The Fatness by Mark A. Rayner

Summary

Keelan Cavanaugh is fat. That’s why the government put him in prison.


They placed him in a Calorie Reduction Centre (CRC), where trained staff work to help him and many others slim down. Well, that was the intention, anyway. The powers that be had decided chubby citizens must either go there or lose their health care coverage.


When he meets Jacinda Williams, an activist lawyer researching this new system, Keelan is more determined than ever to slim down. But Keelan discovers losing weight is more difficult than it seems, especially when he also has to fight against a ridiculous bureaucracy and policy wonks with hidden agendas. Can he succeed, and will the CRC-crossed lovers ever sit at love’s banquet together?


From award-winning author Mark A. Rayner, The Fatness is a contemporary satire of socialism, capitalism, and the so-called “obesity epidemic”. This is Catch-22 for a new generation, with a distinctly tender undertone, even as it mercilessly spoofs the establishment.


My Thoughts

Have you ever had a book that you were excited to read and yet nervous to read it at the same time?  That's how I felt with this book.  It sounded great and yet I could see how it could be a bit touchy as well.

I now know that I didn't need to feel nervous to read it.  While I was somewhat right in thinking that it can be a touchy subject, it was written in a way that humor made it less 'serious'.

Even though this was written in a satirical way, it does bring up the good point of body image.  What is considered "healthy" is often overlooked and what "looks attractive" to most people is what is put ahead.  The idea that people can be put in a Calorie Reduction Center or lose their insurance isn't that hard to imagine!

This was a pretty decent read!  Thank you, Mark A. Rayner, for sending it to me!

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.