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Slim to None

by Jenny Gardiner (Goodreads Author)

3.09 of 5 stars 3.09 · rating details · 418 ratings · 77 reviews

Abbie Jennings is Manhattan's top food critic until her expanding waistline makes staying incognito at restaurants impossible. Her cover blown on Page Six of the New York Post, her editor has no choice but to bench her—and suggest she use the time off to bench-press her way back to anonymity. Abbie’s life has been built around her career, and therefore around celebrating f...more

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Published by Diversion Books (first published April 27th 2010)

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Jan 08, 2012 Mary Maffer rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The setup: Two women (one of whom is an obese clandestine food critic) are in a restaurant amidst food and service that is so bad that it seems made up by, say, a fiction writer. Then, for no reason, the restaurant owner starts fawning over them and offering half the menu for free. The food critic suspects nothing. Then, at the end of the meal, the owner asks for a positive review. The food critic realizes in (sudden!) horror that she has been exposed because of her weight and that her boss is g...more The setup: Two women (one of whom is an obese clandestine food critic) are in a restaurant amidst food and service that is so bad that it seems made up by, say, a fiction writer. Then, for no reason, the restaurant owner starts fawning over them and offering half the menu for free. The food critic suspects nothing. Then, at the end of the meal, the owner asks for a positive review. The food critic realizes in (sudden!) horror that she has been exposed because of her weight and that her boss is going to kill her.

Now, this is all fine. I don't mind a heroine that is not that bright. Except--this sort of immediate understanding of the character is not vindicated in the long run. Apparently, she's a little bit Jesus. Below is an actual quote from the homage-to-saccharine ending, wherein the heroine has succeeded in dieting to get her job back, whilst 1)returning a homeless man to his family, 2) exposing Doctor British-Accented Evil, 3)Making peace with her horrible dying father, 4)agreeing at the last minute to cook a gourmet meal for dozens of people at a dinner party, 5)reuniting with her enstranged husband, 6)surviving the ordeal of her dog being hit by a car and barely surviving, and 7)triumphing at I'm not sure what else but it's probably befitting the quote:

"It's Abbie you need to applaud, because Abbie's motivations were entirely selfless, completely caring, and without a hidden agenda. Abbie Jennings showed me that family really can be so much more than those whose blood you share; rather family extends to those you care about, one way or another."

(Sidenote: I care about my family, my colleagues, the Broncos, the surviving cast members of The Brady Bunch, and some random guy in North Carolina, one way or another.)

The middle of the book (after the humiliation and before the beautification) is filled with food analogies and metaphors to describe the conflict, such as this gem, where Abbie is worrying about the near-dead dog plot line:

"I'm having yet another bad dream about Cognac's accident, turning over and over in my sleep, like a free range chicken over a spit. No, wait, more like one of those horrible-looking unidentified donor kebabs (what IS in those things anyhow?). Correction: I toss all night like a salad. With a tiny splash of oil and fig vinegar. Much more dietetic of me."

Should you read this book? That depends on whether you want to metaphorize yourself into a bowl of hot buttered noodles seasoned with salt. If you do, you won't get much nutrition and you'll load up on calories, but damn it if you won't get a terrific comfort food. (less)

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Nov 02, 2011 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humorous

This is a light, humorous slice of gingerbread with whipped cream topping.

Not really. The food and recipes I salivated over throughout my reading brought up this metaphor, but it's still pretty apt. Not quite chick lit and not quite women's fiction, the story kind of straddles the two.

Abbie, the overweight heroine, loses her job as a newspaper food critic because she's gotten so fat the restaurant owners recognize her. The editor puts her on a temporary part-time column and gives her an ultimatu...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Jac (For Love and Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I grabbed Slim to None on Amazon this past week, it popped up on the "People who bought htis also bought..." list, I liked the idea of a food critic going on a diet, and it was cheap. My perfect combination! *lol* And it was a pretty good, quick and fluffy read.

There was so much I liked about Abbie, she was a great main character with a great personality and a good job. And I suppose, in many ways she was realistic - and that may have been just what I didn't like about her. I didn't like that...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Kathy Cowley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

An enjoyable book that I breezed through, Slim to None features a food critic who loses her job because she's so overweight that she's instantly recognizable.

