Just a Few Inches

by Tara St. Pierre

All Carrie Roberts wants is to be a little bit smaller.

To fit into the perfect dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance. To look beautiful for her boyfriend, the school’s star basketball player. To keep his jealous ex-girlfriend, a rival cheerleader, away from him. And to be noticed by her classmates.

Exercising and dieting don’t work, but an advertisement for weight loss pills promises a quicker solution to her problem. As time runs out, she takes more than the recommended dose until she’s just a few inches slimmer. Heads turn when she arrives at the dance, and the wonderful night with her boyfriend is beyond what she dreamed it would be.

Days later, Carrie discovers that her body is changing in ways that should be impossible. While her doctor searches for a cure, she desperately turns to her friends and family for support. Everyone is noticing her now whether she likes it or not, and even the media is intrigued by her incredible story. Getting everything she once wanted has created new problems—problems that are growing more terrifying every day.

Because Carrie Roberts is shrinking.

- - - - -

"Just a Few Inches" is a Young Adult novel that deals with issues of body image, self-esteem, and teenage relationships. It is intended for readers age 13 and up.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Ebooks, Suspense

306 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2015

About the author

Tara St. Pierre has been writing for over two decades, but her muse only sporadically provides inspiration. Her laptop is filled with incomplete manuscripts and other plot outlines, and she feels blessed when one finally pushes its way through to completion--no matter how long it takes!

She enjoys classic science fiction movies and television shows. When driving, she sings along with the radio loudly and off key. She prefers tea over coffee, spring over autumn, vanilla ice cream over chocolate, and caramel over hot fudge. Though she lives by herself, one of her two cats enjoys cuddling with her.

Reviews

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No one should be considered average, it’s a purely mathematical concept and though math may have its useful purposes, describing who a person is shouldn’t be one of them. We all have the capacity for incredible achievements and incredible change, but those come from the inside, and none of it will happen while we’re obsessing about what’s on the outside.”

I’m not sure my words will be enough to describe how empowering and resounding the message of this book is. Just a Few Inches is a such a pleasant surprise, I didn’t expect it was going to be this good. What started out as a cutesy almost Disney-ish plot turned out into something very riveting as our main gal, Carrie Roberts literally shrinks away possibly into nothingness after overdosing on diet pills for the pettiest reason of wanting to fit into that wretched little red dress to impress her boyfriend.

The plot alone is already very unique. It elicited a wide array of emotions in me. I was curious, afraid, embarrassed but also hopeful for Carrie as she takes on full responsibility over her actions and accepts whatever life she has to live as she slowly shreds a few inches of herself every day. It was very well written as it shows more than tells how the influence of our society including the social media shapes the perception of youth regarding physical appearance and how so many young people’s self esteem relies on other people’s perceptions.

The sci-fi-ish/fantasy-ish approach was also very entertaining while the characterization of Carrie is very admirable.

“One decision you made back then shouldn’t define you; what you do in the face of adversity will.”

I love her positive attitude- how she makes do with what she has and how easily she learns from her mistakes. I also appreciate the feminism of the narrative without it being preachy and despite the severity of Carrie’s situation, the entire story was still an easy read. I sincerely recommend this.

Thank you so much to Ms. Tara St. Pierre for gifting me a paperback copy of this delightful read.

[Donita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Click here to read about my fun interview with the author and to get the chance to win a copy of this book! :)

"Funny how desperation allows you to bent the rules a little bit to suit your own purposes"

Personally, I think this is by all means a great and powerful book about one of the common issues that most teenagers deal with nowadays. The issue, which I think a lot of people will think petty, is really realistic and was handled in the book with a great deal of sensitivity and understanding. It was refreshing.

Carrie Roberts doesn't usually falls for the lies that the advertisement tells about the products they wanted to sell on TV. She knows how misleading those AD's can be... but she's desperate. She needs to fit in that beautiful red dress she bought for the Valentines dance and to look good for her famous basketball player boyfriend. So she decided to ignore the absurdity of the ads and actually try the diet pills.

"As I said, it was an act of desperation that led me to a method to take off those few unwanted inches."

She's not by any means, fat or chubby. She's average for her height and athletic and fit, being a cheerleader that she is. Then there's this girl who complies with the society's(or rather high school's?) view of beauty; slim, a big butt and chest. So how will our perfectly flawed MC feel about it?

Insecurity.



That's right folks. That ugly and unstable feeling we usually get when we can't appreciate what we have, it's disconcerting. That's exactly what pushed Carrie to take those pills to get rid of her unwanted fats; vanity and insecurity.. Until she started losing inches off her.. height.

Of course, at first what really compelled me to read the book was its unique and intriguing plot, and I couldn't have been more satisfied! I love how the story isn't all about Carrie and the issue of her shrinking. How she dealt with her parents, friends and siblings were all very nice to read at. Usually this kind of teenage angst and dramas irritate the shit out of me and it wasn't the case here. It was all necessary to understand the real struggle of Carrie.

Carrie Roberts is one brave and very strong heroine. I admire how, regardless of her continuous shrinking, she never let it stop her from doing what she loves, eg. going to school and chearleading. She still goes to school and endures the obvious whispers about her demise, she still try to see light despite what happen. I'm not sure if I can still go to school that way, with my height obviously shrinking for everyone to feast and laugh at, but she get through with it and it's admirable.

Every time Carrie shrunk, I find it harder and harder to put the book down! It's achingly scary! To be honest, I lost count on how many times I struggled not to peek at the last page to know how the story will end, what's going to happen to Carrie, because the suspense was killing me!

The height size chapters were absolutely genius! It didn't really impact the story you know, but sometimes seeing something unique in writing style is very refreshing and makes the reading experience enjoyable.

There was no unnecessary and irritating romance, but it's still there and it makes everything felt more.. real. I highly recommend this book to everyone who.. well scratch that. I recommend this book to all of my friends.

This book was given to me by the author, Tara St. Pierre, in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't in any way affect my opinion and review. :) <3

[Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a Few Inches is a young adult book about Carrie, a senior in high school who is dying to fit into the dress she bought for the Valentine’s Day dance. Diet and exercise haven’t helped, so she turns to diet pills that promise she’ll lose inches in just a short period of time. Desperate to make that happen by the following week for the dance, she takes more than the recommended dose, with disastrous consequences. Carrie has started shrinking, and no one knows how to stop it.


I have to say, I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, because I feel like the premise could be hit or miss depending on how it’s executed, but I ended up loving the book. When I started reading the it, I imagined it would fall into the fantasy category, and while I suppose it technically still COULD because it’s unlikely that someone would shrink so much in real life, it didn’t read like a fantasy book, and I loved that. The author included scientific and medical rationale as to why this could be happening, and had Carrie and her family consistently working with doctors to try and stop or reverse the shrinking.

The major over-arching theme here is related to body image and self esteem, which I think is a ridiculously important thing to be talking to young adults about. I think it’s something that almost everyone can relate to in one form or another. If I’m being completely honest, I’m in my late 20’s and I still have issues with body image. Whether you think you’re too big or too small, everyone worries about something. As Carrie begins shrinking, she comes to the realization that she’d do anything to go back in time and stop herself from taking the diet pills. At 5’8 and 135lbs, she didn’t need them anyway, and now as she continues to get smaller and smaller, she can handle live a normal life. Was it worth it?

I think the book has a great message, while not preaching it. The author did a great job at balancing the positive body image theme with the rest of the plot. Carrie was an incredibly likable character, and while I didn’t always love her friends because they sometimes reacted in ways I didn’t like, I think they reacted exactly as most 18 year olds would react in that situation.

Overall, I loved the book and thought the themes were important ones to think about and discuss. I’d like to thank the author, Tana St. Pierre, for providing me a copy of Just a Few Inches in exchange for an honest review. I would say if it sounds like something you THINK you might like - give it a chance, and my guess is that you'll like it more than you expected!

[Tonyalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts
This book has such a powerful message that a lot of people would gain much from.

It's a little on the long side and the many mundane scenes were tiring but necessary.

Full Review

There are many things that I have love about blogging. But one of my favorites, is finding new to me author/s and books that I wouldn't find by "normal" means. Just a Few Inches is one of those books. It comes with a strong message about the perception of body image; most would find empowering.

Just a Few Inches follows the story of a girl, Carrie, who like many teenagers, has insecurities about her body image. After taking a diet pill to lose a few inches before a Valentine's Day dance, she starts to shrink.

In height.

This was actually quite a unique and interesting story line and Tara did an amazing job with it. The writing is engaging and thought-provoking; and I loved how well each character was written. I love when I can connect to a character because of how REAL they feel. We follow Carrie from before she starts to shrink and AS she starts to shrink. It was mind-boggling how some people reacted to her change, and why. Carrie goes through many struggles during this "process" and it was eye-opening. There were many scenes of just her day-to-day life and while I thought these were necessary to really UNDERSTAND the struggle, it made the book feel long.

Although Carrie is losing inches, she grows a lot throughout her journey. She learns to become more accepting of herself and others, and becomes an inspiration for others with body image issues. I love how she created a blog as an outlet for everything that she was going through.

I also appreciated how Tara went into details about Carrie's friends and family that were affected by her shrinking as well. It's always easy to focus on how things affect YOU or in this case, the main characters, when is all actuality, the people around you make changes too. They grow, they learn or sometimes, you grow apart.

Overall - Just a Few Inches was a great and powerful read. It tackles a lot of issues in its pages and really makes you think about media perception on body image. If you are looking for an engaging read, I highly recommend this one.

I received this book for free from The Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Fadwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ecopy of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review*

Full detailed review up on my blog: Word Wonders

To start off, the writing is very simple and easy to follow, and fits the story quite perfectly, balancing all the scientific and medical talk, making it simple to understand. The story is told in first person, from Carrie’s point of view (the MC) and it wouldn’t have worked any other way, the narration also had this kind of remorseful tone to it as it was told as one long chronological flashback, it felt like sitting down with a friend a listening to her crazy adventure during a long period of time out of touch.

Here’s the thing, when picking this book up, I was afraid the shrinking’s explanation would be skimmed over or explained as some “magical” event or something and I was very greatful when it wasn’t. It’s all scientific theories and logical esplanations and very well thought which made the medical student in me very happy. All of this made everything seem so real, everything that was happening to her was so believable and I found myself invested in her fate and caring for her life as everything around her became gradually and increasingly dangerous, which was really interesting, I could slowly see every change happening as it happened, trying to imagine what it would be like to be 4ft , 2ft , 6 inches etc…

Aside from the actual plot line, this book delivers such a strong message. It deals with body image issues that, let’s face it, we’ve all had at some point. What happened to Carrie is crazy and what she did to herself was unhealthy and even though I don’t see anyone shrinking anytime soon, young people are doing things as bad if not worse to themselves just because media/society/someone says that they’re not good enough.

By the time this book wrapped up, it not only did so nicely without leaving anything unanswered but it also held a positive message and I loved it all the more for that. It was kind of a fairytale ending but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

+Received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

After coming out of a reading slump, mostly caused by the summer break, this book was what I needed. It was easy to read, cute and fluffy, but deep down it had a message we are tired of hearing but that we ignore all the time because of society's pressure:

Love your body. Treasure it. Take care of it. Respect it. You only have one.

THE WORLD: Our messed up, annoying, world. The book is divided into chapters which mark Carrie's height at the top as we see her getting smaller and smaller.

CHARACTERS: Carrie Roberts is the average senior student... or so she thinks because it is exactly that thought which leads her to take weighting-loss pills. She wanted to fit into the perfect prom dress to impress her perfect basketball captain boyfriend, Todd, and rub it on her archnemesis, Janelle (conveniently Todd's ex). Although she achieves the goal she starts shrinking as an odd side effect and from there on her live crumbles as she knows it. She becomes a bit distant with her bffs, Trish and Lauren, she fights more with her family... but at the same time she experiences personal growth and eventually comes into terms with who she really is. Actually only thanks to Evan, who plays a major role at the end.

LOVE: Typical teenage love but it wasn't annoying or melodramatic. It was actually quite cute at times.

PLUS: Here is the major plus: the message. How we should realize that every body is different and not all of us are made to be standard models. We are more than our bodies as well. Of course we have society's pressure to have perfect bodies and be "pretty" all the time and it's up to us to want to maintain perfect bodies but, in the end, it all comes up to how much attention we give to ourselves. We should take care of our bodies in a healthy way. Not over-obsessing with diets, pills, more diets, occasional sporting. Carrie was pressured to fit into a size smaller than she was even though her body was already good, since she is an active cheerleader. That kind of pressure is what we should avoid. Take a look at the mirror and say: my body, my rules. You maintain your body however you want (please take care that it's healthy. Health should come first, right?).
What I liked about the writing was that no moment did I see any possible triggers. The insecurity issue is handled with grace so I don't think it is necessary to give trigger warning for this book.

I also liked the characters in general as the author did a good job as developing them and making them appear more and more complex in each chapter gradually. It was good to read about 3D characters in YA Contemporary.

MINUS: Well... my only minus was that I was laughing at the science used to explain Carrie's shrinking state. I mean it may sound plausible even but that's not how the body works. Anyway, I disregard it as the message of the book was more important.

OVERALL: 4 stars. It was a really cute, fast-paced read! I just came out of a reading slump and this book opened the window to a reading spree. I recommended it to everyone searching for an easy contemporary read.

—P.S. I Love That Book!

[Caitlin V · Rating 3 out of 5]

*the author gave me an e-copy in exchange for an honest review*
Not too bad of a book! I love the overall message the book has and the ending was very heart-felt for me, but it didn't really grab me. There were some times when I felt like "what's the point of adding this in here?" Also, it was hard to determine the time at which things happened. The author didn't really put in a lot of times to let you get a feel of how long things lasted or how far apart each event was from the next one, making it confusing. Other than that, liked it! Full review will be coming up on my blog soon!

[Kerri (Book Hoarder) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moment that I read the summary for this book, I was intrigued. The issue of teens - both girls and boys - feeling the pressure to be something that they're not is something that has gotten a lot of attention throughout the years. Rather than the usual story, though, this had the hint of a promise of something more - a meld of contemporary and fantasy, but also actual issues that impact young adults.

In other words, I had to check this out.

All Carrie (we share the same name!) wants to do is a lose a few pounds. We've all been there, right? Her gorgeous boyfriend's ex is hanging around, and she just seems to be everything that Carrie isn't - the opposite of average, the label that Carrie is so incredibly tired of. She wants to stand out and impress people. A few weight loss pills, a few lost pounds... It's the perfect solution for the perfect dress that Carrie wants to wear to go out with her boyfriend in a few days, and with the added bonus of making her feel better about herself and show up Todd's ex, Janelle.

It sounds so simple, right? This isn't your average young adult novel, though, and we're not headed down the path that you might expect if you haven't paid close enough attention to the summary. It seems as though everything is going to plan, until Carrie realizes that she's not shrinking in, she's shrinking down.

This is the point where the book starts to become interesting and it's an approach that I really admire the author for taking, because it's unique. Body image issues are not something new in the world of young adult, but this particular approach is. I actually quite like it - it adds a bit of intrigue and mystery that balances a look at the concepts of self esteem and self image with a bit of medical/science fictiony drama, set against a backdrop of normal highschool life with all the drama and social media back and forth that's so common now.

By her side throughout the book are Carrie's two friends, Laura and Trish - and her boyfriend, Todd. After all, where would we be in YA without friendship and a hint of romance? Todd is the catalyst to a lot of the issues that are explored throughout the book, both someone Carrie clings to and yet struggles in terms of defining herself at the same time. Lauren and Trish aren't without their issues as well - there are times when Carrie wonders if Trish is her friend or her fan, and moments when she struggles with the way that Lauren pushes her to look beyond just her own problems, her own insecurities. Still, the three of them are pretty much inseparable, and it's clear that Carrie heavily relies on their support and caring.

