Size 14 Is Not Fat Either (Heather Wells Mysteries) [Paperback]

Meg Cabot (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 28, 2006 | Series: Heather Wells Mysteries

Former pop star Heather Wells has settled nicely into her new life as assistant dorm director at New York College—a career that does not require her to drape her size 12 body in embarrassingly skimpy outfits. She can even cope (sort of) with her rocker ex-boyfriend's upcoming nuptials, which the press has dubbed The Celebrity Wedding of the Decade. But she's definitely having a hard time dealing with the situation in the dormitory kitchen—where a cheerleader has lost her head on the first day of the semester. (Actually, her head is accounted for—it's her torso that's AWOL.)

Surrounded by hysterical students—with her ex-con father on her doorstep and her ex-love bombarding her with unwanted phone calls—Heather welcomes the opportunity to play detective . . . again. If it gets her mind off her personal problems—and teams her up again with the gorgeous P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives—it's all good. But the murder trail is leading the average-sized amateur investigator into a shadowy world. And if she doesn't watch her step, Heather will soon be singing her swan song!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Cabot's entertaining, if flawed, second cozy (after 2006's Size 12 Is Not Fat) to feature Heather Wells, a teen music idol turned student-life employee at NYU-like New York College, a cheerleader in Heather's dorm turns up dead—or, at least her head turns up, stewed almost beyond recognition in a cafeteria pot. Lindsay Combs was bubbly and popular, but as Heather digs deeper, she learns that Lindsay wasn't all sweetness and light. She slept around and was involved with obnoxious fraternity boys who made pin money dealing drugs. If solving Lindsay's murder isn't enough to keep Heather busy, her father, recently released after a 20-year prison sentence, shows up on her doorstep, looking for a renewed relationship and a place to stay. The roster of suspects is underdeveloped, and the denouement is both predictable and implausible, but Heather's charm and wit amply compensate. (Nov. 28)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Fans of Cabot's Size 12 Is Not Fat (2005) will be pleased that almost nothing has changed in this sequel. Once again, a killer is on the loose at fictional New York College--a young woman's decapitated head is found in a dorm kitchen's bubbling soup pot. Heather Wells, pop star turned residential advisor, dives in to solve the mystery with the same fumbling humor, vulnerability, and tenacity that she displayed in the first title. Even the love interest is the same here, and Cabot teases readers with an open ending that promises more sequels. Accessible to newcomers, this will still appeal most to readers ofSize 12. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; First Edition edition (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060525126
• ISBN-13: 978-0060525125
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #450,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write! Books for you, your sister, your best friend, your mother . . . . even for men with good taste!

Most of my time is spent over at my website, http://megcabot.com, so be sure to stop by!

UK, New Zealand, and Australia fans, visit http://www.megcabot.co.uk.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#67 in Books > Teens

#67 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome chick lit mystery! December 12, 2006

By Little D

Format:Paperback

I'm a huge fan of Meg Cabot's chick lit and I wasn't let down by this sequel to Size 12 Is Not Fat. Really, who wouldn't love to read about Heather Wells? She's a loveable character that anyone (whether you're a size 2 or a 12) can relate to. The only thing I didn't like was that it was a little too gruesome for me. Maybe the next mystery wont involve a missing body and a boiled head.

I'm really looking forward to reading the next Heather Well's mystery.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A detective who wets the palate, and leaves you stuffed! December 14, 2006

By Erika Sorocco

Format:Paperback

Twenty-nine-year-old ex-pop star, and current assistant resident hall advisor, Heather Wells, never thought that her mall tour fame from years ago would follow her through over ten years of her life, and various pants sizes. But, as much as she'd like to shake her old image, it seems to suck the life out of her wherever she goes. Of course, it doesn't help that her ex-fiance (and ex-Easy Street boy band member) Jordan Cartwright, won't get out of her face, or keep his new top of the charts fiance, Tania Trace, from feeling threatened by the newly-plus sized Heather. However, as she attempts to avoid Jordan's constant calls inviting him to his Celebrity Wedding, she finds herself colliding headfirst with a severely disturbing incident in her dormitory - the discovery of the head cheerleader, Lindsay Combs' decapitated head boiling in a pot in the dormitory kitchen. With the first day of the new semester in full swing, Heather feels bombarded by whiny students, and an ex-con father who has suddenly shown up on her doorstep looking to make amends, and actually welcomes the chance to put on her Detective shoes, and do a little sleuthing of her own. Getting the chance to work side-by-side with her landlord, and the love of her life - Private Eye Cooper Cartwright (yes, Jordan's older brother) - doesn't hurt a bit either. But as the murder trail begins leading Heather into a shady world, where students don't start partying until the break of dawn, and spend their time smoking anything that they encounter, she realizes that she's playing with fire. And, if she isn't careful, she may be singing her last melody.

