The Thick and the Lean

by Chana Porter

In Lambda Award finalist Chana Porter’s highly anticipated new novel, an aspiring chef, a cyberthief, and a kitchen maid each break free of a society that wants to constrain them.

In the quaint religious town of Seagate, abstaining from food brings one closer to God.

But Beatrice Bolano is hungry. She craves the forbidden: butter, flambé, marzipan. As Seagate takes increasingly extreme measures to regulate every calorie its citizens consume, Beatrice must make a choice: give up her secret passion for cooking or leave the only community she has known.

Elsewhere, Reiko Rimando has left her modest roots for a college tech scholarship in the big city. A flawless student, she is set up for success...until her school pulls her funding, leaving her to face either a mountain of debt or a humiliating return home. But Reiko is done being at the mercy of the system. She forges a third path—outside of the law.

With the guidance of a mysterious cookbook written by a kitchen maid centuries ago, Beatrice and Reiko each grasp for a life of freedom—something more easily imagined than achieved in a world dominated by catastrophic corporate greed.

A startling fable of the entwined perils of capitalism, body politics, and the stigmas women face for appetites of every kind, Chana Porter’s profound new novel explores the reclamation of pleasure as a revolutionary act.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Dystopia, LGBT, Queer

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2023

About the author

Chana Porter, writes the NY Times, “uses incongruity and exaggeration to suggest some midnight-dark truths about human life and endeavor.” She is an emerging playwright, speculative novelist, and education activist. Her plays have been developed or produced at The Flea Theater, Playwrights Horizons, The Catastrophic Theatre, La MaMa, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Cherry Lane, The Invisible Dog, & Movement Research. Houston Press writes “Porter’s type of risky storytelling is, well…. like a lion’s roar in an all too often timid jungle.” She is a MacDowell Fellow, a New Georges Audrey Resident, a Target Margin Artist-in-Residence, and the recipient of Honorable Mention for the Relentless Prize. She is currently writer-in-residence at The Catastrophic Theatre in Houston. Chana is the co-founder of the Octavia Project, a free summer writing and STEM program for Brooklyn teenage girls and non-binary youth. She has taught her embodied creativity course Writing from the Body at University of Houston, Fordham University, Hampshire College, Goddard College, Weber State, and with Sarah Lawrence’s Global Classroom. Her debut novel, The Seep, is forthcoming from Soho Press in 2020.

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inelegant Mashup of Erotica, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Giver

Even at 38, I blush 38 shades of crimson if I have to utter the word “sex” so we will have to see what euphemisms I can come up with in this review. Shall we?

The Thick and The Lean is a dystopian novel set on a planet with two moons. Readers follow two young women, Beatrice and Reiko.

Beatrice lives in a religious movement named Seagate where calories are restricted, but Beatrice is dying to live a flavorful life.

Reiko is a poor student, attending college on scholarship. What will Reiko learn when she spreads her wings?

I loved the idea of this book, but the execution left much to be desired.

At least half of this book is about getting in the birthday suit. In the Advanced Reader Copy (“ARC”) which might be different than the final version, “sex” is mentioned 49 times. The relationships felt v. superficial because characters would essentially lock eyes, do the deed, and declare love. And The Steam wasn’t even that good.

The book is overly ambitious, trying to squeeze in as many hot-topic social justice issues as possible: climate change, religion, food relationships, higher educations, even GMO’s. However, you know the saying, “When you try to please everyone, you won’t make anyone happy?” Yep. That is this book.

The author does a poor job crafting the narrative thread. The two character arcs are not evenly balanced, and the book covered too much time. Characters are introduced and then forgotten, very limited development.

The worldbuilding is entirely underwhelming, and this is coming from someone who prefers realistic fantasy. We know very little about the new world and its history. A lot of the worldbuilding seems to be borrowed from other novels and isn’t particularly unique or interesting.

A book that needs a counter for how many times characters indulge in “afternoon delights/funny business/getting lucky” and has a message but gets lost

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

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[Para (wanderer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idk what people are on about, this is BRILLIANT.
---
The Thick and the Lean is, at its core, an examination of our relationship with healthy eating and thinness through the lens of a society where sex is a casual action you can have in public and at the same time the dominant religion considers food and eating deeply sinful and taboo. It’s slow and thoughtful and absolutely brilliant, and I don’t know where the mixed reception is coming from. I absolutely loved it, and it’s definitely going to be one of my top reads of 2024.