There are weak moments in the book - I would have loved to learn more about why Todd and Carrie were together, even though I could understand why their relationship took a backseat to the events of the book. I also sometimes felt as though Lauren's behaviour didn't quite make sense for a teenager - we've all known that friend that gets a bit preachy and up on their soapbox, so that's not what I had an issue with. It was just more that it didn't quite ring true, somehow. It seemed to be the primary facet that we got to see about Lauren, though I have to admit that she was supportive of Carrie throughout - I just would have liked something more, I guess, a hint of who she was beyond the look that we got at her throughout the book.

This soap-boxy feeling was what I noticed at times in other areas of the book, and why I knocked the rating down the half star from 4 to 3.5. I really enjoyed the story and the ideas that were presented, it's just that at times I felt as though I was being preached to, which I didn't quite like. Others may not mind this tone at all, though!

In spite of these two small issues, I really enjoyed this book. I think that it's unique and refreshing, and I liked the lens that the author used to explore a very common problem and issue that will resonate not just with teenagers but also with adults, whether as memories of when they were teens or how they're still feeling. The book also has more depth than many - we actually learn more about the so-called antagonist, which I really liked - too many books don't take the time to delve into this sort of character, or have a comeuppance involved without us ever learning more. It's also neither purely contemporary or purely fantasy or dystopia - something else that helps it stand out.

So, to sum up - a traditional young adult story of self image and self discovery, set in a contemporary fantasy scene, with friendship and a hint of romance. Worth checking out, in my opinion!

Disclosure: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Sinead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less Reality More Books

*I was given this book in exchange for an honest review*

Right now, I would say I’m quite positive with my body. It’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for me. And that’s what matters. But if you’d asked me how I felt about my body five years ago, my answer would’ve been the complete opposite. I believed I was fat, ugly, and that everyone thought so and that I’d never be loved because of it. I’ve realised that that’s all just teenage insecurities and 90% of girls will go through this phase during their life. So if I’d read this book back then, I would’ve been able to relate to our main character way more than I do right now. As it is, I can still relate to the reasons why she did it. And I still applaud St. Pierre for the way she handled social norms and insecurities about our bodies, and the lengths someone will go to get that perfect body or impress that certain someone.

Carrie Roberts is our 18 year old protagonist. At 5’8, she’s the tallest in her friend group, but that’s still not enough for her. To fit into the perfect red dress so her boyfriend will look at her and not the other hot cheerleader, Carrie takes some diet pills. However, due to scientific and genetic factors I honestly didn’t really understand, Carrie starts losing height as well as weight. And so the story portrays Carrie’s personal growth as a character as she slowly shrinks down to the size of a doll.

I really enjoyed the first part of the story, how Carrie dicovers the shrinking and has to come out to her friends and family, and how they deal with this unusual phenomenon. However, by the second half I realised that this book was incredibly dragged out with not a lot happening; just Carrie dealing with everyday things such as finding clothes to fit her, opening doors and going to school. It got pretty boring and a part of me considered just skipping to the end to find out what happens. I think St Pierre could’ve taken out a chunk in the middle that wasn’t necessary and still get the same growth she needed from her characters but not bore her readers as much.

I liked Carrie as a character for the most part. She was incredibly strong in the face of what was happening to her and didn’t let it change her for the worse; only for the better. However I did think she became TOO much of a crybaby toward the end of the book; she seemed to start crying whenever she got trapped, when she was scared, even happy! She didn’t need to cry that much, it was a bit weird. And there’s only one word to describe her relationship with Evan: insta-love. He goes from this adorably geeky boy in her class to suddenly (and I quote) “the best boyfriend in the world.” I don’t think we were given enough room for development for these two to go from friends to lovers, it just sort of happens before I realised what was happening. I didn’t get enough time to absorb it and have proper feelings toward it.

However, I did enjoy her relationship with her friends and family, they had a realistic response to what was happening to her and I loved how supportive they were of her, doing whatever was needed to support her.

Overall, this story was good, but not great. There were some parts I truly enjoyed and think were portrayed very well, and others... not so well. However the concept was truly original and unique and was done quite well by St. Pierre. If you’re someone who has struggled with body issues, weight, self-esteem, I think this book is for you. It really opens your eyes into the concept of loving the body you’re born with and what’s considered “normal” or “average” in today’s society.

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

This book was the winner of my latest My Indie Inbox contest! If you're an author interested in participating, check out Indie Inbox on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin

My thoughts: Have you ever wanted to be a little thinner? Wished there were a magic pill that would help you do that without sweating or deprivation? If your answer is yes, you'll relate to Carrie. She has a lot going for her -- she's a popular high school cheerleader with a doting boyfriend -- but the problem with being a girl in the in-crowd is that you have to work very hard to stay there. Carrie wishes she were just a little thinner, especially since her boyfriend's ex is so very gorgeous and seems to be waiting for Carrie to slip up so she can get the chance to win him back. Carrie buys diet pills and, because the school dance is coming up and her new gown is a bit snug, takes more than the recommended dose. The pills help her fit into her red dress, but as the days go by, things start getting weirder and weirder...

At first, Just a Few Inches reminded me of the "what-if" paranormal-ish stories I loved growing up, wacky stories like Freebie Friday or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The premise of Just a Few Inches -- a girl who pops one too many diet pills to disastrous results -- seems comic, but as the story develops, the book takes a more serious turn and doesn't shy away from the horrifying consequences of an impulsive mistake. I loved that - if you're going to do a plot like this, I think you really have to go for it. Carrie is a sympathetic, relatable character and her boyfriend and friends are supportive. I loved that her experience made her come to appreciate a character with whom she probably didn't think she had much in common before the whole diet-pill-fiasco. And I appreciated the themes of positive body image and self-acceptance.

My only constructive criticism of the book is that I think that at times the main plotline didn't feel like quite enough. For me, the book could have used something else going on besides Carrie's reaction to the pills. Something else that the book is "about" on a deeper level. Freaky Friday, for example, is ostensibly about the body switch but, on a deeper level, about the strained relationship between Annabel and her mother (and the 2003 movie, which I think is actually even better than the original book, takes the relationship strain to another level by having her mother about to be remarried. It's a great movie about mother/daughter relationships if you haven't seen it.) So for me, Just a Few Inches could have used something like a mother-about-to-be-remarried subplot. It did have the ex-girlfriend lurking around, but I wanted just a tiny bit more.

Thanks to the author for providing a free advance copy of this book for me to review.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No one should be considered average; it’s a purely mathematical concept, and though math may have its useful purposes, describing who a person is shouldn’t be one of them.”

Thank you to Tara for sending a copy of her book Just a Few Inches. I am so glad that I was given to opportunity to read this book. As soon as I read the description, I knew I wanted to read it. It sounded like such an interesting idea and story and I was excited to see how it all unfolded.

Carrie wants to lose a little weight to fit into a dress that she wants to wear to a school dance. She comes across some diet pills and decides to take them, so that she can fit into her new dress. She ends up taking more than she is supposed to and she starts shrinking in height instead. At first the book was a little too weird and I wasn't sure what to think as I continued to read. It did keep my interest though and I was invested in Carrie and her story.

She tried to be as positive as should could be and she had an amazing support system with her family and friends. I think they played a big part in keeping her moving forward and always looking up. I loved her friends Lauren, Trish, and Evan. They accepted her no matter what was happening to her. Family and friends are everything and especially when you're going through something so difficult and life changing.

I found myself Googling and looking for comparisons to every time she shrank, so that I could get a better idea of her size. I think at some point in our lives we have all struggled with our appearances and this book deals a lot with body image and I think that's why it's so easy to connect with Carrie. She's a relatable character, she's a strong character, and she dealt so well with everything she was going through.

