September 19, 2011
Set in Kingston, England, Russell’s clever satire centers on plus-size Sharon Plunkett, who has spent her entire life struggling with her weight. After diets and diet books fail her, she seeks out miracle worker Dr. Marvel, who promises her a pill that will change her life. When she takes it, she finds herself in a world where fat is revered and thin is decried. Soon big, beautiful Sharon becomes a supermodel, dates sexy male celebrities, and starts making tons of money. However, this does nothing to improve her situation with her ailing father and jealous stepmother, nor with her unrequited love, Simon. When her fortunes (and figure) change, Dr. Marvel offers her a choice: would she rather be fat in a world where skinny is supreme or skinny in a world where fat rules? In her debut novel, Russell (2007’s The Rainbow Weaver, an illustrated children’s book written with her then 10-year-old daughter Tippi)offers an enlightening take on the extremes of women’s obsession with body image, as well as fantastic characters. In the end, the novel is a female fantasy, where the women are glorified for their curves while the men are physically perfect.
November 1, 2011
Sharon Plunkett's weight has been a constant source of anxiety. She has tried every diet, pill, and cream, but the needle on the scale refuses to budge. Bombarded with advertising images of stick-thin women selling everything from yogurt to diamonds, Sharon has become increasingly frustrated by herself and her surroundings. When she comes across a too-good-to-be-true treatment in the back of a magazine one day, she figures she has nothing to loseexcept for all that weight. Surprisingly, the highly unorthodox treatment changes more than Sharon's weight. It changes her entire life. Russell's first novel is a clever satire of today's celebrity-obsessed, thin-is-in world. Sharon is a highly sympathetic narrator, and this poignant Cinderella tale comes with some decidedly hard truths. The novel is a beach-friendly read, but clever observations give the fanciful tale solid footing. Fans of Jane Green and Megan Crane will find a kindred spirit in Russell as her sharp and richly textured novel confronts a variety of image-related themes with wit and humor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)