The mindset of equating food and pleasure with sin is taken to extremes in the corporate- and religion-controlled, culty town of Seagate where one of the protagonists, Beatrice, grew up. Everyone is given appetite suppressants and nutritional supplements, weight is closely and publicly monitored, hunger is the absolute moral failing and fatness is worse. Nevertheless she craves food – real, flavourful food. As the community grows increasingly fervent and her secret passion for cooking gets harder and harder to pursue, she is forced to make a decision – conform and give up on her dreams for good, or run away and leave everyone she has ever known.

The other POV is Reiko, an artist and computer science student. Coming from a poor family, she dreams of a better life, and when they randomly take away her scholarship, making her as good as expelled, she decides to make her way by using her knowledge of technology to steal from the rich. Since she is also a member of the Free-Wah ethnic minority who eat openly, her story is less about food (though of course it plays a part, if nothing else by providing another contrast to Flesh Martyrdom) and more centered on capitalism, exploitation, the way even the most disadvantaged can unintentionally perpetuate oppressive systems when they rise to the top, and always striving for something better even at the cost of your soul. And it’s a lot more nuanced and less heavy-handed than my description made it sound. It’s not preachy, it’s very story-forward as you read it, but the themes are undeniably there.

The two perspectives only converge briefly near the end and are barely related aside from both characters stumbling upon the same forbidden book and sharing the same setting and themes. An unconventional choice, and on the first read I definitely preferred Beatrice to Reiko, but it’s also one of these things where the more I think about it, the more it makes sense and the more I appreciate what the author is doing (rare, since usually overthinking and picking a book apart in the process of reviewing leads to lowering the execution rating). Thematically, they complement each other well.

Like any good dystopia, The Thick and the Lean is not about predicting the future, but holding a mirror up to today’s society. Flesh Martyrdom is simply diet culture taken to its logical extreme, the casualness of sex in part a subversion of holding up sex as sacred yet taboo, and part an exaggeration of allonormativity. Their society might be queernormative in the way of not caring what gender someone prefers to have sex with, yes, and sex-favourable to the extreme, all well and good, but it’s made very clear that asexual people and people who don’t have “enough” sex are still treated like shit.

It’s not just food and sex thematically, either – corporate greed, religion, classism, racism and the way marginalised artists are reduced to a single aspect of their identity, it’s all intertwined and there’s little Porter doesn’t touch upon. I like to see an author who actually thinks their premise through, while at the same time not forgetting about the characters and plot. The Thick and the Lean never feels clumsy or forced in the way it juggles all these topics, just thorough. It’s all done skillfully, always compelling and extremely readable. If the premise sounds interesting to you, I can’t recommend it enough – just mind the content warnings!

Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 5/5

Recommended to: anyone looking for an interesting, unique, thoughtful dystopia
Not recommended to: those who don’t like a lot of on-page sex

Content warnings: disordered eating, on-page sexual violence, also the whole “living in a cult” thing

More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Porter's previous novel, THE SEEP, I was excited to see what she did next. Again she has an unusual take on a dystopia, not one that follows the normal rules or restrictions. Here the biggest social taboo is eating, food is for sustenance only, not to be enjoyed. Whereas sex is seen as a normal and public part of life. It is not completely turning society as we know it on its head, but it is a look at appetite and physical pleasure all skewed from the way we usually see it.

That world is an interesting one, with plenty of additional commentary around class. It's enjoyable to watch as Porter builds it through two separate storylines set in very different parts of this world.

For me, sadly, it didn't end up as a cohesive whole. The end felt muddier, less clear on what Porter was trying to say, and less personally connected to the characters and the world. Which was a bit of a bummer since Porter's imagination is so unique, you want to see something substantial come out of it. But I think this was too long, trying to do a few too many things. Not that it'll stop me from reading her in the future, she still has a unique imagination that truly does stand out in speculative fiction.

[Ian Payton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thick and the Lean is, in part, a veneration of food and cooking. Set in a world where eating is taboo, the core characters engage in a surreptitious love of the pleasures and sensations of eating well cooked food. It is also a study in deceit and power.

The plot tracks the progress of the two main characters as they navigate their love of food through a society where there is an extreme disparity between the richest and the poorest, and where there is a burgeoning climate crisis. The parallels with current events is clear, but not at all heavy-handed. For me, the story ended up with too many loose ends, but this is a personal preference and does not detract from the power of the story.

