E’s Reviews > The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle > Status Update

**mild spoilers**
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The narrative continues to be blistering in its not-so-oblique critique of fatness. And for what reason? I'm having a hard time getting past it. To the point that it's distracting and detracting from my enjoyment of an otherwise intriguing story so far.

**spoilers**
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The blistering take our narrator has on being fat feels over the top and unnecessarily cruel. Is this just meant to be the personal bias of the POV character, or is the narrative as a whole making a moral statement about what it means to be fat? I'll be curious to see if the story comes back to this theme and transforms it. Or if it just continues to perpetuate a tired stereotype.

Turton has a delightful way of turning phrases. So far the characters are memorable without being *too* over-the-top -- which is quite a feat, given an ensemble cast like this. I'm really burrowing into the brooding, atmospheric tone and I'm eager to find out what happens next...

"I round the folding screen like a man possessed, nearly leaping out of my skin when I discover a wild-eyed creature lurking on the other side.
It's a mirror.
The wild-eyed creature looks as abashed as I at this revelation."