This book is all about food metaphors, puns, and descriptions, so I'll frame my review in that way. This book is like a cupcake that you buy from the cute, chic, cupcake shop on the corner. It's adorable, it tastes good, you eat it quickly--including the excess frosting. There's a certain satisfaction to biting into that pure, easy-to-chew...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Stephanie rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 29, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok, I also bought this book as a kindle DOD, and was eager to read it. This was one that I zoomed through fairly quickly. A lot of people that have read this book are down-putting about all the depreciating fat jokes and comments that Abby makes about herself. Well, hello, she's fat!! I know from experience (past and present) that when you are presently fat -before you finally get off your a** and do something about it- you tend to put yourself down mentally and out loud on a fairly regular bas...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading this book while dieting was a great idea! The best food critic in New York City has her cover blown because, essentially, she gets too fat. Her editor tells her she has six months to get into shape. Abby is in the midst of family drama, while trying to lose the weight.

Instead of just dieting and working out, Abby is forced to figure out WHY she eats to fill the voids in her life. What is she missing? What is she avoiding? Why is food so important to her? Watching her work through these...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

This book is about food and obesity and diet and their puns.

Abby prepares food, serves food, rates food, and talks about food. Obsesses food. She associates life's events with food. Almost any life situation, noun or verb has her thinking about food. It's her life. It's who she is. What she does. She gives it more attention than even her own husband and it's pushing him past his limit. He loves her the way she is.

I wanted to dislike this book because the food and weight obsession was over the...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Joelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Abbie Jennings has it all...the perfect job as food critic for the NY Sentinel, a loving husband and a sweet furbaby. But what happens when your world comes crashing down on you because you enjoyed your job just a little too much?!?

This book really could not have "fallen" into my hands at a better time. While I've not been faced with losing my job, my husband needing a break or finding out I have siblings I never knew, I am faced with that 4 letter word that no woman wants to hear...diet. While...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Ananda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, on-my-kindle, read-in-2013, plus-sized-heroines, book-hoarder-challenge, my-rrrc-2013-books

I was really torn about rating this one. I'd say it's more of a 2.5 read, but I'm gonna round it because I loved the ending.
The story is centered around Abby, who works as a food critic. She's got an awesome job, right? Of course, eating all day for the sake of reviewing restaurants means she's got some extra pounds, but then again, eating is basically her job...oh, yeah and writing about food.
She loves her job! I mean, of course, who wouldn't, eating in all these fancy restaurants. But one day...more I was really torn about rating this one. I'd say it's more of a 2.5 read, but I'm gonna round it because I loved the ending.
The story is centered around Abby, who works as a food critic. She's got an awesome job, right? Of course, eating all day for the sake of reviewing restaurants means she's got some extra pounds, but then again, eating is basically her job...oh, yeah and writing about food.
She loves her job! I mean, of course, who wouldn't, eating in all these fancy restaurants. But one day her cover is blown and all of a sudden she's given an ultimatum by her boss, lose weight or lose her dream job! It's a tough period for Abbie, she's got few months to lose a LOT of weight and I'm telling you, she sucks at dieting. And we come to the point in the book that bothered me the most. Abbie is aware she needs to lose weight not only because of her job, but also because of her health, and yet, she can't stick to her diet plan. She tries so many different diets (and that would be 50% of the book, looking for that perfect diet that will work) and at the end of the day she would go back to her old habits.
That's the thing that annoyed me most, she just didn't seem too mature, though if I remember correctly (because I read this book couple of weeks ago) she's in her late 30s. I didn't hate her, but she didn't seem like a very loveable character.
As you can see, I didn't really enjoy the first part of the book. I didn't struggle alright, but I was waiting for something to happen. I'm glad I continued reading it, because the second half of the book I really loved. I thought the book was gonna be just about dieting and her struggle to keep her dream job, but hell no...the story has more, family issues, mending friendships and a great ending.
I will definitely be reading more of Ms. Gardiner's books, and as a matter of fact, I know exactly which book I'm gonna read next - Anywhere but Here is already waiting on my kindle.
If you're a chick lit lover and love books with plus sized heroines, I guess you will enjoy this book.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Ms. Gardiner. (less)

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Jan 17, 2012 Isabella Louise rated it 2 of 5 stars

When the New York Post’s highly acclaimed and overweight food critic Abby(ie) loses her job for being found out on the cover of Page Six, she’s advised to drop (A LOT OF) weight to reclaim her job. How is she supposed to do that if food is all she knows, even stemming back to her childhood? Through Abby(ie)’s journey of losing weight, **POSSIBLE SPOILER** almost losing her husband, and finding out that she has a half-sister **END POSSIBLE SPOILER**, her self-esteem begins to grow, and she begins...more When the New York Post’s highly acclaimed and overweight food critic Abby(ie) loses her job for being found out on the cover of Page Six, she’s advised to drop (A LOT OF) weight to reclaim her job. How is she supposed to do that if food is all she knows, even stemming back to her childhood? Through Abby(ie)’s journey of losing weight, **POSSIBLE SPOILER** almost losing her husband, and finding out that she has a half-sister **END POSSIBLE SPOILER**, her self-esteem begins to grow, and she begins to be satisfied with herself, finally seeing that she’s the woman that everyone else does.