The two main characters have depth and complexity, and felt very real. I found myself drawn to them, and wanting good outcomes - albeit in very different ways for each. The supporting cast was also diverse, although with few being especially memorable.

There are themes that some people may find difficult: disordered eating and relationship with food; a free and relaxed attitude to sex, both in public and outside marriage; and the deceitful conduct of one of the main characters. To me, however, these were all justified, and contribute to the colour and depth of the dystopian world in which the author so successfully explores ideas of exclusion, class disparity, and social power.

Thank you #NetGalley and Titan Books for the free review copy of #TheThickandtheLean in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Kara Babcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I requested the eARC of this book from NetGalley and publisher Saga Press, I was apprehensive. From the publicity pitch alone I was nervous this would be one of those white feminist books that purport to provide deeper commentary on social issues but lack an awareness of intersectionality. Then I learned a bit more about Chana Porter, particularly that they are a Lambda Award winner, and I was reassured. Indeed, The Thick and the Lean is a worthwhile exploration of how we police bodies and minds.

Beatrice was born and raised in the religious community of Seagate. In this world, the prevailing religion views consumption of food in a puritanical way similar to how some conservative branches of Christianity view sex (and sex is, as you might expect, much less policed). Seagate polices food consumption even more intensely than mainstream communities. But Beatrice loves food and discovers she loves to cook, and it isn’t long before she sets her eyes on leaving. Meanwhile, Reiko uses her hacking skills to move up from life in the Bastian to the Middle and eventually sets her eyes on Above. Both women are influenced by a contraband book, a set of stories purportedly written by a kitchen maid who becomes enamoured of a king, which includes illicit recipes. As the years go by, their covert desires shape who they become and the actions they take in a world that seems increasingly fractured and fraught.

Huge content warning of discussions of food/eating disorders, purging, etc.

It is, of course, no secret that women in our society are socialized to have a problematic relationship with food. On the one hand, we are typically expected to take on a great deal of the preparation of food. On the other hand, we are policed and shamed if our bodies don’t fit whatever ideal is popular at the time, which often means we’re encouraged to restrict our food intake. Porter exaggerates these mores into a literal religion in The Thick and the Lean. The complex ways in which Beatrice’s internalized shame around food intersect with her feelings about sex, her attraction to people, her attraction to her own body, etc., are fascinating and really got me thinking about my own relationship to food and eating. Again, this could likely trigger people, even if you don’t necessarily have a history with an out-and-out eating disorder, so practise self-care when reading.

Beyond the literal interpretation of food restriction, of course, there are so many layers here. Beatrice’s membership in a cult or a strict religious denomination, the exit costs of leaving, its effect on her relationship with her parents—there are many ways one could read one’s own experiences into this, whether one is queer, comes from a highly religious community/family, etc. Porter explores the pain of exile and separation (even when voluntary), found family, and more. The parallel paths of Beatrice and Reiko’s lives are fascinating. Both are entranced by this book that they each come to in different ways, yet for very different reasons: Beatrice latches on to the recipes and the freedom promised through cooking; Reiko is fascinated by the rebellious existence of the maid. They are, respectively, the eponymous thick and the lean: Beatrice literally thick from eating, rich with family and connections; Reiko thin, angular, and isolated despite being in a relationship with someone who thinks he loves her.

The story kicks into higher and higher gear, and Porter has her characters grapple with their responsibilities to revolution in each of their capacities. Beatrice, as a chef in a society that marginalizes food, is inherently revolutionary—yet how much is she willing to risk as more and more people protest her proclivity? Reiko has put so much of her energy into creating a sham of a life so real that she has practically become that person, and when she sees her facade in danger of cracking, she has to choose—will she give in, continue being complicit in the literal rising floodwaters that threaten people she grew up with, just because it means an easier life for her personally? Or will she find a way to act?

Reiko’s journey in particular is interesting because, unlike Beatrice, she is not always a likeable character (though I would argue she is usually still sympathetic). I really like how Porter illustrates that oppressed people are not always going to be heroes. Plenty of oppressed people collaborate, oppress others, lash out, or simply try to survive even if that means propping up the system that oppresses them. At the same time, as Porter demonstrates through Reiko, such people always still have the capability to surprise you. We contain multitudes.

I also adored the worldbuilding in this novel, the way that Porter hints at a whole history that we never truly explore. Is this set in a far future Earth (but it has two moons??)? A planet colonized by our distant descendants? Just a different world entirely? In the end the answers don’t matter—this is set dressing, there to help us understand the allegory that Porter wants to tell.