You don't need many words to describe Meg Cabot's writing. The words flawless and magnificent seem to be accurate enough. Which is why those are the two words that fit perfectly, when talking about SIZE 14 IS NOT FAT EITHER. After encountering Heather Wells in her first sordid detective tale, I thought she was an intriguing character with a hearty appetite, and the ability to win over fans both young and old. Now, given the chance to delve into her delusional world once more, I realize that Heather is much more. She's the host with the most, with the ability to outsmart killers - and detectives - with one switch of the wrist. Her self-deprecating humor regarding her weight leaves you in stitches, while the tumultuous relationship she appears to have with all the males in her life - from Jordan to Cooper, and now to her jailbird father - is relatable, and enjoyable to read about, as she traverses the difficulties she encounters on a daily basis. A detective who wets the palate, and leaves you stuffed!

Erika Sorocco

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming and entertaining June 9, 2008

By Bookphile TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I find Meg Cabot rather irresistible. I imagine her to be the sort of sunny girlfriend who always has a great story to tell and who has a knack for making you laugh, no matter how lousy of a day you've had. The style translates to her work and that is what makes it so enjoyable to me. Cabot's novels are pure fun, just like an afternoon spent gossiping and laughing with a close female friends.

The engaging Heather Wells is back in this novel. The premise of her being a former pop princess who is now broke courtesy of her mother running off with her money in probably the most original back story I've heard for a character in some time. Still, though her background is rather dramatic, Heather is not bitter. If there's one criticism I have of the character it would be that she perhaps lacks a bit of nuance. I don't think I'd be as forgiving as she is but Cabot portrays her as a woman who's satisfied enough with her lot in life. This makes her a bit unrealistic but Cabot does save her from being too perfect, which would kill the character all together. At any rate, Heather is fun and funny and the kind of person with whom I would get along famously in real life.

As with the previous novel, Size 12 Is Not Fat, Heather stumbles her way into the midst of a mystery. Given that she aspires to a major in criminal justice, it's not entirely surprising. Still, Heather's no Nancy Drew. She's so inept at times that she bears more resemblance to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and her ineptitude is used to great effect. Though Heather eventually triumphs, she hits many obstacles and makes many mistakes along the way--small wonder her roommate and would-be-love Cooper doesn't want to clue her in to his activities.

Along with the mystery, there is the added tension of Heather's father's reappearance in her life and while she deals with his return fairly calmly, she is also wary of him. There is also the continued romantic tension between Cooper and Heather. Cooper is determined to believe that Heather is not yet over his brother Jordan, though I found this to be a bit debatable. I get the impression that Cooper's conflict may be more to do with the fact that perhaps he's not quite ready to get into a relationship with Heather which would, admittedly, be quite complex. Cabot is a master of orchestrating that kind of frustration that keeps readers eager to experience that sweet moment of vicarious bliss in which their well-loved heroine finally gets the man she wants and deserves.

I think one of the things I like most about this series is the frank way in which Cabot treats the issue of Heather's weight. It makes me wonder if Cabot has some first-hand experience. Though Heather is aware of her size and knows that her eating habits have a great deal to do with it, she remains a confident and centered person. Cabot strikes a very nice balance here and steers clear of making the books all about Heather's size. The fact that she wears a 12 and then probably a 14 is just one part of who she is. Perhaps others underestimate her because of it but it makes me happy to see that Heather is as well-adjusted as she is and that she likes herself even though society likes to tell women her size that they should despise themselves.

Cabot has left a lot of room for this character to grow, which is good. While Heather is a lot of fun, I don't think she'd make much of a private eye--at least not at this point. I'm glad about that, though, because it hints that Cabot may treat us to more Heather Wells novels for some time to come.