Notice for Review Requests

I receive review requests weekly. However, my personal schedule is hectic and I no longer review actively. (I also manage another blog called The Toronto Cafe and Food Blog). I do read every request sent but I apologize in advance that I do not reply to them all.

If I do take on a request, I will forewarn that it may take some time before I can review it. I am now looking to review adult fiction and self-help books instead of young adult fiction because I have grown out of it. If you are to request a review for either adult fiction or self-help, I will more likely to give it a shot.

In the meantime, Stop, Drop, and Read! serves as an archive book review blog. When I have the time, I may post a review. Thank you for understanding.

Monday, March 9, 2009

The Makedown by Gitty Daneshvari

Title: The Makedown
Author: Gitty Daneshvari
Age Group: Adults
# of Pages: 324
My Rating: 5/5

Once a fatty is always a fatty.

From Ohio, Anna Norton used to be an overweight and nerdy girl who was constantly shoving junk food down her throat. She knew she was fat but struggled through the insults and stares for over a decade anyways. She even created a log called Hello Fatty where she recorded down all of her thoughts.


Now, Anna is fed up with her pathetic life. First thing she decides to do is pack up and go to New York so she can start over. Reality slaps her across the face once more when the employees at a company she tries to apply for make fun of her behind her back. She quits before she is hired in tears. Blubbering, she runs to an employment center and begs for a job. Even though she has a degree in molecular biology, she is willing to take on anything as long as no one will call her fat. This lands her on a catering job with a beautiful woman named Janice. Janice, who is a former fatty, understands Anna completely. Therefore, Janice drills Anna like it is boot camp, making her eat healthy and run around the block for ingredients. She even went as far as calling up all of Anna's favourite restaurants and tells them to stop delivering her food orders.

Seven months later, Anna have changed completely from head to toe. She is still insecure but now she feels like a normal person. At a club Janice has dragged her to, she caught sight of a very attractive man. He is so handsome that she could not peel her eyes away from him. But of course, she will never see him again. Or she thinks.

While catering at a party, Anna finds the same man there! Apparently he is the son of her clients. His name is Ben and has been with several beautiful girlfriends before. Not long he becomes Anna's boyfriend! It's a dream come true!

But then seeing Ben catches the eyes of every women who passes him starts to pain Anna. So she devises a plan to make him less attractive. But what will be the results of the Makedown?

If I am able to, I would shove The Makedown in the faces of film producers and be, "Make a movie of this... Now!" Gitty Daneshvari gave her characters a great voice and enjoyable plot line for her debut novel. After reading it, you will be motivated to change your life for the better! Did I mention that it's downright hilarious also? It is more of a comedy novel than a romantic comedy one but heck, I wouldn't care less for the lovey-dovey part! (But it does play a role in it.)

The beginning was certainly a hooker. I loved the way Anna spoke and how random her family was. I would love to meet Anna's mother, she is simply awesome in the randomness category. There was a point in the book where I got slightly annoyed by Anna's personality but it did not last long when everything else in the novel compensates for it. Anna grew and learned for the best through her mistakes. I wish the epilogue would be elaborated some more but I think it wrapped up pretty well. Read it, you won't regret it.

Review copy provided by Hachette Book Group.

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2 comments:

Sadako said...

This looks really good--makeover stories are often fun, and this looks like it's a good take on it.

vvb32 reads said...

sounds like a funny and fun one!