Then there is the story-within-the-story of the kitchen maid. Chapters interspersed between Beatrice and Reiko’s narratives tell us of what happens to the maid and her romance with a king. It’s sweet. It’s a fairy tale too—I think its happy ending is meant to contrast the uncertainty of Beatrice and Reiko’s fates. Stories get wrapped up neatly, whereas real life is seldom so obliging. Beatrice will continue to take leaps of faith, not knowing where she will land. Reiko must reckon with her divided loyalties, her heritage, her desire for a safety that can only ever be illusory.

When you get right down to it, The Thick and the Lean is about the price of happiness. What would you do? Would you leave behind your family and all that you know? Would you steal? Kill? Betray? What does happiness even look like in a society that is antagonistic to your very being? (Oof, that last question hit home for me.)

I’m really happy I picked up this novel. The title and description initially turned me off, yet the author and the first few chapters were enough to change my mind. I will read more of Chana Porter when I can.

Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/05/09/...

Imagine a world where prevailing perceptions of food consumption and sex are reversed from the norm—that is, partaking in the act of eating or cooking is considered illicit, while sexual acts are performed freely, frequently, and publicly simply because it is a natural part of everyday life. This is the foundation upon which The Thick and the Lean is built. Part sci-fi dystopian and part food porn, the novel takes place on a fictional planet and follows the lives of two ostensibly unrelated women who are in fact connected by an ancient book of memoirs and recipes written by a kitchen girl named Ijo many centuries ago.

When the story opens, readers are introduced to Beatrice, born and raised in the cultish community of Seagate with a puritanical attitude towards all things related to food. Her church equates starvation to piety, where suppressing your appetite is worship and being overweight is a sign of overindulgence and excess. However, even her strict upbringing could not suppress Beatrice’s lifelong fascination with food, which she has hidden from everyone since she was a young girl. She loves the idea of cooking all sorts of marvelous dishes, of savoring their many different flavors. What Beatrice desires most in the world is to be a chef, but to realize her dream she must escape Seagate to find a new home more accepting of her predilections. Eventually, with the help of a black-market connection, she gets her chance—but in the face of an unknown world, Beatrice soon discovers there is much to learn beyond figuring out how to achieve her own ambitions.

Meanwhile, interwoven into the narrative are also chapters following Reiko, an aspiring artist from a poor family living in the lowest socio-economic tier. So when she is offered a scholarship to attend a distinguished school in the Middle—which is not quite as exalted as the glittering Above, but still far elevated from her own impoverished background in the Bastian—Reiko is excited to be literally moving up in life. But this initial elation is short-lived. She becomes disillusioned by the other more privileged students who will be handed a degree whether they do the work or not, while she must struggle to maintain her scholarship. And then, even that turns out to be a lie. Rather than go home with nothing, Reiko decides to reinvent herself as a cybercriminal, using her hacking skills to con the rich.

At some point, both Beatrice and Reiko come across a book called The Kitchen Girl, excerpts from which are scattered throughout the novel, timed to provide insight into the happenings in each woman’s life.

While fascinating, The Thick and the Lean is a book whose strengths lie more in its themes than its writing or storytelling. Author Chana Porter is clearly out to explore a certain subset of contemporary issues, with the “far-flung planet” setting serving as a flimsy stand-in for our own modern society. However, despite the ideas themselves being quite compelling, everything else was simply underwhelming. World-building was sparse, just enough to serve the story’s purposes, mainly to establish our characters’ origins and motivations that send Beatrice and Reiko on the trajectories of their respective lives. The plot was also on the weaker side, forced to meander through unnecessary dialogue and drawn-out sequences in order to keep the themes on point while simultaneously going way off script. To be honest, I was actually quite taken with the story when I first started the book, but my interest gradually waned towards the middle—right around the time Porter started losing control of the plot. The various threads felt too disparate, and I wasn’t entirely convinced of the connections between Beatrice and Reiko’s narratives. Heck, I wasn’t even entirely sold on the tenuous links holding together the very different stages of each woman’s life.

