Very rarely in the women's fiction genre do you find a book that elicits such strong responses as Jane Green's 'Jemima J'. This truly is the kind of book you love or hate. I was one of many who read it in a state of pure disbelief, but felt so compelled to finish it that it was impossible to put down. It's easy to misconstrue it as a ridiculous tale with the moral 'being thin will make you happy', but it's not quite that simple...
Our heroine - and just about the only endearing character in the entire novel - Jemima Jones is overweight, lonely and desperately unhappy. Fed up with her food-fuelled life she embarks on the most drastic of make-overs, which involves all the usuals; a diet, a gym membership, a new hairdo and a soul-searching trip to LA. In her quest to become thin and happy, her obsession with her appearance becomes so great that she eventually becomes one of the unhealthily skinny girls she hated so much before. And that's where the real make-over begins.
The moral isn't as simple as 'thin makes you happy', because it's Jemima's internal struggles with her confidence that make the real changes in her life. Sadly, the story isn't presented in the best way possible, so that isn't as clear as it could be. The fault possibly lies with the character of Ben, the supposed love interest who doesn't give Jemima the time of day until she's skinny (quel surprise). The novel is also written in an oddly disjointed writing style which flits between first and third person for no apparent reason and just adds to the general confusion.
If you've ever dieted, struggled with your weight or had confidence problems, Jemima J is worth reading just so you can make your own mind up about it. This is a cautionary tale about going too far, but it's also a bit of a kick in the teeth whether you're fat or thin. And perhaps that's the point? Maybe we're all as bad as each other, no matter what we look like?