I was excited about starting this book because I had heard so much about it, and the title intrigued me. During the 7 days of reading…err, I mean struggling with this book, I finished it. I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I can’t lie – I didn’t! The constant self-ridiculing, the constant mention that she’s fat, and the constant immaturity from Abby(ie), I was sick of the book the first chapter. While at first I thought the recipes in the book were a cute touch, it took away from the book, and made me not focus as much on the story. We know Abby(ie) was a married woman, and had a great friend, we hardly ever saw them. (As for the friend who we meet in the first chapter, they get into a big fight, of course Abby(ie) caused it, the reader doesn’t even get a chance to get to know the friend, so there was no really point for the fight). The relationship that Abby(ie) has with her husband definitely doesn’t seem like a marriage, it’s more like they are roommates. They are mean to each other – I don’t care if she’s fat and he’s not, or whatever, but I’d like for the marriage to be the stable thing in the book – it was anything but! In the end when her husband does come back into the picture, it happened so randomly, that I was uninterested.

I read the Kindle version of this book and there were several mistakes – grammar, Abby’s(ie’s) name was spelled differently throughout, and I found that there were a lot of very unnecessary sentences.

Overall, this was one the few books that I would never recommend to anyone, even if I think that they might relate more to it, this book is not worth reading.

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars.
(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, foodie-fiction

NYC's top food critic is "outed" in the New Your Post, eating an eclair and with this recognition and her weight problem she has become too recognizable and can no longer review restaurants anonymously. Abbie's job was the love of her life, right up there with her husband William and her dog Cognac, so when her editor replaces her for 6 months with a sneaky colleague and hands her a part time position of writing a weekly lifestyle column instead, her world begins to crumble. Losing weight to get...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: electronic, kindle

I thought I'd like this much more than I did. But the CONSTANT self-deprecating fat jokes were exhausting. A few, sure, but they were honestly nearly every page and I just got sick of it.

Abbie occasionally seemed to get a little bit of a clearer mind and be more aware of herself and her situation but then she'd be right back into eating baklava and claiming to herelf it was a white food so it was okay, and for me it actually made the few times when she seemed sympathetic and intelligent more dif...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Stacey rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Stacey by: Corrin

Shelves: book-club, fiction

So...I have a book club in Indonesia now, and I am so thankful for kindles--otherwise it would be impossible. This was our first book, and quite frankly I was disappointed. It was fluffy, and overly-focused on bad fat jokes and food. I am going to give it 2 stars, because if you could get past that (and it took a while), there was an interesting story underneath. I also think there are a number of great discussion points, and there were things I could relate to on different levels. It is one of...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Jeri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: f-women, kindle

New York's top food critic gets "busted" as her love for food reflects in her waistline and she becomes recognizable. The novel is about how she copes and doesn't cope with the need for a serious diet and her conflicts with her husband along the way. It could be many women's voices out there who have used food to cover up a difficult childhood..it's just that most of us don't earn a living from it. Interesting twist is she befriends a homeless man who is the recipient of many of her take home bo...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Slim to None was just okay for me. I downloaded the Kindle book for $3, so I don't feel too disappointed, but it simply didn't blow me away. I was frustrated with some of Abbie's descisions and grew a little weary of her constant self-berating comments, and I'm a very sympathetic person! Yes, we need to feel that she has low self-esteem, but once it was well established, there's no need to beat the reader over the head with it. The writing was nice, although extremely heavy on the food-related m...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Kelly Mcdonough rated it 1 of 5 stars

I can see the continuing eductation assignment sheet now: Take a novel that you've just read (Garlic and Saphires)and put your own spin on it.... assignment 2: add conflict; assignment 3: add subplots. This is the most poorly written book I've ever read. The plot is transparent, the food analogies are weak and forced, the conflicts magically and instantly resolved. I am shocked that this got published, more shocked to find the author has other published novels. If you haven't read it yet, buy Ga...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

I went on an extreme reading binge this summer and at the top of my list : read as many Jenny Gardiner books as I could without breaking the bank. Mission accomplished. One of my first reads on this list was Slim to None. I struggled with my rating for this book but ultimately settled with 4 stars. I really did like the book and not just for the recipes and delicious food I could almost taste through my digital screen. As an adult woman who has struggled with weight gain, well the gain has never...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: food-lit, ebook

You may have noticed I'm on a Food-lit kick as of late. AuthorJenny Gardiner did, and suggested her book, Slim to None. Of course, I purchased it immediately.

