I was so happy when this landed on my desk- I love books about weight loss and body image and I also love books about ghosts- so this ticked all the boxes!
Nothing Tastes as Good
Annabel has died, she's not thrilled about it- but she is dead nevertheless.
Julia Jacobs is overweight and in need of help and Annabel is assigned to her to find the cause of her overeating, which isn't as easy as she thought it would be.
Annabel needs to spend time getting to know Julia and peel back the layers- but as she does it makes her think more about her own choices before she died and those people she misses most.
The thing I liked most about this book was its originality- books have been published before about diets and low self-esteem, just as books have about people in the afterlife helping those who are still living but never before have they been combined- so it was a breath of fresh air.
The chapters are short so if you are tired by the time your head hits the pillow like I am you can still happily read a few chapters each night.
It was also refreshing to read about such insecurities and problems in a younger person as most of the books I have read- the central character is a lot older. As a consequence- this book has some really positive messages for young adults who are struggling with body confidence.
I particularly liked how Hennessy used Annabel's character to highlight all of her character's thoughts so as a reader you were learning at the same pace as Annabel as each part of the plot unfolded.
The author cleverly highlights the complexities of eating disorders and how they are not as simple as over-eating or under-eating. She sheds some light on the motivations and thought processes that go hand in hand with the excesses and restrictions of such illnesses.
There was a real sense of immediacy- you were always in the moment with this novel, which is why I think it kept me hooked. I read it in a just a few days- a real asset to the genre.