Overall, I really enjoyed Just a Few Inches. I thought it was such a cool and interesting story. I laughed a lot, I smiled a lot, I even shed a few tears along the way as well. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

"We all have the capacity for incredible achievements and incredible change, but those come from the inside, and none of it will happen while you're obsessing about what's on the outside."

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review: The Daydreaming Bookworm

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

All Carrie wants is to fit into the perfect dress for the Valentine’s Day dance, but the dance is one week away and she needs a quick fix, FAST! When she sees an advertisement for dieting pills on TV, she think she’s found the perfect solution. Hoping to speed up the process, Carrie takes more than the recommended dose and soon realizes that she is not only losing weight, but also inches!

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. The combination of dieting pills and shrinking makes for such a unique plot. The overall message that this book conveys is so IMPORTANT because I think Carrie’s struggle is one that we can all relate to. I also liked how realistic the writing was, minus the whole shrinking thing of course. There was not a lot of fluff or dramatics, which was great because I think it would have taken away from the story.

Another thing I really liked about this book were the relationships, especially the one between Carrie and her stepsister, Amy. I did not like Amy for the first half of the book. I couldn’t understand where her resentment for Carrie came from, but once they had a heart-to-heart and Amy revealed why she felt this way about Carrie, I understood why she must have felt that way. After that, their relationship takes a turn for the better and a strong bond is formed between the two.

♥ Carrie: Carrie is such a relatable character! Body issues and trying to live up to what society has deemed as ‘perfect’ is a struggle I’m sure many of us can relate to. What I liked most about Carrie was the way she stands up for herself throughout the book. Just because she is getting smaller and smaller each day, doesn’t mean she’s lost her voice to say what she WANTS and how she FEELS and she definitely doesn’t hold when it comes to stating how she truly feels! Also, she blogs…ummm YES!

There are a number of side characters in this book, like Carrie’s family, her two best friends (Trish & Lauren) and Evan (total cutie). They all help Carrie through her struggle and even though they can’t fully understand what she is going through, they still try to help Carrie in anyway they can. Their support was the reason why Carrie kept pushing forward and didn’t lose sight of the main goal, which was finding a cure.

I only had two issues with this book. One is that the pacing was a little slow at times. I just felt that some things could have been taken out in order to compact the story to create a better flow. Second, I felt like there was something missing when it came to the ending. Everything was wrapped up a bit too quickly and I just wanted MORE!

Despite my issues, I really enjoyed this book. The last few chapters had me on edge as I was dying to find out if Carrie would ever return to her normal size. It had a great message about accepting yourself and loving yourself no matter what and I would definitely recommend checking this book out!

[Risa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thank you to the author Tara for sending me a physical copy of the book to review! First off, I'd like to say that I really really enjoyed this book. It has an enjoyable story as well as gives the reader a few important lessons about body image & confidence.

The story follows high school senior and cheerleader Carrie Roberts. She's under the typical high school pressures that girls, and really anyone faces. A lot of kids in high school (even myself) always worried what others thought of me, how others saw me. Carrie is no different. She doesn't think she's thin enough, pretty enough, and wants to fit into her homecoming dance dress. So she takes some diet pills - a little too many diet pills, and she ends up shrinking more and more everyday!

While this story features an unrealistic circumstance, the events which led up to the phenomenon are what a lot of girls feel. They're not happy with their body image. This book brings that to light and the overall message of this book is that you only have one body, so love what you've got.

That isn't the only lesson I feel like this book had to say. The other message I got out of this book was that people aren't always what they seem to be, and they can change for the better. Carrie's boyfriend Todd says a few things in the book that he shouldn't have, but he realizes his mistake and grows from it. There's the "mean girl" in this book too, and even she isn't just a "mean girl." She has issues of her own within her family and with herself, and she too shows a different side, shows that people can learn from their mistakes. Not everyone can have the same awful mindset; people can change.

What I really loved about Carrie herself is how determined she was not to let her disability get to her. Despite her shrinking, she accommodated and would not let anyone tell her she couldn't do something everyone else could. I'm sure kids with disabilities in real life can relate to that, and it gave me a new perspective on people with disabilities. They probably just want to be and feel as normal as possible, so we shouldn't treat them any differently!

Another thing I loved about Carrie was that she isn't your typical heroine. Most heroes/heroines make some really stupid decisions and don't think about their consequences, and sometimes get overdramatic. Not with Carrie; she was calm, intelligent, and understood where she went wrong and became stronger because of it. She didn't self destruct during her crisis, and she pushed through because of all the amazing support she had.

Overall this book was really powerful and opened my mind to things such as disabilities, loving your body and yourself, and realizing that people can learn and grow. In addition to the lessons learned, I feel like this book is a light and enjoyable read and almost any reader could probably relate to the story in this book, despite the fact that a girl is shrinking.

It's cute, it's funny, and probably one of my favorite reads this year. It was perfect too, after having just finished Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman; it was the light and fluffy and fun read I needed! I HIGHLY suggest everyone reads this book.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Source: I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest review, with thanks to the author, Tara St. Pierre!
Cost: Free

Title: Just a Few Inches
Author: Tara St. Pierre
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fantasy-esque
Overall Rating: 5 stars

A full review of this book will be on my blog on Sunday!

I did not know what to expect going into this book, I'd read the synopsis and I had no idea if it would be something that I would like. But right off the bat, I was hooked. The writing style of this author is just so enchanting, I don't know what it is! She made her characters relatable from the onset and I clicked with Carrie almost immediately. She was such a likable character who took her given circumstances in her stride, she was shrinking? Of course it was scary to her, but she was still such a brilliant character who kept moving forward. I liked the whole aspect of her starting a blog as well.

Following this character through her story makes you really root for her, you want her to get bigger again, and you really want the best for her.

I really had a strong dislike for her sister, like imagine shutting your sister in the cupboard so you can have a house party and get with a guy. Euch. I suppose she does redeem herself but I remember reading that bit on the train and wanting to throw my kindle out of the doors. But emotional reactions are good when it comes to reading, yes?

Brilliant book! I'd highly recommend!

[Frankie Ness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting read, although I have to be a bit nitpicky about the ending. It was motion picture perfect, but it failed to say in Carrie's defense that vertical shrinking wasn't included in the side effects. Full disclosure and all.

Overall I liked how JaFI came up with the scientific explanation to explain this far fetched situation. It's plausible albeit very remote. I also loved the body image theme this novel capitalized on, if anything, Carrie's story is cautionary as it's one of survival.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!

This book features a girl named Carrie Roberts, who, upon a vain and insecure decision, takes an over-the-counter weight loss drug in hopes of dropping a dress size down within a week. Taking a few more than recommended, strange things start happening to Carrie as she realizes that not only is she looking weight, but she's also getting shorter. And shorter. And shorter. And there seems to be no stopping to it...

The premise of the book is brilliant. You know when you try to shrink a photo, and the only way you can do that is by shrinking both the width and height at the same time? That's basically what Carrie is going through, what the drug has caused. You try to lose a few inches outwards, you're going to lose a few inches height-wise too. Still proportional, just smaller...and smaller...

Each chapter is titled by Carrie's current height, so we get to watch (with dread) as Carrie continues to shrink in height. Carrie is forced to battle social issues with her diminishing height, like bullies, and other condescending looks. School becomes a very interesting setting to read about, given that Carrie's school does its best to make every accommodation for her in class, and that Carrie continues as a part of her cheerleading squad. Given that it is also her senior year, Carrie must go through prom as well as graduation with her condition. Though she faces many difficulties, it's really nice to see how much her school and teachers do for her.