That said though, in terms of its potential to be one gigantic metaphor, The Thick and the Lean has legs. It’s not subtle either when it comes to its commentary on current societal ills like corporate corruption, the widening gap between the poor and the ultra wealthy, the exorbitant costs of college, environmental degradation, and so much more. But then there are also themes that touch upon experiences on a more personal level, those dealing with an individual’s struggle with body image or the stigma of eating disorders. In particular, these were the ideas I found unique and entrancing, and the layers of analogies in this book provide much that warrants serious consideration. In fact, I wish more of the story had stayed on the topic of food, exploring the complex relationship that cultures and societies have with the rituals of preparing it and consuming it.

In sum, there are things The Thick and the Lean does well, and places where it falls short. Personally, I place more importance on characters and story when I read, so while Chana Porter’s social commentary and messages on body positivity might come from a good place, they are nonetheless secondary to my enjoyment. Perhaps this is why I feel only lukewarm towards the novel, though I’ll also admit it was quite an eye-opening read. I would recommend trying it out if anything in its description piques your interest.

[Crystal King · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning, original dystopian fantasy that dives deep into the world of haves and have-nots where food, sex (and there is a lot of it, so if you are prudish, steer clear), and religion are as much a character as Beatrice and Reiko. The premise is utterly unique, but even in a world where morals are flipped on their head, humans still want the same things--love, friendship, respect, and freedom. The book doesn't wrap up nicely, just like life rarely wraps up in ways we would prefer. The characters are always, like we are in life, grappling with their choices, making difficult decisions, and forging forward. Sometimes those decisions have harsh consequences, but sometimes, just like in life, those harsh consequences might leave us better off than where we started. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book in all its discomfort, loving the strong female leads, and oh! all the food! The only thing missing, in my mind, is the companion cookbook that expands upon the myriad of flavors on the page.

[Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

China Porter has blown me away with "The Thick and the Lean."

Where SEXUAL appetites are not scrutinized, yet eating for pleasure is considered "TABOO" 🤔 (The scandal....faints)

Porter's imagination is (as they say) one for the books!(YES GIRL!!)

This is one author you dare not sleep on.( WAKE UP!!!)


Thank you, Goodreads Giveaways, and to the author, Chana Porter for this "UNPUTDOWNABLE" book!

#KUDOS!

#GOODREADSGIVEAWAYS!

#WINNER!

#THANKYOU!

[Queralt✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book stems from the big ‘what if’ question of What if sex was something universally encouraged and eating was seen as a sin?

In this scenario, the church would applaud you for your kinky BDSM orgies but shame you for eating a bowl of cereal. This is pretty much the setting in Chana Porter’s book. Eating is something shameful, but Beatrice doesn’t care much about sex, what she dreams about is butter.
This book is a wild mix of themes ranging from criticizing beauty standards, what is seen as ‘normal,’ sapphic relationships (though all women end up with men?), wanting to be accepted (and loved), etc. I think, for the most part, it’s a confused potpourri and it is surprisingly boring. Honestly, it was fast-paced but every chapter had me just wishing it would just get to the point so I could move on. It was trying to do many things and it ended up doing nothing. It was also so focused on the erotic bits that it forgot to develop the characters. In short: this should’ve been a novella.

For the most part, the story was very lost on me. The core ‘what if’ question makes me think Porter thought she had had an original idea, but if we look at our culture, this is what we’re living. I’m asexual, and part of the talks in the asexual community is about how to refuse compulsory sexuality. Here’s a little game for you, next time you watch a movie/TV show, ask yourself what would it be like if you were a sex-repulsed asexual. Some people feel nauseous when they see or read sex. Now think of Game of Thrones, the first episode of Fallout, Euphoria, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I am scared with a few things there but that is a whole other conversation), True Blood. You can’t escape it. We normalize sex. But then watch the same TV shows and what do you see? Attractive skinny women. We’re already bombarded with sex, kinky and vanilla, and we’re pretty much told not to eat. (Like, hi guys, have you heard of Ozempic? Wegovy? People have been historically buying and consuming tapeworm eggs to lose weight). We’re already in this society, sort of, but I don’t think this was ‘the point’ of the book at all. I do think juxtaposing sexual appetite to actual appetite is an interesting concept but the execution was not good (in my opinion).

I just felt this book failed for me because I thought it would criticize some things but it just didn’t, I think Porter thought this was a cool, new, and creative idea. Maybe she’s not on social media and doesn’t consume any sort of books/mass media, idk. I think they were trying to warn us about what corporate greed could do to us by instead of creating food crazes to get our money, creating sex crazes. And creating pills to suppress hunger. But capitalism isn’t doing one thing and canceling the other, capitalistic greed is doing both to cater for both sides.

