Being in my twenties and a fan of bestseller Meg Cabot's much-loved teen lit, I was delighted to come across this recent release in my local bookstore. Nestling amongst the other chick-lit offerings and displaying not only a cute cover, but an interesting title and the promise of a mystery to boot – well, who was I to say no? It would beat having to sneakily conceal The Princess Diaries behind a tabloid on my daily commute, anyway.
Basically, Size 12 Is Not Fat jumped out at me like a ten-foot slice of gateau covered with chocolate sprinkles.
Mmm... Inviting...
Heroine Heather Wells is a 28-year-old ex-pop star who, after having discovered her boy band fiancée doing the dirty with upcoming star Tania Trace and seeing her mother flee the country with her manager and life savings, is forced to take a job as a dormitory – sorry, residence hall –assistant, overseeing students at nearby New York College. Despite her troubled past, as well as a complimentary weight gain, life isn't all that bad – especially as Heather has lovely private-investigator housemate Cooper to lust after.
However, when two female students are suddenly found dead in what appear to be tragic dares-gone-wrong, Heather is certainly not convinced. Because, quite frankly, 'girls don't elevator surf.'
Cue a vital desire to solve the mystery of Fischer Hall, which appears to land Heather in a bit more trouble than she actually expects. But with her pop career having taken a nose-dive and no man in tow, surely it's time for the former Queen of Teen to stop reminiscing and start concentrating on the present? Which, it seems, could land her in some serious danger if she's not careful.
Size 12 is a light, fun read, and once started, it's rather hard to put down. The book concentrates on the whole mystery rather than the past celeb life of Heather, which was one aspect I feared. Chick-lit fame tales are hardly a rarity right now. But hey, Size 12 is far from it – Heather is down-to-earth and lovable.
Still, there is one problem I came across whilst reading this. Despite Heather being almost thirty, the book reads like a teenage novel. The language used and attempts at mature wit will cause a mental debate over whether or not our heroine is actually fifteen. This of course works well with Meg's teen novels (All American Girl, the Mediator series, to name but a few) yet this adds an unfortunately childish feel to what is marketed at us older fans. Trust me, this book was not in the teen section of WH Smith. Just a warning.
Even so, it's a definite page turner and for any fan of Cabot, it's a must-read. It's cute, it's addictive, and will make you feel compelled to scour Meg's blog on a daily basis waiting for news of more (okay, maybe it's just me, then…)
But yes, once again Ms Cabot has unleashed another pleasing and downright fabulous offering into our grasp. Can't fault that! [Danielle Symonds-Yemm]
Rating : 4 out of 5
Like this? Try Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson or Can You Keep a Secret? Sophie Kinsella
