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49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funny, touching, left me hungry for more, May 28, 2010
This review is from: Slim to None (Kindle Edition)
Jenny Gardiner's new novel, Slim to None, starts with a marvelous premise. Abby Jenning's, the food critic for a major New York newspaper, eats her way out of her job. One of the job requirements of reviewing restaurants is to remain incognito. After a photo of her appears in a competing newspaper, and her girth makes the prospect of disguising herself unlikely, her editor reassigns Abby to a desk job for six months. In that time she needs to lose weight, as well as come to terms with her relationship with food, her husband and a family she didn't know existed. She is assisted in her efforts by a homeless man who may not be as he seems, her dog Cognac, and a philandering friend. She must also do battle with a decidedly sneaky and corrupt colleague, who is standing in for her as restaurant reviewer and wants her job on a permanent basis.
The book is very funny, often unexpectedly touching and insightful. It also includes recipes at the end of many of the chapters. Overall it left me hungry for chicken and crab with cheese in phyllo and for more of Jenny Gardner's writing. Jenny Gardiner's Slim to None is simply great fun.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Slim to None Chance You Won't Like It!, May 16, 2011
I bought this book based on reviews and wasn't disappointed. As someone who isn't a twenty-something but still likes "Chick Lit", I appreciated that the main character was a little older and contemplating some major life issues. It's a very entertaining and easy read with more depth/drama (but no tears, promise!) than typical in these types of books. I thought it was a light read that was resolved - but not predictably - at the end. At the same time, there's room for more to come, so I hope the author writes more books in the series! One of the best books in this genre that I've read in a while. (Agreeing with previous reviewers, there are a few minor editing errors; if 4.5 rating was possible, with the 1/2 star reduction based only on this.)
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Slim to None, October 28, 2010
This review is from: Slim to None (Kindle Edition)
Abbie Jennings loves her job as Manhattan's top food critic- until her identity is revealed and her unflattering picture with ever-expanding waistline is splashed across the newspapers. She becomes the joke of the town as the overweight food lover, and promptly loses her job at the New York Post since she can no longer go incognito to restaurants. Abbie takes this opportunity to finally go on that diet and shed some pounds, but struggles with motivation and the reasoning behind her relationship with food. To add to Abbie's problems, she is going through a difficult time with her husband, who is trying to persuade her to leave the city and finally start a family. It takes the guidance of an unusual friend to finally help Abbie see what she really wants out of life.
Slim to None by Jenny Gardiner is a good story. I didn't get real invested in the main character, and some off the story lines seemed just a bit off for me. I did like the plot, and the descriptions of some of the delectable dishes made me start eating while reading, but it just wasn't enough. Sometimes, Abbie's character came off as incredibly selfish, never really listening to her husband and continually doing things the way she wanted. There is also a best friend in the story, who I never could quite figure out what she was doing there. She popped up at random times, and during most of the meat of the story, she wasn't mentioned at all, only to return once again at the end. I found myself confused throughout the duration, as the writing was a bit all over the place and jumping from scene to scene without any real fluidity. Like I said earlier, I did like the story, I thought it was interesting though not necessarily unique, and I believe some good life lessons can be taken away from the main character's troubles. Slim to None won't be on my Favorites List, but I think some other chick lit lovers will be able to appreciate this story.
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