I don’t know.

- Story: boring. So, so boring.
- Characters: 0 depth. Not likable at all. Different shades of uninteresting and dumb.
- The messages on capitalism/feminism/faith and its control on ’female appetites’: nonsensical and not really grounded.

I can totally see this as an excellent novella where the message was more condensed and only the more eccentric elements of this world were highlighted but as an almost 400-page-long book? Hell no. It had too many flaws, it was just too dispersed and uninteresting for me to care about it. Honestly, there were two chapters where we followed Beatrice just to find out if 1) her family would like the beans she had soaked the night before and 2) if her girlfriend at the time would like her cookbook. How exciting is that? Reiko’s parts were even more boring.

Also, as a side note, I was very confused at the casual and anecdotal inclusion of binge eating disorder in this book, I didn’t quite get the purpose (it was just there one moment with a very flimsy explanation and then forgotten).

Anyways, I’m giving this two stars because that cover is gorgeous.

[Kells Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many reviews have said this already, but I agree that the premise was interesting and the execution left something to be desired. Reiko’s storyline frustrated me, but I see the value of showing internalized oppression in human form, and not all characters need to be likable. I do wish more of the third part of the book would have focused on Beatrice, though I’m not sure what more it could have shown since she remained in the restaurant.

One major complaint I have was minimizing and removing the queer relationships by the third act and having everyone end up with a man or be interested in the opposite sex. It was really disappointing to me, which doesn’t mean Beatrice isn’t still queer because bisexuality and pansexuality deserve representation too, but I just wish one of the two of them (or even any of the side characters!) had ended with someone of the same gender.

Overall, I felt pretty underwhelmed by the end of the book and disconnected with the characters, especially Reiko. The prose is not bad, but the plot and characterization are less solid.

[Ariel (ariel_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An expertly crafted novel that explores shame, the taboo, religious trauma, and so much more. As a huge fan of The Seep by Chana Porter, I knew I had to pick up this book. It felt immensely personal and nuanced, and in a not-quite-reality parallel universe setting made this story incredibly immersive and engaging. A tough read at times given the metaphors between the book's relationship with food and reality's relationship to sexuality in Western Christianity-dominated cultures, but definitely worth the read. A huge thank you to Gallery Books for sending a free eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'll be posting about this on my instagram closer to publication!

Some content notes to be aware of: eating disorders, mention of suicide, shame, bigotry, emotional abuse by family, fatphobia

[Sarah A-F · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I keep struggling with how to review this. The Thick and the Lean is the first I've read of Chana Porter's works and has definitely put her on my radar -- I'm now very excited to pick up The Seep soon. I can see this not working for many, but the themes of sex, queerness, and taboo worked so well for me here. I felt so wrapped up in these stories and connected so strongly with the characters. I just loved this book.

[Kristenelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.

I was so excited to see that Chana Porter had a novel coming out! I LOVED The Seep by them. The surreal, hopeful dystopia really worked for me. This book absolutely lived up to my expectations.

The Thick and the Lean explores themes of desire, spirituality, colonization, climate change, and classism, set in a dystopia somewhere undefined. My interpretation was that it wasn't Earth. There is a cult that treats eating and enjoying food as similar to how many fundamentalist Christians treat lust and sex. The broader society also has similar, if less extreme, values. Chana Porter makes a fascinating contrast where sex and carnal pleasure are completely a nonissue in this society/cult. Adolescents are encouraged to explore their sexuality and each other. But, enjoying food is for the depraved, and those who cave feel immense shame. It really made me stop and think about what makes me feel shame and what doesn't and why.

We follow two (three -ish) point of views. All are young women who are processing their place in society and what they want out of life. One grew up in the cult; the other grew up in the lowest class. Following their lives and choices and perspectives was enjoyable and engaging.

As expected after reading The Seep, The Thick and the Lean continues to have readable, beautiful prose; fascinating, surreal world-building; philosophical supposing; prescient discussion; and plain, enjoyable story-telling.

I knocked off half a star because I felt the ending was weak. The ending felt abrupt and somewhat unsatisfying. However, the whole ride was thoroughly enjoyable and I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books, Gallery / Saga Press for the advanced reader copy.

Content warnings: body dysmorphia, eating disorder, cult, classism, racism, religion, death, dysfunctional family.

[Tori (InToriLex) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this expecting a story about a cult in a world where the wealthy class continues to exploit resources at the cost of human lives. The world of the cult and how this dystopia worked was instead outshined by a character study of the Beatrice and Reiko.

