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Losing It
They say Diana Christopher is losing it.
Considering she's just driven her car into the front window of Davey's Café, they might be on to something. All Diana wants is to be normal—but life for this thirty-two-year-old waitress is anything but. Since the death of her father two decades before, Diana has looked for consolation in doughnuts, strawberry shortcake and cheese curls—anything to avoid looking into her past. With fifty pounds to lose, she knows she's become a huge disappointment to her mother, and herself.
An unlikely friendship with her ninety-three-year-old neighbor gives Diana the courage to shed the bulky barrier she has put between herself and the world, and soon, she's getting attention from a certain pool-playing god at a local singles bar. But after the unspeakable happens, Diana begins to examine her past and finds that losing it is the only way she can truly be free.
In this debut novel, Lindsay Faith Rech weaves subtle beauty and wit with honesty and hope, as Diana breaks through the burdens of the past and becomes the sexy siren she was born to be.
Considering she's just driven her car into the front window of Davey's Café, they might be on to something. All Diana wants is to be normal—but life for this thirty-two-year-old waitress is anything but. Since the death of her father two decades before, Diana has looked for consolation in doughnuts, strawberry shortcake and cheese curls—anything to avoid looking into her past. With fifty pounds to lose, she knows she's become a huge disappointment to her mother, and herself.
An unlikely friendship with her ninety-three-year-old neighbor gives Diana the courage to shed the bulky barrier she has put between herself and the world, and soon, she's getting attention from a certain pool-playing god at a local singles bar. But after the unspeakable happens, Diana begins to examine her past and finds that losing it is the only way she can truly be free.
In this debut novel, Lindsay Faith Rech weaves subtle beauty and wit with honesty and hope, as Diana breaks through the burdens of the past and becomes the sexy siren she was born to be.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
301 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 31, 2018
If you want the version of this review that has a bunch of excellent gifs, please check out my review at Grab the Lapels.
What a horrible, shallow, degrading, boring, piece of garbage this book is. Lindsay Faith Rech, in writing Losing It, has spawned an abomination. Let me explain:
Diana is a size-sixteen 32-year-old woman who works as a waitress at a truck stop. Her co-workers and customers degrade her. Her thin mother degrades her. She wishes she were dead, like her father, and is delighted when she is told by a doctor that she might have a tumor. Why all the degradation and death wishes? Because Diana is fat.
I’m not even going to fully review this book; it doesn’t deserve paragraphs. Instead, let me give you some examples of how horribly fat women are represented in fiction — and remind you that the author is choosing to do this to a fictional person:
What a horrible, shallow, degrading, boring, piece of garbage this book is. Lindsay Faith Rech, in writing Losing It, has spawned an abomination. Let me explain:
Diana is a size-sixteen 32-year-old woman who works as a waitress at a truck stop. Her co-workers and customers degrade her. Her thin mother degrades her. She wishes she were dead, like her father, and is delighted when she is told by a doctor that she might have a tumor. Why all the degradation and death wishes? Because Diana is fat.
I’m not even going to fully review this book; it doesn’t deserve paragraphs. Instead, let me give you some examples of how horribly fat women are represented in fiction — and remind you that the author is choosing to do this to a fictional person:
From Diana’s mother: “You can pay me back by losing some of that weight so you don’t keep breaking my heart and my wallet every time we go to lunch.”Either the author is incapable of realizing her own hypocrisy, or her main character is a flaming idiot. When she talks with a man about his recent divorce, he notes that his ex-wife would never leave the house without make-up and dressing nicely. She kept a brush in every room in the house in case someone stopped by uninvited. Diana raves about what a vain peacock this man’s ex is, not realizing the entire novel has thus far focused on what she puts in her mouth and her fat cell count. How boring. What a boring woman. If she thinks she hasn’t found happiness because she’s 5’4″ inches and 178lbs., I’d like to remind Lindsay Faith Rech that she brought to life a vapid creature whose weight-obsession would make a plant yawn.
The narrator: “…cosmetics would only turn her into a decorated fat person.”
When Diana starts going to a bar to pick up men, whom she compares to pizza: “Woops, food analogy. As a woman on the road to thinness, Diana wished not to have those anymore. She had to keep in mind that in her new life, nothing was a bowl of cherries, the whole enchilada, as easy as pie, a piece of cake or the icing on it.”
About an exercise class: “Diana felt like a big, fat blueberry in her navy terrycloth jogging suit.”
When her 93-year-old neighbor brings over stuff to make sundaes: “The presence of such no-no delectables could only mean one thing: she would get fat again” but then she learns her friend brought “fat-free frozen yogurt, sugar-free chocolate sauce, and reduced-calorie whipped cream, and that each cherry was only ten calories apiece.”