I loved Carrie's character growth. In the beginning, she's a little insecure about herself, and feels the need to prove herself when it comes to bullies. But as she begins to shrink, she begins to see things and people in different lights. She begins to see who truly is her friend, and the extend of her family's love for her. Carrie does a lot of reflecting, and begins to question exactly why she took those dieting pills, and whether they were truly worth it, even if she hadn't started to lose height. By the end, Carrie has matured in various ways, able to recognize toxic relationships and able to love herself just for herself. She's gone through various labels, including cheerleader, freak, editor, shrinking girl, celebrity, experimental guinea pig, Diane and Frank's daughter, and so forth, and is able to pick and choose which ones are the ones that truly define who she is, which ones actually matter.

This book addresses a really powerful message, one not just about bodies, but also one about what real love is, both family-wise and relationship-wise. We get to see two different kinds of love, and both spectrums of it. What is family love? We get a contrast of Carrie's family as well as another girl's, Janelle. What is a good relationship, based off a good love? We get to see Carrie with two boys, each who love her in slightly different ways.

It's an undeniable truth: people treat you different based on how you look. But it shouldn't affect the way you're loved, or how you love others. Let's begin with Carrie's boyfriend, Todd. Carrie's physical alterations takes a toll on their relationship, and shows that a large part of their relationship is dictated her physique. Love isn't supposed to be like that, and Carrie comes to realize it. It's not loving someone because they're good-looking and has an agreeable personality. It should be mainly personality; should your looks change, the relationship shouldn't alter your love for someone. Ever. At all. Because they're still the same person on the inside, and that's what matters the most.

Another thing that is addressed in this book is that no matter what happens on the outside, you're still you on the inside. Carrie faces this issue, and upon shrinking, tries to get people to see that. Yes, she's two feet tall and growing shorter, but she's still the same 18-year old girl who's a whiz at grammar, is thoughtful and caring. Her heart may physically grow smaller, but as the book progresses, her heart grows bigger and bigger. I'm glad that there's one person who truly sees her for who she is, who doesn't care about her changing size, and openly loves her for who she is. Because they were adorable.

This book isn't just about losing weight; it tackles much bigger themes, and has an element of sci-fi in it to keep the novel gripping. I really enjoyed the deeper meanings behind the story, and I loved the relationship dynamics between Carrie, her friends, and her family. It's during adversity that you get to see who really is on your side and who's not, and the people who love you won't care whether you're tall or short or large or thin. They love you for you, just as everyone should. We are not defined by numbers, not by the number on the scale or the height charts. We are so much more, and we should love both our unique bodies and souls. After all, you only have one body and one soul, and no one else can ever love it as much as you can.

Original post at Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between.

[Jaz Mirza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for and honest review.

I want to start of by saying that I freaking loved this book! It was amazing! I loved every page, sentence, word, period of it. I enjoyed reading this book so much! I finished it in 2 days. I stayed up until 1am to finish a good chunk of this book until my mom started complaining about the lights being on. And so I had to stop reading. But then, the next day, I finished it. And I loved it. And it was amazing.

This book just touched so many places in my heart. Carrie Roberts is an 18 year old girl in high school who is on the cheerleading squad in school, has a popular boyfriend, amazing best friends and a loving family. Her boyfriend has an ex-girlfriend who Carrie thinks is hotter than her with a better body; more appealing to everyone. A dance is around the corner and Carrie found a fabulous dress but there is one problem… it is one size too small and Carrie has to wear that dress to impress her boyfriend and the student body. Trying to shed a few pounds, Carrie tries diets and starving herself, but when that doesn’t work, she is drawn to an advertisement for weight loss pills and just gets them without thinking; hoping she would lose those pounds quicker. She lost the pounds and fit into the dress in time for the dance, but it did not stop there. No. Carrie not only lost weight, but height as well. Carrie is shrinking and she has no idea what to do. Now that is a problem.

I loved how this book focused on problems of today with the whole body image issue. Society tells us what a woman should look like, dress like, talk like, act like and so on and so forth. Society is wrong and that is what Tara tells us in this book. That is what Carrie tells us in this book. Like Carrie, I too had a problem with my body. Now, to stay healthy and fit, I exercise…but whenever I see an actress or a model or someone famous who is skinnier than me, I look at my self an I don’t see what they have in me. But after reading this book… I can say that Society can kiss my butt. I love me just the way I am.

This book is amazing and inspiring and something girls should read, especially if you have body image issues. It is sweet and seems normal. I feel that girls,and boys for that matter, will relate to this character more than any character because Carrie is a human being. Not a vampire, witch, ghost…frog. She is like us and she just wants to catch people’s attention…but the people she tries to be noticed by aren’t noticing her and she misses those who are. I loved reading this book because it felt so real and I just was sucked into Carrie’s life, hoping she would get better in the next chapters. I have to say, this book was the perfect length and was going at a perfect pace, which I loved!

Let’s talk about the characters. There are a bunch of characters in this book who have their own story and their own struggles that make them who they are. I loved Carrie. Her strength, her compassion, her determination, and they way she just inspired people. Even though she was shrinking, Carrie did not lose hope, and I found that just utterly amazing. Carrie has two best friends and I loved loved loved them. Friendship goals! They were so sweet in the book and stuck with Carrie throughout everything and I just loved this relationship. It brought tears to my eyes reading how they were so caring and supportive and just overall great friends. Evan is also an amazing character! I loved him. Literally every character was amazing to me. They all added to the book.

The romance. There was romance in this book. It was so sweet it made me tear up thinking about how sweet and swoon worthy it was. Goals! I loved the chemistry between the characters and I loved every second of this book. Every time I felt things were getting normal, something would happen that would make me happy, sad, angry, scared and just wow. I loved it. I can’t stop saying that! There were twists and turns in ever chapter and there were many parts that would just make me tear up and OMG I can’t explain it. I want to point out that I loved the heading for the chapters. They were measurements. Carrie’s measurements. I thought it was creative and I loved it.

I fell in loved with Tara’s writing and will look forward to her future books. I loved the way her words flowed so beautifully together. The dialogue she created and the sentences she made were just insane! Can you teach me how to do that? All in all, I loved this book. I loved every sentence of this book. I will read this book over and over again and I would love it the same every time, maybe even more. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Seriously. Go get this book. What are you waiting for? Go on…Shoo! Teehee!



Characters: 9/10

Plot/Story line: 10/10

Pace: 9/10

Romance: 9/10

Writing style: 9/10

Entertainment value: 10/10

Overall Score: 56/60 (93%)

[Poulami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on Daydreaming Books along with a fun Character Interview.

*I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

When I finished reading Just a Few Inches, all I could utter was wow. It was an incredible, heartwarming story that handled all the issues of body image, self-esteem, and teenage relationships with delicacy and perfection.

Carrie is a high school cheerleader and she wants to loose just a few inches to fit into a perfectly red dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance to impress her boyfriend and to keep his ex-girlfriend at bay. Only a few days are left for the dance when she gets the dress, so when she sees a tv commercial about losing a few inches in just a few days, she grabs the opportunity. However, seeing as the medicines are not working, she grabs a few extra pills and the next day she’s able to wear the dress to the dance. But then the problem starts, she realises she is not only still loosing her weight but her height is shrinking as well!

The blurb intrigued me a lot, I've never read a story like this before so I definitely wanted to give this one a try. The plot was definitely unique and it was executed really well. Carrie starts shrinking when she takes a few more pills than the given dosage, due to her insecurities. I was on edge throughout the book because she was shrinking shorter and shorter and nobody could do anything to help although the doctors were trying their best. I was genuinely scared for her. Though she embarked on quite a few adventures which were a bit hilarious and suspenseful at the same time.

Though Carrie is not someone who is fat or chubby, her weight is average to that of her height, I could relate to her a lot. I suffer from weight issues as well and like Carrie I also want to loose just a few inches as well. There are countless number of times that I've thought to take pills like these because there are enough tv commercials like the one Carrie saw. Thankfully, I didn't ever take that step (and now I'm pretty much scared for life! :-P ). Nonetheless, all the body related issues in this book were handled sensitively and positively.

