When I reach eight and a half stone... I will be able to shop in Topshop. I will be able to go swimming and not displace all the water and create a tsunami. I will fit in changing rooms without banging my elbows or exposing the moon of my arse through the curtain when I bend over. I will be able to fit behind the narrow benches at Ronnie Scott's to listen to jazz instead of being offered a chair at the end of the row. I'll be able to see my toes, which I haven't seen since 1996 without the aid of a selfie stick. I will be promoted and not have my desk moved to inside the stationery cupboard for being off-brand.
What did I think?
This has to be one of the funniest books I have ever read; I was laughing so much I had tears running down my face just from reading the very first page. I mean I've always been suspicious of anyone who is able to whittle down their favourite chocolates to create a Top 10 so I have total respect for Pamela's honesty. With a sweet tooth like mine, I don't think I could even narrow it down to a Top 20 but my number 1 will always be Maltesers, which is something I have in common with Pamela; she's a woman with great taste!
Unfortunately for Pamela, she may have great taste in chocolate but she certainly doesn't have great taste in men. A lot of this is down to her own self-confidence and her unhappiness with her body; they do say that in order to be loved you must love yourself. As someone who has struggled with her weight for many years, I could totally relate to Pamela and found it completely heartbreaking. It's not very pleasant when you're constantly dieting and depriving yourself, especially when it seems like you can put on weight just by looking at a slice of cake.
As much as I found some of Pamela's stories funny, especially written with Liz Jones' amazing side-splitting sense of humour, it is very sobering at times when reading Pamela's innermost thoughts and insecurities. Many women think that they're unloveable because they don't have the perfect body but I think it's good to remember that the perfection we are striving to achieve is more than likely an airbrushed fabrication. It really made me think about how we judge each other unfairly when somebody may be over or underweight due to an underlying health condition.
I experienced a full spectrum of emotions when reading 8 1/2 Stone from laugh out loud funny to heartachingly poignant. I'll never be able to pick up a copy of Marie Claire magazine again without laughing; I keep calling it the same name as Pamela and even typed it wrong at first. A well deserved 5 stars for this brutally honest and absolutely hilarious debut from Liz Jones; this book needs to be on every woman's bookshelf.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
About the author:
Former Marie Claire editor-in-chief Liz Jones’ debut comic novel is inspired by her own long-term struggles with an eating disorder and takes an honest look at how women view their bodies, and themselves.
Liz has millions of readers across the world and was shortlisted five times in the last six years as Columnist of the Year at the British Press Awards and Columnist of the Year 2012 at the BSME awards. Editor-in-chief of Marie Claire - where she ran a high profile campaign to ban skinny models - fashion editor at the Daily Mail and now columnist at the Mail on Sunday, Liz grew up in Essex, and now lives in Richmond Yorkshire.
Follow Liz:
Website: https://www.lizjonesgoddess.com/
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