Stop what you are doing and get a copy of Dietland now.

It’s been a while since I read a book in one sitting, but that’s how much I enjoyed Dietland. I described it to a friend as “truth, humor, and a revenge chick-flick all in one.”

From the publsiher’s summary:
The diet revolution is here. And it’s armed.

Plum Kettle does her best not to be noticed, because when you’re fat, to be noticed is to be judged. With her job answering fan mail for a teen magazine, she is biding her time until her weight-loss surgery. But when a mysterious woman in colorful tights and combat boots begins following her, Plum falls down a rabbit hole into the world of Calliope House — an underground community of women who reject society’s rules — and is forced to confront the real costs of becoming “beautiful.” At the same time, a guerilla group begins terrorizing a world that mistreats women, and Plum becomes entangled in a sinister plot. The consequences are explosive.

“A giddy revenge fantasy that will shake up your thinking and burrow under your skin” (Entertainment Weekly), Dietland takes on the beauty industry, gender inequality, and our weight-loss obsession — with fists flying.

I’ve been gushing about this book, telling everyone I know to read it, and finding a way to do it without giving away anything is a challenge. Parts of the book made me terribly uncomfortable- exactly Walker’s plan, I suspect. Things that inundate us in our psyche every day, and should outrage us but don’t. While it’s a fun read, the book also makes you think- or should. How we treat people, how we choose our insults, how we measure an individual’s worth. We walk around in Plum’s skin a bit. Her journey could be our journey.  Now’s actually the perfect time for Dietland.  If you’ve paid any attention to the news of harassment in the last week or so, you’ll see why Dietland matters.

Walker takes on some challenging issues in this book- but does it in a non-preachy, empowering, and sometimes cringe-worthy way.  i

So I don’t spoil anything, I’ll stop with this: If you’ve been angered by Harvey Winestein, “Grab them by the Pussy”, the endless “me, too” posts highlighting a very real problem, then READ THIS BOOK. NOW.