Now, the characters, each and every one of them were uniquely portrayed and I absolutely loved the character development. Carrie was a fantastic protagonist. Although she gives in to her insecurities at the beginning of the novel, throughout the book she understands the value of her life, her body and the people who stood by her side throughout the whole ordeal. Although she was afraid yet she was so strong, given her situation. I truly admired her character. Family played such an important role in this book, I especially loved Carrie's mom. It's so rare we come across an actual functioning family in YA novels, that's why it was pretty refreshing to read about it.

I absolutely loved Trish and Lauren, Carrie's two best friends, especially Trish. They were not the clichéd cheerleaders, they stood by her side, never once judging her. Lauren did judge her a little bit but she was the one who told her not to take the pills as well. These two were completely different but I loved them so much. Evan was such a sweetheart. I could understand from the beginning that him and Carrie would be perfect together. Although their relationship did feel a little bit rushed but I adored them nonetheless. Even Janelle, Carrie's rival went through character growth and it was so heartwarming, I actually cried a little bit.

Overall, Just a Few Inches was a fantastic read. The plot was unique and it was executed neatly. The characters were pretty great and I absolutely loved the character development. The writing was simple and beautiful and the pace was even throughout the book. I'm so glad I read this book otherwise I would have missed out on a lot.

Recommend it?

Absolutely! Everybody should give this book a try!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just A Few Inches is an intriguing and original story of a teenage girl who shrinks in height but grows in other ways throughout the book. The story tactfully handles important subjects such as self esteem and body image as well as love, relationships, family and friendships, and it also touches on social media issues. The book is written really well and was easy to read and understand what was going on and it was very compelling reading. The book was quite a page turner and I made use of every opportunity to continue reading it because I just had to find out what was going to happen next.

Carrie is the central character and was very likeable. She is a real teenage girl facing many issues girls face these days and Carrie’s character development during the story made her seem even more real and relatable. In fact, all the characters in this book seemed very real and were well rounded and well thought out. I liked Carrie’s family and her school friends Trish and Lauren, and even got to see two sides of the nasty Janelle which made me feel somewhat sorry for her towards the end of the story, and Carrie’s love interest was a lovely boy and their romance was very sweet.

Each chapter in the book is headed with Carrie’s current height so we are given constant updates about just how fast she is shrinking in size, and as the story progressed I found myself wondering just how far will this go and will her shrinking ever be reversed? Throughout the story, I was continually amazed at the obstacles Carrie had to overcome, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. It really got me thinking. The various and intriguing plot twists along the way were mostly unexpected and made this book excellent reading.

I really loved how Ms St Pierre incorporated all the details about everyday living for Carrie as her height diminished. This clearly shows the author has taken the time and effort to really think about what it would be like to be a small person. I thought Carrie’s family and friends came up with very creative solutions for mundane things like how Carrie could reach things, how she could travel around, how to get clothing that would fit her, where she would sleep, how and what she could eat and drink, how she could properly use items like a mobile phone and a pencil, how to protect her safety as she got really small etc. Not only do we get to see what life is like from Carrie’s point of view as her height decreases, but we also get to see how her incredible situation affects her friends, family, relationships, adversaries, school and her plans for her future.

Just A Few Inches was a great read. It deals with important topical issues in a very interesting way and I feel Tara St Pierre has handled these themes brilliantly, interweaving them into the story without being obtrusive or distracting to the story. I highly recommend reading this book for the wonderful fantasy story that it is, and if you enjoyed reading To Nowhere by CE Wilson, you will be sure to enjoy Just A Few Inches as well.

[Jillian Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 Reasons To Read Just a Few Inches:

#1 Body Image: I wanted to review Tara’s novel because it deals with body image, a topic I really wanted to explore. As someone who cannot shovel junk food in their mouth and get away with it, this is a book I can relate to. Carrie Roberts wants to fit into the perfect red dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance. With her boyfriend’s ex waiting to steal him back, Carrie feels threatened and wants to shed a few pounds to fit into the dress. This is something I think most girls can understand. Personally, I would never change anything about myself for a boy because I live by the philosophy that if you don’t like me the way I am, then you don’t really like me. That’s just me. But I know there are plenty of girls out there that feel the need to fit in and would flip their entire world upside to make someone else happy. The message: Don’t change yourself to fit someone’s standards. They should like you the way you are, and if not, good riddance.

#2 Peer Pressure: This is another topic the book addresses. Many girls feel pressured into looking a certain way because of something they saw in a magazine or some mean girl at school who wants to steal her boyfriend, like we see with Carrie and Janelle, the ex-girlfriend. Carrie buys the red dress she doesn’t fit into out of fear Janelle will steal her boyfriend, Todd, away from her. Janelle tells Carrie she won’t fit into the dress, and if she doesn’t buy it that she will because it’s Todd’s favorite color. This leads Carrie to take an obscene amount of diet pills to lose weight, which brings me to my next point.

To read my full review, visit Rant and Rave About Books @ https://rantandraveaboutbooks.com/201...

[Jes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrie Roberts wants to be a little bit smaller to fit into a little red dress, but how far will she go? Keep in mind, this is all for this boyfriend of hers, Todd, and the evil, troublesome antagonist, Janelle. She tried everything..or “everything” to her, so she decides to take these “instant weight-loss” pills to speed up the process in time for the Valentine’s Day Dance.

So of course the pills “work” and she is on Cloud 9 — the dress fits, she’s with Todd, and all heads turn towards her the day of the Dance. However, a few days later Carrie discovers that her body isn’t “thinning” like she wanted it to; she was actually shrinking. Yes, like the Alice in Wonderland shrinking. She tries to keep it a secret for days, but when you have close friends who were once shorter than you and you can’t fit into your cheer-leading uniform anymore, people will notice. Even if you don’t want them to…

CHECK OUT MY FULL REVIEW HERE: https://jbelkbooks.wordpress.com/2016...

[Kylie Kaemke · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first thought when reading the synopsis was that I didn’t want to read a book about a girl with body issues, I have enough of those myself. But then I re-read the description and thought that it could be interesting, and it’s bound to have a good message at the end.

I wasn’t wrong. The message to this story is of course to be happy with yourself the way you are and that if you want to change something you have to do it the right and healthy way. There is not quick fix to body image issues that wouldn’t result in something catastrophic. In Carrie Roberts case she abuses the diet pills and they work a little too well causing her to literally shrink like the Szalinski kids (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids anyone?) – though it doesn’t happen quite that fast. Her shrinking starts in just a few chapters and goes throughout the entire book.

Read the rest of this review at The Polished Page-Turners

[J. Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a Few Inches is a book that's strongly focused on the moral at the center of the story.

It's a good message too, one that needs to be more prevalent in today's society of always striving for the perfect body image. One of the better aspects of the book is that it frames body image in a rather striking and dramatic way, through the use of fantastical elements that would otherwise be impossible in real life. The desire for a perfect body causes Carrie to start taking diet pills, which has the extremely odd side effect of making her shrink - literally. While at first she's ecstatic to be losing weight, she quickly realizes she's not losing weight how she imagined it - she's losing height and mass.

Throughout the story, we follow Carrie as she struggles to deal with this extraordinary circumstance. Clothes become loose. Reaching tall objects becomes harder and harder. And as she loses more and more height, her difficulties surmount, until just reaching doorknobs becomes an issue, and something like climbing the stairs is an exhaustive process. Eventually it gets even worse than that.

The only time I've ever encountered a plot turn like that is with Honey I Shrunk The Kids and a few cartoons and kids shows here and there. Here, Tara St. Pierre really delves into the aspect of shrinking and the challenges it would present, and how scary it would be as it progresses more and more.

However, even as she becomes smaller and smaller, Carrie manages to gain new perspective on her life and the people around her. She uses what happens to her to open discussions on body image. She uses her newfound fame in the public eye to put forth a message of positive body image, and does what she can to turn it into a positive event for others, even if she's terrified for herself. She grows closer to friends and family, even through the hardships.