As a fan of dystopia's I always enjoy well thought out world building that comes together. This book however weaves two stories together, but the ending leaves far too many threads untied to be satisfying.

I did enjoy Beatrice and Reiko as characters but the book spent too much time describing the non-taboo sexual appetites' of this world and not enough time making this world feel real or believable. I probably only finished this because it was a audiobook but would have DNFed a print copy.

Interesting premise, bad execution. I really enjoyed Seep the debut from this author but this didn't come together as well as that story and world.

[Angela Landorf · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been so much more than what it turned out to be. The premise is interesting but the execution wasn’t good. On the plus side, it was a quick read.

The book lacked focus. The author should have focused on one or two themes and followed through. Nothing feels complete because the themes were skimmed and not explored. A social issues needs commentary, not just to be brought up and then hot potatoed. I feel like she was trying to hit as many social justice issues as possible to get onto book TikTok or something. Maybe I’m judging a bit too harshly.

Ultimately, I’m really disappointed in this book. I had really high hopes and feel let down.

[Littlebookterror]

"THE THICK AND THE LEAN: In a society where sexual pleasure is mundane but food pleasure is highly taboo, Beatrice knows her life’s work is to become a chef."

color me intrigued.

[Allison Hurd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a lot. It was exploring some really big topics and was skillfully written. However, it was not as carefully plotted. Or perhaps it was, an intentional play with padded sections and skeletal ones. Either way, it never quite gelled for me into something with the same bite as I felt it could have.

CONTENT WARNING: eating disorders, religion, racism

I enjoyed the subversion of control here where appetite, another biological response the same as sexual desire, is the perversion and sex is normal. It played a lot with the fitness culture, with thinness as purity and fat as laziness from a slight angle.

However, I don't think the story stood up by itself because our main characters found it fairly easy to walk away and find a new life with healthier ideals. I think in part it's so hard to make food seem monstrous when our current culture finds it so important and lovely.

An interesting read. I think Porter is a great writer, I just think that perhaps they need a bit more, well, flesh, on their concepts.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved where this one started, and it drifted off about 60% through. Porter's writing hits the spot for me! But i definitely wish this one was shorter. I could of literally done with out Claudia's whole bit. And I actually felt a bit dumb at the end but I'm just not sure what she was getting at.

Honestly would've loved a shorter novel or novella about Beatrice only. But will read anything Porter published from now til 5ever.

[Nicole | bridge four books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Beatrice longs for food: to taste the richness of butter and cream, the scent of spices, and the sweetness of sugar. She dreams of creating delicious meals for her friends and family to enjoy.

Reiko longs for security: the stability it provides and the wealth it offers her family.

Both are trapped and constrained by a dystopian society ruled by beauty, religion, and greed. A world where sex is far from taboo, and eating for pleasure is forbidden. Both must give up the lives they know to find the freedom they crave.

I don't know how to discuss this book, but I can tell you that Chana Porter can write. I cannot wait to read her backlist.

I enjoyed both points of view throughout the book and how it all came together in the end, but I wish we had spent more time with Beatrice as I found her story more intriguing. I thought Porter did a good job telling the story she wanted without being soap boxy.

My overall issue with The Thick and the Lean is it is too long. I think it may have worked better as a novella.

I do think this book is best enjoyed by going in blind. I recommend if you like books with queer representation, books that are a little weird, and books that require a little work.

The Thick and the Lean will not be for everyone, especially for those that dislike the discussion of sexuality and sex scenes in books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Saga Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy]

I couldn't finish this book when it suddenly became clear that it was a wish-fulfillment book for eating disorders and sexual fantasies. It seems to take place on another planet, but the names and foods are all Earth foods. However, the culture and religion has changed. One religion is obsessed with not eating or only eating the bare minimum of unpleasurable foods, shakes, and bars necessary for survival. So, teens rebel by sneaking real food and people apologize for needing to eat to maintain their blood sugar levels. The culture is also extremely open with sex, encouraging their teen children to have group slumber parties at the church and having no problem with people just dropping where they are in public to go at it like animals in the dirt. After about 25% into the book, I started getting more and more uncomfortable with the plot and decided it wasn't worth going on. I snuck a look at some other low reviews, and I'm certainly not alone in the book starting to feel just icky.

