Book review! Making it Big by Lynsey Russel

Making it Big by Lyndsay Russell (2011) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay so I started this book well over a year ago (February 2015). I only bought it because Amazon was selling it for £1 so why not. I've literally just finished it. I was prepared for something terrible, that will loose my interest very quickly.

I did loose interest right at the beginning. I hated how the main character, Sharron absolutely despised herself. She was only a size 18 in the book, a size I miss, and honestly the read was grating on me so much. I honestly hated reading it.

But then something weird happened. She went to see Dr Marvel (CAN HE BE REAL PLEASE?), once she left his practice, everything got very good. Albeit extremely predictable and fast, but very good. Maybe that's just how it feels when you become a supermodel in such a short amount of time. I was honestly happy for the character I had grown to hate, how she had become such a success, how she started to love herself. But then I started to hate some parts during her rise to fame.

Her friend Debbie. I honestly did not like her at all. In the beginning she was just a shit friend. Sharron knew it but somehow still put up with her literal shit personality. Then saying that she kind of becomes better.

Aside the shit friend, the way the author described how Sharron and others would describe skinny people, her friend, I honestly felt uncomfortable. Maybe it's because I don't think shaming people is a nice thing. Either way I didn't enjoy reading those parts. But it just goes to show how the media can change people's perspective SO easily.

I did honestly feel like the ending was rushed. And predictable. The actual ending was over in two chapters. I would have loved to see how she got successful again in more depth then just a memory her. Again it was VERY predictable.

The part just before the ending involving her dad and her step family really touched me. I hadn't been through the same emotional hurt with the "new" family, but with the decline of her fathers health was something I've personally experienced. The twist here. Oh the fucking twist here. I honestly loved how Sharron kind of got back at Carolyn, well I wasn't an intended thing but it was SO GOOD. I absolutely hated that old cunt, which she is if you read the book, seriously. I honestly wanted to see Sharron give her a slap but karma(?) definitely took its course on her.

What I loved: Honestly I would have loved to experience the characters new upside down world (That will be all down to how Lyndsay has described it). But here I am in reality, which is pretty much how the beginning of the book is, the skinnier you are the better. But at least there's more on the market for plus size women and even a fashion show dedicated to it. Maybe this reality is slowly turning into the one in the book? I also loved the sense of adventure we was taken along with Sharron! It was really great and gripping to read for the most part.

What I didn't like: how easy it was to predict the events and the ending (kind of)

Overall, Lyndsay does an excellent job of describing everything in this book. Seriously. I hated charters, and that's a big plus for me. Who doesn't like a story that pulls you in with some sort of emotion?!

Character Obsession: Satomi from + Tic Nee-San and a little rant

So, you know I'm always on Facebook and pretty much any social networking site because of my lack of being a suitable candiate for employment? And you know when you see a gif and you're like "WHERE IS THIS FROM?!"? That is what I am like 99% of the time. ESPECIALLY when it comes to my Anime.

There's this one gif floating about of a girl slamming her friends head into a classroom/corridor wall which gave me the "oh my gods" as soon as my mind could interpret what was going on. I found out in the comments it was from an Anime called "Plastic Nee-San" (later I found out it is actually called "+ Tic Elder Sister").

Anyway so I'm watching the 27 minute long video of THE WHOLE ANIME, getting on great with it as its funny, violent and random. But then comes episode 3 called "Beauty-Tic" and my eyes are graced with this absolute babe of a character. 

Blonde haired, chubby and obsessed with beauty, is "Beautiful Person" (her anime name apparently). It's a shame in the Anime she only makes two appearances, because you only see this random chubby girl pop up. She absolutely becomes fabulous in the manga. You also find out her name and see that she has a younger sister.

However throughout the two episodes she is featured, the main characters laugh at her when she talks about being beautiful, she just shrugs off WHICH JUST SHOWS HOW FABULOUS SHE IS. Sorry, I just love her character. Anyway It's even worse in the manga.

There are LOADS of instances where she's made fun of:

Okay so above there's a few. They are all about her not being beautiful and this one character (the little shitbag) laughing at her. Even laughing at her real name because she shares the same name as a Japanese actress, Satomi Ishihara. But this isn't the first time I've seen this.

I've watched plenty of anime that shames a bigger character, they aren't even a main character and are mostly ugly looking and put down. It's honestly a shame lots of anime/manga portray larger characters like this, and it's honestly a shame Japan are slightly behind with body positivity.

The only time I've seen an main character that is larger than most is an anime (one of my favourites because of its cuteness) was Ore Monogatari! (My Love Story!) where you see the main character, high school student Takeo fall in love with a normal girl called Yamado. I don't personally think he's fat, just HENCH (Muscles) and HENCH (tall) but others in the anime find his physical appearance beastly and "too ugly to be in a relationship" with Yamado. It doesn't take long for other characters to like Takeo though, he has such a nice personality (just gonna wait here for the next season to come out, if any).

Another instance: Food Wars. There's a secondary character, Isami. He's a large character and no one really takes notice, that is until he looses weight because it's the end of the summer. What a surprise.

There's also been another manga that has a large character, again a male character, that is ridiculed so much and it's sad to read apparently, I've not watched it.

But you can kinda see where I'm coming from. All the fat characters are really negatively seen in Japanese culture. I would like to see this change but it will take years! I know recently there's been a few plus size idol group and even a few plus size brands pop up, but Japan has a long way to go.

But for now I will have to wait and choose my cosplays accordingly. 

BONUS: do you wanna se my favourite manga cap of Satomi?

SATOMI WILL PUNCH A BITCH