Carrie's character is the strongest aspect of the story. We spend a lot of time with her, learning her hopes and dreams and getting to know her voice. We see the story from her perspective throughout the book (no pun intended) and it's a fun one. Unfortunately, because it sticks so closely with her, some of the friendships feel a little underdeveloped at times, but not to the point where it was an issue with the story. I do think that Carrie was a bit too forgiving at times of what other people end up doing to her. Given the circumstances surrounding her, I can understand, but there's a few things that people do that go unanswered, including something with a little girl later on in the story and what a rival does.

As I mentioned before, ultimately the moral is the thing that's the most prominent aspect of the story. There's still issues with the story itself, however. Given that the message is the focus here, I don't feel right docking a lot of points for it, but I feel like it should be pointed out.

The use of the diet pills is an obvious plot device, and that's fine. But it facilitates several problems with the internal logic of the story. Now, like I said, this is obviously a fantasy story - but several times it straddles the line between being a fantasy story and trying to explain events in a realistic manner. The diet pills are the plot device that gets things moving. Several times throughout the story, doubt is expressed over whether or not the pills are to blame, and that was fine...up until another woman comes forward and admits that she lost a few inches because she took the pills and was told to keep quiet about it in exchange for a deal with the company, just like Carrie.

That's kind of a problem. If it can happen to others, as evidenced by this woman who shows up and vanishes in quick succession, then why hasn't it happened to more people? It's hard to believe that a lone teenager would the only one in the nation to take a higher than recommended dose of diet pills.

There's also the problem of consequences. The story culminates in a trial with the drug company where Carrie confesses what happened and why she took the pills, and too many of them at that. Ultimate the resolution of the trial isn't revealed. I kind of think that the pills and the trial itself aren't needed for the story at all, much less the mysterious woman who only lost a few inches. The shrinking doesn't need a reason. In a fantasy story where the moral is ultimately the most important thing, I would be satisfied with the fact that it just happens. Maybe it's caused by her desire to fit into the dress and it goes overboard because of the glut of media out there body shaming women. Maybe it's some weird genetic disorder that no one has ever heard of, or maybe there's just no explanation at all. It wouldn't really matter.

I also wondered - where was the government during this? The story has a trial and she's public knowledge, but the government seemingly never gets involved, which feels kind of weird. It wouldn't be an issue but having a trial made me wonder. The same is true for skeptics - everyone in the world seems to kind of just accept it - that's fine for people who see her in person, but online, there'd be a lot of skepticism over it and probably a lot more people crowding outside her house trying to see if it was true.

And finally, the ending. It just kind of happens.

Carrie gives her speech, she accepts herself, shrinks a little more, and then begins growing. Most of this is presented in a summary. Everything works out fine and all the characters get what they want. It's not necessarily a bad ending, it just feels lackluster. We spent a LOT of pages getting to know Carrie and seeing her struggles, only to have it resolved in the span of three pages that feel like the epilogue to the Harry Potter novels. Short and unsatisfying.

Do we need to know why she stopped shrinking and then started growing again? No. Did I want to know anyway? Of course. I didn't dock the book any stars for this, but it's so quick and so glossed over that I wanted _something_ more.

Overall, I'd recommend the book. The moral is heavy handed, the logic struggles with the unrealistic nature of the circumstances and the moral being presented, and sometimes the characters feel cliche. Carrie is a charming enough character that ultimately it doesn't matter, and if you can get past the above issues, you'll enjoy the book as much as I did.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Beth
With a premise which is extremely creative, original and thought-provoking, Tara St. Pierre has created a plot which will make everyone who reads it stop and think. In Just a Few Inches we meet Carrie who, after being so absolutely desperate to squeeze into the perfect dress resorts to diet pills, with drastic results.
I must admit when I read the premise of this book I expected it to be extremely hard-hitting, depressing and go deep into the psyche of someone who is living with a distorted body image and taking drastic, dangerous action to change themselves but what the author does is different and it is so clever and makes a serious issue more accessible, ingenious and whilst the core message is there, Just A Few Inches keeps a light tone because rather than shrinking in weight, Carrie is shrinking in her entirely different way.
This novel takes a serious issue and turns it on its head, presenting it in a new way which is bound to resonate with a young audience and show exactly how dangerous and absolutely senseless weight loss drugs and other chemical agents can be. It blows the issue into cartoon-esque proportions as Carrie continues to shrink but it’s done in such a way that the issue is well and truly brought out into the open and is made a point of discussion, you can’t read this novel and not think about the distorted view the world has of how people should be in terms of the right shape, size, weight.
The characters in Just a Few Inches are well written and engaging, Carrie goes through a huge transformation in both size and understanding as her story progresses and the characters around her are also looked at in terms of how they manage to cope with her situation.
Body image and self-esteem are core themes within hundreds if not thousands of YA novels yet in Just a Few Inches, the author has taken a brand new angle and managed to look at the issues from a completely original way. By incorporating the almost sci-fi element into the novel and blowing it up to an impossible to ignore size, this novel makes you ask questions and shows the dangers of body image obsession.

[Jamie (Books and Ladders) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one and the message. Girls shouldn't worry about their size or trying to lose a few pounds or waist inches. And that's awesome. I totally, 100% agree. There is way too much pressure from society for females to look a certain way. I also really liked that we saw how Carrie's family and friends were affected and reacting to her predicament. It gave the book a fullness to have reactions and commentary from everyone who was even remotely involved in Carrie's life to feel the effects of her problem. However, I would have really liked this one to have been half the page length.

Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Rating: 3.5 stars!

Body shaming and how we compare ourselves to others is something that is extremely relevant in today's society, and I thought the author handled the topic extremely well. I really enjoyed the Sci Fi elements, as well as some of the other underlying themes, such as friendship and family. I did have a few problems with the story, but I will get into those in a more in-depth review, which I will be posting on my blog very soon. Overall, it was a very interesting, empowering, and heartwarming read!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a middle aged woman, you'd think I'd have no interest in reading about a high school girl obsessed with losing weight, but I loved this book and it was hard to put down. It took me back to my own high school days with my friends, obsessing about weight and pleasing boys. I kept wanting to read one more chapter and then one more to find out what happened to the girl next as she rapidly shrinks and deals with unwanted attention, embarrassment, changing relationships, and other issues. It was very entertaining and sometimes humorous. There were a lot of life lessons learned and a positive message throughout the book. I would recommend it for any age.

[bhavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on my blog: https://labookdreamer.wordpress.com/2...
This book touched my heart and gave such an important message! It shows you how being yourself is the most important thing and you should never doubt if you are beautiful enough. We follow a typical young girl wanting to lose just a few inches... Wanting to fit in the spectacular red dress and trying to impress her boyfriend, she does everything to lose those few pounds. Come the diet pills... but is she ready for the consequences?
This book was sent to me by the author for an honest review. So, this book made me go on an emotional roller-coaster! I was literally crying while reading it, both of sadness and joy. There are so many reasons to like this book and so many things you can learn from it. It was incredible how a message so crucial could be hidden and presented in such an amazing way! It is just like any other book and has it more than fair share of hilarious and heart warming parts and that quality in a book is always a winner for me!

First, the characters in this book were so relatable. I mean, who does not want to lose a few pounds to look good at prom or any other dance? We all want to be slim and thin! And I don't just like the characters because of that! All the characters are super supportive to the situation going on and make sure they are there for Carrie (our protagonist) no matter what they are doing! I love the fact that they appreciate her for who she is as a person and not what she looks like. The male characters dialogues in this book were also a bit swoon worthy to be honest...

I would also like to talk about how easy the writing style was to get into! It wasn't anything different or extraordinary but it gave you a feeling of home. It was very comfortable to read and there was no problem there. The way Tara combined the plot and changed the writing style to suit the curve ball she had thrown was really impressive!