[Kiersten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had such an interesting concept, but for me, something was missing in the delivery. I think with some editing, this could have been a very interesting story because it is clear that the author has a lot of talent. My main gripe is just how long and disjointed this book felt.

This story follows a few different storylines, mainly those of Beatrice and Rieko. Growing up in a society where there are no sexual taboos but where food is scorned and eating is shameful, their stories give us a very interesting glance into this very bizarre society. Beatrice grew up basically in a cult where no one ever ate in public and didn’t eat for enjoyment, only for survival. But Beatrice loves food and loves the process of cooking, so she escapes. I was very into her story and the rejection of this church that requires people to basically starve themselves. Her story was really the highlight of the book for me, and I kind of wish this book was about her and expanded upon her life more.

I do love Porter’s writing style. The way she writes the most unsexy sex scenes (as people are just having sex in public all of the time so it is a very rote activity) as juxtaposed to her very sensual way of describing cooking and ingredients was just so good. It really brought this society to life for me. I think this is why Beatrice’s story spoke to me more than Rieko’s. Beatrice’s story was a little more straightforward in terms of describing the society and critiquing that society (as well as our own). I think when it came to Rieko’s story, there was a little too much going on which then kind of watered down the book as a whole.

I am still very interested in reading this author’s work in the future despite my reservations about this one. My husband really enjoyed her other book, The Seep, so I hope to check that out later this year.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, engaging and thought provoking. It's less about the perspectives meeting and more about how each perspective provides a lens for exploring the world Porter has created. She dives into themes of classism, bodily autonomy and gives mouthwatering descriptions of even the simplest of foods. Prepare to feel the subtle earge to connect with what makes you free!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe closer to a 3.5. I really enjoyed the two main characters and the ideas in the book particularly around food and pleasure. May be a hard read for folks with a difficult relationship to food and certainly has a lot of sex (though it is not a sexy book). Some of the ideas felt under-developed or extraneous but overall enjoyed it.

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could eat all of the recipes described in this book

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5*

[Ann (Inky Labyrinth) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much to unpack from this dystopian about a world that revolves around food, or the abstention from it.

The world Porter has created is so complete--it's almost as if the story serves to tell us about this world, and not the world to tell the story.

If anyone knows where to get sour pickle soup in Denver, I am dying for it!

I'll be thinking about it for a long time. More thoughts soon.

[Taryn Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4/5
Really cool ideas that got me excited at the start… but quickly became stale as the story drags on. The third act fell short for me— though it certainly gave me things to think about.

[Annie Fisher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t really like it. I understand what the author was trying to do with the juxtaposition of sexual freedom and appetite control/body image, but for me it was unnecessarily erotic and incredibly disjointed storytelling.

[Grace-Marie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've read in the last few years. I could see this as one of the best books of 2023 for upperlevel high school classes/college classes or bookclubs. The social commentary surrounding beauty, religious trauma, taboo, food, desire and capitalism reminds me of books like The Giver, A Brave New World, and The Jungle.

Porter does a great job not only holding space for her characters to grow into their own but even together through the medium of a both a cookbook and history book. The idea that history exists within cookbooks isn't novel, but it's incredibly important that the culture of food, cultural food, and history surround food is kept in mind as we explore societal, beauty, cultural, and political standards. Food is such an well-chosen vehicle to explore the social commentaries of beauty and capitalism because at the core it is both something we consume and can satisfy desires.

Because of the content that The Thick and the Lean explores, the book can be triggering for those with Eating Disorders, Body Dysmorphia, Religious Trauma, Familial Trauma, and Sexual Content.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley for review and not for profit.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was SUPER intrigued by the premise of this one, but unfortunately the execution fell a little flat for me. In this strange alternate-world dystopia, thinness is prized above almost all else; eating is taboo and rarely done outside of your most intimate circle, but sex is commonplace and publicly acceptable. The book follows two young women, making very different lives for themselves, linked by their reading of an ancient book, a memoir by a kitchen worker.

While this premise was absolutely fascinating, it felt like some of the ideas and worldbuilding here were a little half-baked, and the reality of the world raised some really interesting questions which the author totally breezed over – if bodily "perfection" is so prized, what's happens to disabled people in this society? (This is discussed SO briefly in an aside at the end, but there's a lot to dig into there.)

I did like that the world was totally queer-normative, and some of the details in the story were really delightful (and of course, an enormous number of wonderful descriptions of food!); but overall it wasn't thoroughly enough developed for me to really enjoy and get into. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!