From Diana’s diary: “No matter what happens with TJ, I will not let myself get fat and pray for death again.”
After a guy with whom she had a one-night stand blows her off: “She was in the 150s [pounds] now. She wasn’t a big girl. She’d even started to believe she was beautiful. Why was he taking that away?”
Diana starts working at a day camp for children, and this is how she describes one little girl: "And then there was Debra, the playground bombshell, who, despite Diana’s valiant efforts not to be jealous of a four-year-old, constantly drove her to the greenest hills of envy. Here was a little girl with big green eyes, gorgeous auburn hair, and all the signs of perfect bone structure and a lifetime of carefree beauty." [emphasis mine]
August 17, 2012
This is honestly one of the worst books I've ever read. What a waste of time. From the horribly written dialogue, to the predictable plot, to the damaging messages it sends to women about their bodies, this novel is so poorly written that, frankly, I'm amazed it was published. The characters are overly simplistic and, with the exception of the 93 year-old neighbor, all unlikable. The main character is whiny and depressed, and finds happiness only through weight loss. (Thin people can find love! So get moving, fatties!) If you want a novel about a quirky, chunky heroine who finds empowerment within herself as she struggles with her body image, read "Bridget Jones' Diary". Oh, and (spoiler alert) I was not a fan of the glorification of statutory rape.
I'm guessing that Lindsay Faith Rech has battled with her weight and found writing this novel as therapeutic way to unleash her angst at the world (and probably her mother). It may have been good for the purposes of her own venting, but it was a total failure as an achievement in literature.
I'm guessing that Lindsay Faith Rech has battled with her weight and found writing this novel as therapeutic way to unleash her angst at the world (and probably her mother). It may have been good for the purposes of her own venting, but it was a total failure as an achievement in literature.
February 5, 2023
This was a cute romance about a woman who loses weight and finds love.
January 2, 2008
I thought this book was pretty good. The humor at times made me laugh out loud. I disagree with some of the comments about this book just sending the simplistic, wrong message, "Lose weight and everything will be great." I don't think this book meant that at all. Yes, weight is one of Diana's struggles, but her struggle with self-esteem & complacency are her main problems. Her lack of self esteem prevents her from finding a better, more fulfilling job and keeps her shut up in her apartment so she can't make any friends. Afterall, when she decided to turn her life around after an "epiphany," she started to change all the parts of her life she was unhappy about: started looking for another job, going to the bar, shopping, avoiding desserts and exercising. That scene of lunch with Diana and her mom where they laughed for what seemed the first time, made her happy too. It wasn't just the weight.
While Diana was at times naive and goofy(ie pregnancy scare), overall I thought she was an endearing character. I also enjoyed the character of the elderly neighbor/best friend. She was wise, kind, and a fun person for Diana to talk to and hang out with.
I did think the crash through the cafe window was unneccessary, although it did serve to bring Diana and her mom closer together. And I had hoped the character of Michelle could have appeared one more time to experience some sort of humiliating incident.
While Diana was at times naive and goofy(ie pregnancy scare), overall I thought she was an endearing character. I also enjoyed the character of the elderly neighbor/best friend. She was wise, kind, and a fun person for Diana to talk to and hang out with.
I did think the crash through the cafe window was unneccessary, although it did serve to bring Diana and her mom closer together. And I had hoped the character of Michelle could have appeared one more time to experience some sort of humiliating incident.
February 28, 2013
I refuse to finish this book. I think this book was aiming for a Bridget Jones diary feel but its just too ridiculous. The poor main character is looked at like a freakishly obese 32 year old failure with no hope for happiness. Seriously, do we really need more crap shoved in our faces that drive home the false: skinny =beauty=love=happiness? I think not. This book may have had a redemption moment but I am not willing to put anymore time into it. If the bad character development were the only negative, maybe I would ride it out. It's not made me even crack a smile once. Did someone forget to let the author know that all fat girls are funny?
January 16, 2013
Bah. Not a great book. I just didn't like Diana at all. What a twit. The whole pregnancy scare was stupid. How dumb can a person be? My biggest gripe about this book was that it's basically telling you that you can't be happy or get a man unless you are skinny. Nice message.
I gave it two stars, because as bad as the main character and message was, I did finish it, and there were some nice parts.
(BTW, I originally registered this book at Bookcrossing in 2003. OMG)
I gave it two stars, because as bad as the main character and message was, I did finish it, and there were some nice parts.
(BTW, I originally registered this book at Bookcrossing in 2003. OMG)
July 20, 2014
I would prefer to give this book 0 stars, but that isn't an option. It is unbelievably shallow, with the obsession of losing weight at its center, at which point only then will the character's life begin and then have a happy ending. Literally, the last page is an update of weight lost and her own "happy ending", verbatim.
