Thursday, February 26, 2015

Review: Skinny Me by Charlene Carr

Skinny Me
By: Charlene Carr
Release Date: September 5, 2014
Series: A New Start #1

Description:
Jennifer Carpenter dreams of being a different person – A person with confidence, a person with beauty, a person who weighs a heck of a lot less.
At twenty-seven, her world falls apart. She’s out of work, her mother has died, her estranged brother is in a coma and, despite good qualifications, each and every job interview ends in another rejection. Marked by the teasing, taunts, and fat jokes that defined her childhood, Jennifer blames her current lack of success on her ever-growing waist band.
In need of a change, Jennifer puts her dream of ‘skinny’ above all else. Obsessed with this mission, she devotes her life to becoming the ideal version of herself even if it means becoming alienated from the only people who love her. Determined to lose the weight she believes is ruining her life, Jennifer finds herself in danger of losing so much more.
Review:
This book was intense, but in all the good ways.  It made me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time or didn’t want to feel.  It was the kind of book that made you look twice at yourself and how you judge people, how you treat people and most importantly your self-worth.  Everyone is worth something and the sooner you believe you are worth it, the sooner you will be happy.  I don’t know if that made sense but it did to me, lol.

We meet Jennifer who is obese, as well as her mother.  They both depend on one another that is until her mother passes away in a way that makes Jennifer look twice at herself and the choices she is making in life.  Throw in a father who left her for another family and a brother who doesn’t want anything to do with her and you could just image the thoughts she is having.  One day she finally decides to change her life for the better, to make herself healthier is what she tells other people, but really she has a goal and it’s to be perfect.  With lots of work she finally reaches the goal or almost reaches that goal when the realization hits her.  She’s still not happy.

This is an eye opener for her and for readers as well.  It doesn’t matter what you look like, sure it’s great to be healthy but if you are not happy with yourself in general than you will never be happy with yourself.  She has unresolved issues with the way her mother died and the beliefs she held about her mom, but when she takes a step back new things come to life.  I love the line on her mother’s stone that reads “Blessed is this life.  Celebrate being alive”.  Those are the words that Jennifer needs to believe in.  Celebrate life to the fullest because it’s short and you might as well be happy with yourself before you can be happy with anyone else.

This book made me depressed and motivated and inspired all in one, a hard task to achieve.   Overall it was more inspirational than anything because it helped me to remember to celebrate life, otherwise what is this all for?


Definitely an amazing read and I’m looking forward to picking up the second book in this series and continuing on this families journey through life and discovering their happiness. 

Links


Disclaimer:
I received this book from NetGalley and Coastal Lines, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

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