Also, can we talk about the cover for a moment! It is so pretty! I mean, I have seen my fair share of covers, good and bad and I would definitely say this comes under a good for me. It is simple and there is not much going on and that's what I like. The cover does not distract the reader and actually make sense to the book unlike a lot of other covers I have seen! So thumbs up for the cover! I would also like to say that this is a self published book and that makes me really happy! I love supporting self- published authors!

Next, the plot was so unique! It was unlike anything I have ever read before! I was a little surprised at the turn of events throughout the book and the amount of mini heart attacks this book gave me due to it awesomeness! It was so interesting because I had never seen this happening in any other book before and I was always curious to find out what happened next. This book did drag a little bit in the middle for about 30 pages or so but that did not affect my overall enjoyment of this book!

It is set in a high school situation so yes, that was really a winner for me. One, I absolutely love contemporaries and two, ad high school as the setting and I will read whether I like it or not! Everything about this book was just so convenient for me!

This book talks about how you do not need to change how you look or starve yourself to look thinner and prettier. You are beautiful and you should no that. You are more than enough as you are and don't let anyone tell you anything else. You should never try to change yourself because someone does not like you the way you are. You are amazing just the way you are and if they don't appreciate you for your personality and not just your looks, they are not worth listening to. You should not be insecure about who you are but embrace yourself and have confidence in yourself. Your life does not matter on anyone else's opinions but your own decisions! So be proud of who you are don't ever think you are not good enough because you are! You are incredible!

This book opened my eyes to so much insecurity in the world and I was deeply saddened to see this as an issue because we should all learn to love ourselves a little and not always be under the constant buzz in our head about 'Do I look good right now?'

That's all that I have to say without giving any spoilers! So go read this amazing book and then tell me how you felt about it! Bye bye non spoilery people! WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS AHEAD

So, I just have a few quick things to say about the book in reference to certain events. First, I loved how supportive and amazing all of Carrie's friends were as she started to shrink and how they even lent her clothes and arranged for her blog! It was so special and I just had this warm fuzzy feeling throughout the book because friends like that are truly wonderful and you are so lucky if you have them!

Then I would like to say no matter what her height was, everyone accepted her and oh, it was beautiful! There was nothing wrong with her, she was still the same person and nothing was changing except for her height and I loved the fact that they saw it from that perspective!

I also really appreciated the amount of medical research that must have gone in this book because Tara definitely knew what she was writing and it was all very believable!

One thing that I was not particularly fond of in this book was the ending, though. I know that everyone would obviously feel happy to see her grow back to her original height but I was not. I would not mind her growing a few feet but growing back to her size spoilt it a little. The whole point of this book in my opinion, was about accepting people the way they are and this book did that but it would have been nicer if she stayed like that and her friends and boyfriend stuck with her even if she could not grow back. It reminded me a bit of The Beauty and the Beast in a way because even then I was so happy that Belle ignored his looks and looked within his soul. It was a little ruined when he actually turned out to be a prince.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a pick me up or in need of some social awareness! I really liked it and I am really excited to read more from this author in the future!

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I would like to state that I received this book through the Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the author for giving me this opportunity and honor in being able to read this book. When I received this book I began reading it at once. This book is a young adult book that I feel most teens and let’s get real at some point most women deal with at some point in their lives. Such as wanting to fit in that little black dress for some big event or what have you. Everyone wants to look even better for one reason or another. In this story Carrie wanted and needed to fit into her little red dress for Valentine’s day. With that said I am not going to tell any more of the story to give things away but I will say the leading character I really admire how, regardless of her problems that have crept up throughout this story she kept going not letting things stop her. Because of her problems and how the writer has written the story I feel it makes everything feel so much more real. I really like the authors writing style. This book delivered a problem/ topic and the way it was dealt with was very interesting I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Aoibheann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 CAPTIVATING, THOUGHT PROVOKING STARS!!!!

SOME SPOILERS

Review originally posted on Aoibh Reads


Carrie wants to fit into The Dress. It's less than a week until the Valentine's Dance and Carrie has the perfect dress to woo her boyfriend, but she needs to she a few pounds to fit comfortably and look the part. Resorting to the pull of diet pills, Carrie decides they're worth the shot to lose a few inches.

As the dance approaches, Carrie notices results when trying on her dress. Ceasing to take the pills as she has reached here desired level, everything has worked out... or so she thought. Carrie soon realises her height has been what's been reducing, causing her weight loss.

Forced to come clean to her parents, her life is changed forever after one insecure decision. Battling losing an inch a day, Carrie sees life from a whole new level, and doesn't know when it'll stop...



I really loved the idea of this novel. The blurb drew me in as it dealt with such a common and serious issue, in a clever way with some humour and imagination.

Carrie: She was a great lead character and dealt with an issue many females can relate to. Her change of attitude and growth ~ lol ~ throughout the story was extremely admirable and enlightening. She resorts to the diet pills early on due to her insecurities that she's not good enough physically, and needs to change her appearance to be worthy of keeping her boyfriend or being anyone significant. As she goes through her shrinking and physical change, she slowly realises that nearly everyone wants to change something about them and very few are happy in themselves, a sad revelation really. By the end, both in her narration and blog, she really pushes that we are who we are and only have one body so just embrace it. There's nothing wrong with wanting to healthily improve aspects, but it shouldn't be anyone's main concern.


Theme: This novel really works due to the deep and crucial theme that’s dealt with. It’s definitely one I can really relate to and its execution is probably one of the best. By incorporating the theme into a sci-fi, original and humorous manner, it subtly delivers a message of great importance. The media and inherent competition and envy has made nearly everyone to focus on the negatives of their body and what they deem “wrong” or in need of change by comparing themselves to other people, that are built differently and have different genetics, and to photo-shopped airbrushed pictures published by the media. In a world where perfection is glorified and want of a constant youthful appearance creating a mutli-billion industry, growing up we are subject to believing we can’t embrace our natural selves. This novel really portrays that everyone is different and whilst we can’t help but compare ourselves to others, we need to put our own body’s abilities first make sure we take care of our one body.


Story: As already said, this was also a great story if not looking too deep. It was definitely an original take on insecurities and self-image issues. Carrie gets down to being only 6 inches and it’s a captivating read as regular household objects prove to be of a lethal danger or troublesome to operate. There was great thought put into working out what actions we tend to overlook or take for granted, prove to be of great effort if we are to be smaller, e.g. reaching a doorknob or even operating a phone or keyboard. Add in a domestic pet that’s bigger than you, and the real danger is imminent.



Characters: The characters in this were well developed and realistic. I really liked watching the role Carrie’s two best friends played; Lauren and Trish. At first, I didn’t like Lauren much as I felt she wasn’t too supportive of Carrie and wasn’t too sympathetic towards what was happening. But really, she was probably the better friend as Trish acted like her publicity manager. Lauren actually cared for Carrie’s well-being from the get go, advising her against the pills from the start. She was described as curvy and not thin, but yet she had no want to change for the approval of others. Evan was beautiful; he clearly cared for Carrie at the beginning, before she started to change and he was such a crutch as she battled her issue. Whilst everyone focused on the change she was enduring, he helped her see that nothing else was changing and she was still the same gorgeous person he wanted to be around.


Pace: Majority of the time, the pace was spot on in this. However, the shrinking began within the initial 20%, making me wonder where the story would lead. Whilst the story didn't drag, it did seem to reach the main point quite quickly as it slowly built up to the ending. Which brings me to the ending... there was a great high point towards the end where Carrie faces a danger holds great suspense, but the ending was a little bit of a let down. It seemed a little sudden and rushed to cap off the story, after such a good build up and preceeding content.



Overall:


I would definitely recommend this so all NA/ YA/ teens. It holds such a powerful message, whilst highlighting the dangers of becoming obsessed with your appearance - albeit in a more sci-fi manner but there's emphasis on the mental aspect too. It was a great piece of original work and I loved reading it.


Thank you to the author for allowing me read this in exchange for an honest review!


See more of my reviews here