Abbie Jennings is not at home in her own skin which made it hard for me to be comfortable with her. No doubt, weight is a sensitive subject for most women, but that's not what made me uncomfortable. (For me, the person I see in my head is not the same as the one in the mirror... but I am fitting into some clothes I haven't worn in a while s...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Valerie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I ordered this book on a whim, in a Kindle Deal of the Day frenzy. I had no previous experience with this author and had no idea what to think.

At first, I found myself not relating to the main character at all. But then I decided to quit over-thinking her character and just go with the story. I was glad that I did.

The book does not take itself too seriously and offers a light hearted approach to some heavy issues with which the main character is dealing. I enjoyed reading about her development...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, chick-lit

This was a really cute story. Also, very relatable as I grew up in an Italian family and the love of food that came along with my culture has not done much good for my waistline. All of the food references were laughable and at times very relevant. Losing weight is a struggle, but I don't feel the way in which Abbie lost her extra poundage is in any way OK for her character to be proud of in the end (though she does note this).

Overall, it was a nice story to pop on my kindle for my treadmill bo...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Denise Cuenin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up from Amazon as a Kindle special deal. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Most of Abby Jenning’s story is light and humorous with a few dark moments such as her mother’s death. However, this story of personal growth and moving on from obsessive focus on food is a real treat! It might even get you in the mood to enjoy a good meal or a good walk! Thanks, Jenny Gardiner for a tastey delight!

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Feb 10, 2013 Mandy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, self-published

Abbie Jennings is the New York Sentinel's top restaurant critic and, as a result, she's gotten rather, well, zaftig over the years. Forced to take a six-month hiatus from her job, she decides to lose weight and in the process, gains her happiness.

ZZZzzzzzzzz

I'm sorry, but this is why I generally avoid self-published books. While Abbie was a likeable character, the writing style left much to be desired. I never knew why she kept addressing the reader throughout the book and it read more like a d...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Lenore Kosinski rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, pixel-of-ink

Actually a 4.5 stars. This book started out and I wasn't sure I was going to appreciate it....the fat jokes came across harsh, and I wasn't sure what the angle of the book was. But I ended up getting sucked right in.... Love the Abster. So much thought-provoking stuff.... A heroine with definite flaws, but you rooted for her... I cried a lot. Yeah....apparently I'm not feeling sentence complete-ish today.

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Aug 17, 2012 Jenna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Once again, I was seeking a little lightweight reading, and this book fit the bill. [Oh, as the author would say, please pardon the puns.] Hardly a literary masterpiece, this easy-to-read book was still enjoyable and, occasionally insightful. An overweight food critic is forced to make some major physical changes in her life, and in the process, heals her heart and soul as well. :)

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Dec 07, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction

This was an interesting premise of a food critic outed because of her size. She is left having to lose the weight or lose her job permanently. It's well written with great recipes throughout but the character so obviously needs a therapist to deal with all of her issues it is at times painful to read. While she does eventually "come into her own" you are still left with the sense that it's a house of cards.

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Oct 26, 2011 Molli rated it 2 of 5 stars

I can't believe I paid 99 cents for this. It was just OK. I am hoping a few of the recipes will be the saving grace. I bought it for Kindle, and there were A LOT of editing errors. It drove me nuts that they would switch from Abbie to Abby back to Abbie. They also had a chapter of calling Mortie, Mordie.

If anyone wants to read it, I can loan on Kindle.

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Jan 19, 2013 Georgia rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book dealt with a couple of issues: family, weight, and body image. I thought it was an interesting and fun way to talk about something that is difficult. The fictional story goes through one main person and several others going through mid life crisis and they all deal with it in different ways. I enjoyed the stories and the recipes.

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Oct 09, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first I really didn't think I would like this book because it was too "foody" for me. I was initially interested because of my continued weight loss struggles and sometimes it's good to commiserate with someone with a "fat girl" perspective. The characters and storyline eventually won me over and I really enjoyed the book

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Jul 02, 2012 Pat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Top New York food critic gets recognized one night because she has gained so much weight. Paper givers her new position and tells her if she wants food critic job back, lose weight. So this is the narrative of her coming to grips with her issues. Good recipes are included in book. Easy read. Ends too quickly.

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About Jenny Gardiner

Award-winning author Jenny Gardiners work has been found in Ladies Home Journal, the Washington Post and on NPRs Day to Day. She likes to say she honed her fiction writing skills while working as a publicist for a US Senator. Other jobs have included: an orthodontic assistant (learning quite readily that she was not cut out for a career in polyester), a waitress (probably her highest-paying job),...more

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