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Rita Just Wants to Be Thin
Mary W. Walters, author
Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)
As she breaks 200 pounds, and not in a good way, 29-year-old Rita finds herself married to a self-focused widower with two difficult kids and a mother who almost makes Rita’s own mother look like a role model—which is really saying something. Graham’s first wife, being dead, just keeps getting better and better in everyone’s memories while Rita just gets fatter and more aggravated. She’s tried every diet in the book, but it’s not until a family crisis forces her out the door that she discovers that the easiest way to lose weight is to get rid of the baggage on the inside. Funny and insightful, RITA JUST WANTS TO BE THIN is sure to make readers of all shapes and sizes feel better about themselves—and ultimately maybe even about Rita.
Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8.25 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: The plot is well constructed and flows from crisis to crisis smoothly and believably.
Prose: The author's writing is strong and her style is equal to the subject, at times resigned, desperate, and even humorous.
Originality: The subject, though a familiar one, is handled cleverly, making it seem fresh and unique.
Character Development: The characters here are very well constructed. Rita seems very real in the way she confronts her demons and the excuses she makes herself. The other characters are strong and evolve in a realistic manner.
Date Submitted: August 11, 2017