Julia Spiro's "A Novel" - A Story of Love, Loss, and Redemption

CeCe: I haven't read ut yet but u can't wait

Canada on Nov 19, 2023

WensDay: I am by no means a literary critic...in fact, I'm pretty sure I've never written a book review in my life...but I found this book to be an exceptional read. It takes a deep dive into the life of a bulimic wellness influencer (oh, the irony). The story was enthralling and every note rang true, as if the author herself had actually lived it, which may well be the case. I think that most women will identify with the subject matter of this book, eating disorder or not. Social media marketing, perfection pressure, body dysmorphia, and an unhealthy relationship with food. These are all subjects that have touched our lives at one point or another. I am a former bulimic, and I found this book to be heart-wrenching, thought-provoking and ultimately, uplifting.

United States on Nov 11, 2023

M. Simon: Most of my kindle first books are "good enough." This one is considerably better. The author's voice is authentic, very important in a book about an eating disorder. The plot, while predictable, is presented cleanly and without contrivance. The main character, Ava, is well-defined and believable. It's actually a 4.5 star novel.

United States on Jun 21, 2023

Annabelle Guthrie: TW/ ED, Bulimia

This is a really good read, the first I have read by this author and I would read it again. It was highly engaging and I really did enjoy reading it. However, it does describe having an ED in immense detail, in detail that could be triggering for someone, and this is not clear from reading the blurb. For this reason, it dropped a star, but really was a 4.5 read

United Kingdom on Jul 21, 2022

Amazon Customer: I had no idea what the story was about. It concerned a woman with an eating disorder. I
Would not have chosen this book if I would have known. However I did finish the book. I thought it was realistic and well written. It also veered towards an ending that was uplifting. I would recommend.

Canada on May 09, 2022

Carolette: This came out in my First Reads selection and, like many other reviewers have said, it sounded the least bad out of a particularly terrible selection. I was probably drawn to it because there seemed to be a disconnect between the title and the blurb. Very quickly it became clear that it was a novel about bulimia (and, slightly more subtly, alcohol abuse). As this is somewhat of a personal topic for me, I hesitated and decided to keep reading.

I will be honest: the first-person, present-tense style means that the book comes across more as a 200-page Medium article about the reality of life with an eating disorder, but in a way I could relate to that. The character is honest about how her business as a social media influencer has turned her recovery from bulimia into a filtered lie she can't stop living.

I think that's a powerful point for anyone with an eating disorder, as 'recovery' is invariably held up as this golden mountain of wellness perfection that we'd all be living if we just tried harder. Ava's battle between her curated social media 'authenticity' and actual authenticity is very real, very honest. There are important insights about how ordinary things fuel...

United Kingdom on Mar 26, 2022

CARRI: The story is about a twenty-something young woman who lies her life on social media. That's not a typo, she DOES use social media to lie about her life.
Personally, I don't really do social media, so the story was kind of bland. Younger people may get more out of it.
It did make me stop and think of myself growing up and how words spoken by someone you love can really affect your whole life.
Overall, just not relevant for me.

United States on Mar 24, 2022

Just A Narwhal: Wow! What a book. I haven’t been this engrossed in any book for quite some time.

I was trying to not give anything away with regards to the details, in case of spoilers. But i have just looked to see if other reviews have mentioned what the main focus of this story is about, because it might be highly triggering to those who suffer from it. Bulimia. I personally don’t suffer from it, though i do consider myself to have an unhealthy relationship with food, and consider myself fortunate to have escaped the clutches of an eating disorder.

The author’s descriptions of her process, as she battles her disease, are gripping, highly detailed, painful, and i found it highly engrossing.

It may not be a book for everyone, because of the subject, however, i do believe that a lot of women will be able to relate. I always feel that I have to be a certain size or shape, or i won’t be considered attractive enough. I have struggled with my weight for about 12 years now, whereas in my youth, my fast metabolism ensured i never gained weight, and could eat anything.

Nowadays, i still crave the unhealthy food, but I’m no longer able to eat it, but i take pictures...

United States on Mar 14, 2022

Kindle Customer: A novel for the times that honestly addresses a woman's greatest critic; herself, and the pervasive impact of social media on her relationships and identity.
Spiro unflinchingly examines the issues that plague so many; body image, confidence, negative self narrative and the dichotomy of living an authentic life whilst trying to prove to our many observers that life can be lived and perfection achieved effortlessly.

Australia on Mar 09, 2022

csm: When none of the First Reads options sound appealing, I usually get the children's book. This time, the least off-putting for my mood was Full, though I had wished to read a preview. I chose this, because, having only high ranking reviews, I wanted to be able to give a different POV.

How surprised I was that I enjoyed this women's fiction - very rare for me. I'm looking at 60, and the journey & reflections of the late-20s protagonist were extremely well-written. The six reviews available at the time referred to Honesty; I read with the idea of looking for other words, but that is the best description. The topic may not be every reader's jar of jam, but the flow and handling of the involvement and struggles of a person's life are spot on.
UPDATE:***********I wondered about the topic of bulimia not being exposed in the editor blurb. I wondered about mentioning it in my review. Since others have addressed this, I want to add that I normally would have dismissed this First Read option for that reason. In saying this "isn't for everyone", I meant those who would be unduly (dis)stressed by the topic, and those who don't like "inner-workings" type stories: those who are...

United States on Mar 03, 2022