Customer Reviews

The Way It Is

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Heroines: varied

They don't know it but they are on a collision course with each other, three women who will change each other's lives:

Rubenesque Ruby wants to be thin and craves her mother's and society's acceptance almost as much as she does food. But every time these opposing desires start bickering in her head, the food demons win out and she finds herself agonizing as each bite she consumes carries her farther away from her size six ideal. Anxious to love something other than food Ruby fixes her eye on her gorgeous coworker, but her low self esteem keeps her from trying to reach out to him. Or to any man she wants. Up until this point the peaks of her romantic experiences have been flatter than Kansas, and the only men in her life now are her lackluster ex-hubby and her gay pal.

Bootylicious Wanda is anxious to make it big in the plus modeling world, but she has three strikes against her: size, age, and race. Add to that a snotty, rich, daddy's girl coworker who undermines her at every turn, Wanda will be lucky not to wind up in the slammer for wringing the chick's neck.

Luscious Simone is dying to get out of the local TV news racket and into the limelight of the entertainment industry. Literally. She even figures the notoriety of leaving behind a trail of boy toys might add to her cachet. But she's got tunnel vision where her career is concerned and doesn't see that her life is unraveling around the edges. Living fast and furious might be her ticket to the top--or to six feet underground.

What worked for me:

This book has a great cover! It's sexy and sassy, colorful and eye-catching. And most importantly it doesn't downsize the big girls.

The story is funny, has interesting characters, good plot twists, and a great if not completely pat (the way I like it) ending. Yet it takes the time to insert insightful comments on various social issues rather than deliver up pure fluff.

The characters have some flaws that render them unlikable at times, but it's these same flaws which make them leap off the page with realism. (The author also did a great job nailing down the behavior and innermost thoughts of an unhappy-to-be-fat woman.)

Size-wise Ruby and Wanda were abundant and Simone was petite but shapely.

What didn't work for me:

I slurped this story down in one sitting. So honestly, the few technical issues I saw barely registered with me as I was so anxious to keep cruising along.

Overall:

"The Way It Is" is: . . . outrageous! You'll laugh, cry, and possibly throw a few things while reading this book. Don't miss it!

Warning: there are some coarse words, eating disorders, and sexual references in this book.

If you liked "The Way It Is" you might also enjoy "The Fat Friend", "All of Me", "The High Price of a Good Man", "Good in Bed", "Jemima J.", "Sisterhood Situation", "Etta Mae's Little Theory", or the "Odelia Grey" series.

When I read the jacket copy for The Way It Is, I thought is was going to a Bridget Jones' type book about neurotic women trying to take off 10 pounds....boy was I wrong! Two of the main characters are fat...and I mean FAT...not typical chick-lit "I'm a size 8 and I'm a hippo and need to loose weight." Sanchez never says how big they are but from one scene in the book we do know they are larger than a size 16. It was so refreshing to read a book about two truly large women and see how each one of them handled it so differently. The book was hilarious, well written, and has a great ending. BUY IT!

Kudos to Patrick Sanchez for writing such a sympathetic book about us big girls. I felt Ruby's pain throughout the book although at some points I just felt so terrible for her I had to put the book down for awhile. Patrick Sanchez tells it like it is and the results are often hilarious but sometimes very sad. The book had a great ending and left me wanting more. Anyone who has ever struggled with weight should buy this book!

The Way It Is is about three women who all end up living together and they all handle their issues with weight in different ways. Ruby hates being fat and spends her days wishing to be thin. Wanda is fat and proud and is striving to make it as a plus size model. Simone used to be fat but now is thin and her past as a fat girl still follows her. All three of the girls are likable and very real and each has their own story line. The book is full of laughs and offer an ocassional social commentary.

Okay...I have never written one of these before, but when I finished The Way It Is I felt like I had to spread the word. I connected with this book on a level that I never have connected with a book before. As someone who has been struggling with her weight for most of my life, I found this book to be so refreshing. I felt like I had found a support group through this book...like I was trading stories with the characters. I loved Ruby and Wanda and even eventually fell for Simone. I felt so bad for Ruby during so much of the book, but I can't tell you how happy I was with the ending.

Anyone who has tried to lose weight should pick up this book. It will change the way you feel about being fat and leave you hopeful and inspired.

You go, Ruby!

I couldn't put this book down - very entertaining! I don't know how Patrick Sanchez gets into the female mind so well, but I found myself relating to so many of the characters. A terrific, quick read that leaves you smiling for days.

Do yourself a really big favor and buy this book! Patrick Sanchez is a true genius when writing about women. His writing is captivating and his characters are charming and unforgetable. I could'nt put this book down until I finished it. Ruby and Wanda, the big girls in the book, are totally identifiable by anyone who has ever had a weight problem. Sanchez has the inner thoughts of big girls down pat. This book is funny, inspiring, and just plain enjoyable. I can't wait for his next book!

This book is a must read for all women whether you're battling with weight issues now or before. It deals with alot of underlying issues that all of us deal with at one time or another. This book is highly recommended with much needed laugh out loud humor. It's amazing that a male author wrote such an outstanding novel representing women.

I would really love to see this book made into a movie. It is so hilarious and heartwarming. Patrick Sanchez is one of my favorite authors, he knows how to put so much detail into his books to make you fall in love with his characters and their plights!

I was trawling through a bookshop in Girona Airport(Spain) looking for a book to read on my flight back home (London, UK). Picked this book and thought I would just about manage to get through the first chapter before being lulled off to sleep. How wrong I was. I couldn't put it down.
I could relate to all three main characters and haven't laughed so much in years.
Thanks Patrick Sanchez, I'd never have thought that a man could relate to women's feelings the way you have done.
In my PC (politically correct) world , it was such a refreshing read.