Could have been good, but wasnt
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Sadly, Size Matters wasnt anywhere near as good as All Inclusive which was the first book I read from Judy Astley. Hope it was a one-off as I've just started a new one. Size matters could have really been good, a great subject many of us can identify with, but it didn't really work, too much boring dialogue for my liking. Give it a miss and go onto All Inclusive.
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Rubbish, rubbish...rubish!
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I NEVER stop reading a book halfway through, I ALWAYS have to persevere all the way through...except with this one. I kept trying to read it, putting it down and reading another book, going back for another try, but I just can't read any more. This is the first book in my entire late-twenty-something life that I have not completed reading!
The story is boring, I cannot relate to any of the characters, the low-down deprived school kids that arrive at school in 4x4's does not ring true (and as a school-mom from a Midlands council estate, I know this from experience) and it is just more like something I would suggest a much older - 50's plus - kind of age range may find interesting, but I personally don't care much to read about peoples ideas of bad furnature or cushions. I want some action in my novels. Not nonsensical rubbish that does not make me want to continue reading.
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Go on, have another slice!
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This book goes to show that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Before I read it, I was slightly worried that the main character (Jay, director of a cleaning company) was going to be constantly moaning about the size of her hips! Thankfully, it didn't turn out that way.
Size matters follows the different diets tried by a mother of three who doesn't want to be ridikuled by her cousin, Delphine. It also follows the lives of her offspring - a new pregnancy, a crush, and a slightly psycopathic best friend.
I liked the way that each of the plots branched out, and how the characters seemed down to earth. The only thing stopping me from giving it 5 stars is the fact that a firmer conclusion could be drawn at the end. I would have loved to have known what the cleaners got up to in the end!
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A Refreshingly Good Read
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I loved this book. I read it through from cover to cover in one session and then wanted to read it straight through again. Judy Astley writes about every day life - the ups and downs of her heroine Jay who lives with her architect husband and three children, and together with a friend rus her own cleaning business. Jay has been feeling somewhat middle aged for a while, but the imminent return of her cousin Delphine from Australia (the girl who when they were growing up together had everything, including the enviable figure), makes her determined to do something about it, and she launches herself on a series of diets, with somewhat unexpected consequences.
The characters are believable and well-drawn, but as a fellow cat lover, it was the little feline touches which made it for me. I'm sure many of those people who live with (I hesitate to use the word "own") a cat will be able to relate to the increasingly hilarious entries of Daffodil the Burmese, culminating in her dragging a fully grown rook into the dining room when the extended family are sitting down to a special celebration lunch.
This was the first book by Judy Astley that I read, and it has encouraged me to go out and buy her other books. For a feel-good read that made me laugh out loud, Size Matters comes thoroughly recommended.
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Another Winner
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Judy has pulled it off again! Based as usual on her close observation of life and her way with wit, "Size Matters" is another of those "read at a sitting" delights that you really need for the beach or the gite, (assuming you're not on a diet). It will be another sure winner with the fans Judy has made with her earlier delights like "Just for the Summer" "Excess baggage", and "Seven for a secret". Read it before you need the larege print edition!
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