BOOK REVIEW : Conversations With The Fat Girl by Liza Palmer

If you were to ask the average female what they didn't like about their body, their list would probably be endless. The gossip mags always contain this week's trendy diet, but many of us now face these with an air of defeated contempt - if the cabbage soup didn't work then there's no chance of the smoothies being any better. So when weight and self image is a topic that dominates many girly chats is it something we really want to read about? Liza Palmer obviously thinks we do - its the theme of this, her debut novel.

Maggie weighs more than she wants to. This is nothing new, it seems as though she's been looking at other people and their perfect figures all her life. At school it wasn't so bad, she had her best friend Olivia who was also overweight. To be perfectly honest if it wasn't for their mutual weight problems they'd probably never have become friends - but the social hierarchy forced them together. These days though Olivia is a size 6, though this was after gastric bypass surgery.

Life for Olivia seems to be pretty perfect, she's just about to get married to her Mr Right. Maggie however is starting to feel like life's passing her by a little. Everyone else is a bit smarter, a bit more motivated, a bit thinner - how can she even think of competing? Her boss at the coffee shop is driving her mad, but she can put with him and the monotony of the work - all the more time to drool over the gorgeous Domenico.

As Olivia's wedding draws nearer and nearer Maggie starts to question whether Olivia's life is actually that much better than her own. Maybe the figure she is craving isn't the solution to her problems after all.

I really enjoyed this book. As a person who has had weight issues I found I could really identify with Maggie at times, though other times I found myself yelling at her to stop being so wet. I don't think though that this is a book that only people who have or who have had weight problems will enjoy. The theme that dominates is that of friendship, and of how friendship changes with time.

The plot and characters of this book are highly convincing, making it a thoroughly enjoyable read. I think this could make a great book for a reading group to discuss, or just enjoy it on your own.

Rating : 4 out of 5

Like this? Try 'The Perfect 10' by Louise Kean.

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