Review - Fitness Junkie
Fitness Junkie
by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza
release date 7/11/2017
304 pages
Chapter length: short
3 out of 5 stars
According to the publisher, "When Janey Sweet, CEO of a couture wedding dress company, is photographed in the front row of a fashion show eating a bruffin--the delicious lovechild of a brioche and a muffin--her best friend and business partner, Beau, gives her an ultimatum: Lose thirty pounds or lose your job. Sure, Janey has gained some weight since her divorce, and no, her beautifully cut trousers don't fit like they used to, so Janey throws herself headlong into the world of the fitness revolution, signing up for a shockingly expensive workout pass, baring it all for Free the Nipple yoga, sweating through boot camp classes run by Sri Lankan militants and spinning to the screams of a Lycra-clad instructor with rage issues. At a juice shop she meets Jacob, a cute young guy who takes her dumpster-diving outside Whole Foods on their first date. At a shaman's tea ceremony she meets Hugh, a silver fox who holds her hand through an ayahuasca hallucination. And at a secret exercise studio, Janey meets Sara Strong, the wildly popular workout guru whose special dance routine has starlets and wealthy women flocking to her for results that seem too good to be true. As Janey eschews delicious carbs, pays thousands of dollars to charlatans, and is harassed by her very own fitness bracelet, she can't help but wonder: Did she really need to lose weight in the first place? A hilarious send-up of the health and wellness industry, Fitness Junkie is a glorious romp through the absurd landscape of our weight-obsessed culture."
If you are looking for a serious commentary on how 'diet culture' has become an acceptable, yet malignant part of our culture, then this is absolutely not the book for you. However, if you are a 15-65 year old woman who has, at some time or another, struggled with body image, then I think you will enjoy this book.
The main criticism that I read of this book is that some people wanted it to be more serious, or make more of a definitive statement about how we should all accept ourselves just the way we are. For me, the best part of this book lies in its lightheartedness. Fitness Junkie is a tongue-in-cheek take on the feeling of not liking how you look or feel, which I truly think we can all relate to. When you're feeling down because your jeans are too tight, the best thing to do is have a good laugh and remember that numbers on a scale aren't the most important thing in life, which is exactly what this book will leave you with.
This book is a silly, fun read. The characters are likable, the ending wraps up nicely, and it is an easy read that goes by quickly. It only gets three out of five stars from me because, while I liked it, it's definitely not something that I would read again, as I think I got everything I can from it in one reading.
I'd recommend this book to women of all ages. You will definitely find something to relate to in here!
P.S. The book picture was taken by my friend Jasmine Bella. Check her out on Instagram to see more of her photos!
by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza
release date 7/11/2017
304 pages
Chapter length: short
3 out of 5 stars
According to the publisher, "When Janey Sweet, CEO of a couture wedding dress company, is photographed in the front row of a fashion show eating a bruffin--the delicious lovechild of a brioche and a muffin--her best friend and business partner, Beau, gives her an ultimatum: Lose thirty pounds or lose your job. Sure, Janey has gained some weight since her divorce, and no, her beautifully cut trousers don't fit like they used to, so Janey throws herself headlong into the world of the fitness revolution, signing up for a shockingly expensive workout pass, baring it all for Free the Nipple yoga, sweating through boot camp classes run by Sri Lankan militants and spinning to the screams of a Lycra-clad instructor with rage issues. At a juice shop she meets Jacob, a cute young guy who takes her dumpster-diving outside Whole Foods on their first date. At a shaman's tea ceremony she meets Hugh, a silver fox who holds her hand through an ayahuasca hallucination. And at a secret exercise studio, Janey meets Sara Strong, the wildly popular workout guru whose special dance routine has starlets and wealthy women flocking to her for results that seem too good to be true. As Janey eschews delicious carbs, pays thousands of dollars to charlatans, and is harassed by her very own fitness bracelet, she can't help but wonder: Did she really need to lose weight in the first place? A hilarious send-up of the health and wellness industry, Fitness Junkie is a glorious romp through the absurd landscape of our weight-obsessed culture."
If you are looking for a serious commentary on how 'diet culture' has become an acceptable, yet malignant part of our culture, then this is absolutely not the book for you. However, if you are a 15-65 year old woman who has, at some time or another, struggled with body image, then I think you will enjoy this book.
The main criticism that I read of this book is that some people wanted it to be more serious, or make more of a definitive statement about how we should all accept ourselves just the way we are. For me, the best part of this book lies in its lightheartedness. Fitness Junkie is a tongue-in-cheek take on the feeling of not liking how you look or feel, which I truly think we can all relate to. When you're feeling down because your jeans are too tight, the best thing to do is have a good laugh and remember that numbers on a scale aren't the most important thing in life, which is exactly what this book will leave you with.
This book is a silly, fun read. The characters are likable, the ending wraps up nicely, and it is an easy read that goes by quickly. It only gets three out of five stars from me because, while I liked it, it's definitely not something that I would read again, as I think I got everything I can from it in one reading.
I'd recommend this book to women of all ages. You will definitely find something to relate to in here!
P.S. The book picture was taken by my friend Jasmine Bella. Check her out on Instagram to see more of her photos!
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