150 PoundsMar 29, 2001 Full time bloggers Alexis Allbright, of Skinny Chick fame, and Shoshana Weiner, of Fat and Fabulous stand out in the blogosphere like diamonds. Both have over five million loyal readers. Both are hungry for success. But their similarities end there as they send out directly opposing messages about women, weight and what is healthy. After being invited as guests on Oprah Winfrey, Shoshana and Alexis are forced into each other's lives but hope never to see each other again. However the result of two exciting life events means a drastic weight change for both of them, and they are forced to confront the real issue at hand: What is the best message to give women about their weight? Should they try and shed it, or learn to love their own skin? These two writers living across the Hudson River from one another in Manhattan, NYC and Hoboken, New Jersey must put their differences aside as they realize there is no perfect number on the scale. Shoshana and Alexis, once enemies, will discover they have much more in common than they ever thought possible: by the end of the novel they will both weigh 150 Pounds. An entertaining yet poignant look at a difficult and pressing issue that will affect all women at some point in their life or other. The book ends with a positive message and a lesson that we can all learn from. "Ms. Rockland handles an emotional topic sensitively yet head-on. The result is that the reader is left with an inner confidence and somehow more sure of living in their own skin. Every woman who has hangups about her weight should read this." Laura Pepper, Author of Wow! Glowing Bride in 30 Days From BooklistShoshana Weiner, who blogs at Fat and Fabulous, weighs more than 200 pounds, lives in Hoboken with several wacky roommates, and is close with her overweight sister and mother. Alexis Allbright, the barely-100-pound blogger at Skinny Chick, is a miserable, calorie-counting, gym-obsessed bitch who lives with her gay best friend, Billy, in a cramped New York apartment. The two clash on Oprah, then retreat to their corners of the scale, alternating chapters as each woman heads toward 150 pounds. An unexpected inheritance leads Shoshana down a new path that challenges her message of body acceptance. Alexis’ transformation is a bit abrupt, but her story (a friend’s health scare, an unexpected love) moves along at a steady pace. Although uneven and relying a bit too much on stereotypes (Shoshana is warm and loving, as are all the big women around her; Alexis is skinny and bitter, and her father never loved her), this novel is charming, especially in Shoshana’s story, which calls to mind Jennifer Weiner’s Good in Bed (2001). An interesting, if fluffy, approach to women’s body-image issues and female empowerment. --Susan Maguire Review"A fun read from a fresh new voice" -JANE GREEN "This novel is charming" -Booklist "Rockland does an excellent job of subverting chick lit tropes"-Publisher's Weekly "Skinny chicks, chubby gals and all in between will connect to this perennially favorite female subject: how much a body should weigh" -Kirkus Praise for 150 Pounds: "A fun read from a fresh new voice"--New York Times-bestselling author, Jane Green “In Kate Rockland’s newest novel, Shoshana and Alexis couldn’t be more relatable—not to mention comedic, sassy and full of a rare sense of honesty. The perfect novel for women of all sizes; to enjoy with a cupcake or on the stairmaster!”—Lisa Patton, bestselling author of Yankee Doodle Dixie “Ms. Rockland handles an emotional topic sensitively yet head-on. The result is that the reader is left with an inner confidence and somehow more sure of living in HER own skin. Every woman who has hang-ups about her weight should read this.” —Laura Pepper, author of Wow! Glowing Bride in 30 Days “Rockland does an excellent job of subverting chick lit tropes…the uplifting message and quirky humor should satisfy readers of all sizes.”–Publishers Weekly “Charming, especially in Shoshana’s story, which calls to mind Jennifer Weiner’s Good in Bed. An interesting, if fluffy, approach to women’s body-image issues and female empowerment.”–Booklist
Praise for Falling is Like This: "Rockland [has an] ear for dialogue...and thoughtful, humorous prose."–Nylon Magazine “Say hello to a new rock star in women's fiction...one of the best novels I've read in a long while.”–New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin "Saucy, sexy, and well-written"–Courtney Love |
