, domestic abuse, starvation, stalking, misogyny, slut shaming, objectification, misuse of mental illness terminology, loss of parents, drug use, infidelity, murder