March 9, 2008
An overweight girl is depressed and has a miserable life. She loses weight and things get better. Wow, haven't read THAT one before.
January 4, 2009
Super-predictable with a "lose weight and your life will be perfect!" message to boot. Not recommended.
February 19, 2021
Not the best book I have read in a long shot but was an easy fast read. As someone else here said it was rather like a poor copy of Bridgette Jones.
November 28, 2011
What a disappointment. I did like the narrator's relationship with her older neighbor, which made this book special. However, the whole one-night-stand-loss-of-virginity thing was just too weird for me, and I always find it irritating when fat girls suddenly get thin and find the man. (Oops, was this a spoiler? Perhaps. But really, you saw it coming, right? Guess I better mark this review as a spoiler...) What's wrong with the fat girl getting the guy without losing all the pounds? Hello, that's why millions love Bridget Jones's Diary, amiright? As if that isn't bad enough, she can't get along with her mother until she's thinner and nearly dies in an accident? That really is awful. And depressing. Alas, this is not the uplifting chick lit for big girls that it promised to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2008
This book was ok. I read it on the airplane and was and easy read and helped me pass time. The main character Diana is likeable at times and somewhat annoying at other times. Loved her relationship with Mrs. Bartle and the relationship with her mother was proabably the best part of the book. Her "relationships" was a little hard for me to buy. Reminded me of a shorter happier version of She's Come Undone. If you haven't read that book yet, don't. Read this one instead. If you have read She's Come Undone, read this for a happy fairytale ending.
July 6, 2009
This book showed how anyone can overcome anything you just have to set your mind to it. Diana struggled with self-esteem and issues about her fathers death and she blamed her self for alot of this. She had no connection really with her mother but Mrs. Bartle that sweet,elderly lady in the apartment below helped her see life in a different light. She was a key part to Diana's ongoing change. The story pulls you in and it had me laughing and crying for Diana..and a couple of times I wanted to say "You go girl!".
July 5, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, though I did find there were times when I wanted to smack her one and tell her to snap out of it at the start. In saying that, I do know how low self esteem feels so it made a bit of an impact. I loved it when she started getting some confidence and really looking after herself.
November 4, 2018
I picked this up off the shelf of a Little Library as i was walking into an appointment. I read half the book while I was sitting in the waiting room!
It was an easy read ... some funny moments ... more eye roll moments .. some eyebrow raising moments. A lot of body shaming and 'life's better when you're skinny' moments.
It was an easy read ... some funny moments ... more eye roll moments .. some eyebrow raising moments. A lot of body shaming and 'life's better when you're skinny' moments.
May 27, 2009
One of the dumbest books I've read. Character driven and the characters, with the exception of the 93-year-old lady, aren't likable. In fact have never read any other book where I really disliked the main character. Props though for making me wish I had a hip, 90 year old friend.
December 18, 2012
A cute little book about a 32-year-old woman with the maturity level of the 25-year-old author. A fast and enjoyable read, if you don't get too caught up in the fact that the main character acts more like an adolescent than an adult, but then again, the book might not work otherwise.
August 24, 2016
Was this the best written book ever? Certainly not but I did enjoy it. I could relate to Dianna in a lot of ways so I did like it more than I might've otherwise but it wasn't a bad read. I wanted to read a fluffy, quick book and that's what I got.
June 10, 2007
I really liked the story of this young single fatty and her relationship with her 93 year old neighbor. It was predictable in some ways but also sweet and enjoyable. I read it very quickly.
January 17, 2008
This book was ok. It's not the best RDI book I've ever read, but it's also not the worst. Quick, semi-good read if you're in the need.
March 6, 2008
uch, this book was crap, it tried really hard to be like Bridget Jones, but failed.
August 11, 2009
Started out a bit frustrating...all I could think was, "stop whining!" But the ending made up for it and has made it one of my favorite "fun" books lately.
September 28, 2011
Parts of this book were laugh out loud funny. I really enjoyed it!
March 4, 2012
Would've given this one a solid 4 stars, except that I didn't quite appreciate the way the author equated skinny with happy. Otherwise, it was quite funny and witty.
August 20, 2013
This book had a lot of flaws, especially at the beginning. However, the story was interesting and I enjoyed it. Nothing great.
December 11, 2013
Perfectly predictable. This book required no thinking whatsoever, like sorbet for the mind. Plus, I've had it for 10 years and hadn't read it yet, so there's that.
June 13, 2007
A very charming and quick read. Loved the characters...all quirky and fun.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews