Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
William Morrow Paperbacks (2005), Paperback, 368 pages
Description
Heather Wells Rocks! Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two, and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft. The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen, not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives, even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective! But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Heather Wells's life certainly seems to be in a downward spiral. Heather is a former teen pop star who was dropped from her label for demanding to sing her own stars, abandoned by her mother (who ran off to Argentina with Heather's manager... and money), and dumped by her boy-band singer
Review: I am of two minds about this book, and it is making it hard to come to a single conclusion, or even a single star rating. Let's start with the good mind, and save the annoyed, angry, snarly mind for later, shall we?
As a fluffy murder mystery, this book was great. I was pulled into the story right away, stayed good and hooked throughout, staying up well past my bedtime to race through to the end. I totally fell for some of the red herrings, and there were enough clues given out that I could eventually put together who the real bad guy was only a page or two before the main character did. Those are all hallmarks of a good, compelling mystery. There's also a sizeable dollop of romance stirred into the mix, and Cabot can certainly write an appealing leading man (see: Jesse from the Mediator series... although Cooper's almost as good).
The tone of the book is a little confusing - it reads like a young adult novel, but the narrator is 28, which is old for your typical YA heroine - but if it's not YA, then it's pretty juvenile chick lit. The writing is full of little tics that I think are supposed to be cute but come off as annoying. Heather correcting herself every single time she mentions her dorm "(Um, I mean residence hall)" gets old after chapter one, and there are several similar repeated motifs that are no less obnoxious. But ignoring those, the writing's easy and light, accentuating the fun fluffiness of the book.
But despite how fun and fluffy and compelling I found the murder mystery, this book has a problem. A big problem. In fact, a size 12 problem.
So. The title, Size 12 is Not Fat, is a statement of opinion. An opinion which, according to her author's note at the end, Ms. Cabot seems to share. Heather is certainly frequently telling other characters (and the reader) that size 12 is not fat, it is in fact the size of the average American woman, that it's possible to be a size 12 and still be perfectly healthy. All of which a) is true, and b) seems to promote a sane, sensible, anti-sizeist message of body acceptance. That's the message the book seems to want to put out.
Unfortunately, that's not the message the book actually puts out. Heather cannot go for three pages without mentioning HoHos or Dove Bars, the exercise routine she is so proud of consists of walking between bakeries, and she prefers baths to showers because she is "too lazy to stand up that long." (Yes, that's an actual quote. No, I'm not kidding. I wish I were.) Instead of being happy with herself the way she is, Heather's constantly acting defensive about her size, and bitchy towards those smaller than she is. And instead of giving us a character who is actually healthy and still a size 12, Cabot seems to be implying that if Heather got off of her lazy ass and knocked it off with the Doritos, she wouldn't be a size 12 anymore. To me, it read as if Cabot wanted to pay lip-service to the self-acceptance message embodied in her title, but secretly believes that size 12... is kind of fat (read: bad). Which: I call shenanigans. I call shenanigans on that bullshit so hard. It's angry-making, especially since it's disguised in a package that promises acceptance and positivity.
So, there's my dilemna. Do I give it a high rating because of the compelling murder mystery, or do I give it a low rating because of the rage-inducing hypocrisy? I suppose I split the difference: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Gah, I don't know. I can't really call it an "enjoyable" read when it made my blood boil in parts, but if you could turn on a mental filter so that all you got was the mystery and romance parts, then it's quite good. You're on your own for this one, dependent on how strongly this sort of thing pushes your buttons.
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fiancée. In order to make a living, Heather's gotten a job as the assistant manager of a freshman dorm of New York College. It's a job she's good at, and one that she enjoys... until freshman women start turning up dead in the bottom of the dorm elevator shaft. The police rule the deaths accidents, but Heather's convinced they're not... but how can she possibly hope to prove it?Review: I am of two minds about this book, and it is making it hard to come to a single conclusion, or even a single star rating. Let's start with the good mind, and save the annoyed, angry, snarly mind for later, shall we?
As a fluffy murder mystery, this book was great. I was pulled into the story right away, stayed good and hooked throughout, staying up well past my bedtime to race through to the end. I totally fell for some of the red herrings, and there were enough clues given out that I could eventually put together who the real bad guy was only a page or two before the main character did. Those are all hallmarks of a good, compelling mystery. There's also a sizeable dollop of romance stirred into the mix, and Cabot can certainly write an appealing leading man (see: Jesse from the Mediator series... although Cooper's almost as good).
The tone of the book is a little confusing - it reads like a young adult novel, but the narrator is 28, which is old for your typical YA heroine - but if it's not YA, then it's pretty juvenile chick lit. The writing is full of little tics that I think are supposed to be cute but come off as annoying. Heather correcting herself every single time she mentions her dorm "(Um, I mean residence hall)" gets old after chapter one, and there are several similar repeated motifs that are no less obnoxious. But ignoring those, the writing's easy and light, accentuating the fun fluffiness of the book.
But despite how fun and fluffy and compelling I found the murder mystery, this book has a problem. A big problem. In fact, a size 12 problem.
So. The title, Size 12 is Not Fat, is a statement of opinion. An opinion which, according to her author's note at the end, Ms. Cabot seems to share. Heather is certainly frequently telling other characters (and the reader) that size 12 is not fat, it is in fact the size of the average American woman, that it's possible to be a size 12 and still be perfectly healthy. All of which a) is true, and b) seems to promote a sane, sensible, anti-sizeist message of body acceptance. That's the message the book seems to want to put out.
Unfortunately, that's not the message the book actually puts out. Heather cannot go for three pages without mentioning HoHos or Dove Bars, the exercise routine she is so proud of consists of walking between bakeries, and she prefers baths to showers because she is "too lazy to stand up that long." (Yes, that's an actual quote. No, I'm not kidding. I wish I were.) Instead of being happy with herself the way she is, Heather's constantly acting defensive about her size, and bitchy towards those smaller than she is. And instead of giving us a character who is actually healthy and still a size 12, Cabot seems to be implying that if Heather got off of her lazy ass and knocked it off with the Doritos, she wouldn't be a size 12 anymore. To me, it read as if Cabot wanted to pay lip-service to the self-acceptance message embodied in her title, but secretly believes that size 12... is kind of fat (read: bad). Which: I call shenanigans. I call shenanigans on that bullshit so hard. It's angry-making, especially since it's disguised in a package that promises acceptance and positivity.
So, there's my dilemna. Do I give it a high rating because of the compelling murder mystery, or do I give it a low rating because of the rage-inducing hypocrisy? I suppose I split the difference: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Gah, I don't know. I can't really call it an "enjoyable" read when it made my blood boil in parts, but if you could turn on a mental filter so that all you got was the mystery and romance parts, then it's quite good. You're on your own for this one, dependent on how strongly this sort of thing pushes your buttons.
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LibraryThing member phoebesmum
Oh, don't judge me! I was suffering from a bad bout of reader's block and thought chicklit might get me over the bump. It didn't. This was just annoying (who in the world says size 12 is fat? Other than very stupid people). The writing style bounced along quite happily in a narrative voice much
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like Stephanie Plum's, but the plot was clumsy and contrived, and the characters generally irritating. Not, however, as irritating as the constant repetition of "dorm – excuse me, residence hall", which made me want to smack the author in the mouth. Meg Cabot actually writes a very amusing blog, which is way more readable than this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member teckelvik
I grabbed this from the library because I needed a quick read while waiting at the doctor's office. This was just what I thought it would be.
Heather Wells, the protagonist, is a former teen pop star, based on Britney Spears (pre-meltdown). She lost everything, and is starting over. She takes a job
She's making it, dodging people who keep asking "Do I know you?," co-workers who know all about her most painful moments thanks to the tabloid press, and her former fiance, another teen idol who just won't go away and let her get on with her life. Then, she gets a call that there is a dead body in her residence hall.
The death is put down to stupid undergrad risk-taking, but that doesn't seem right to Heather. And when the same thing happens with the next dead freshman, she's more convinced than ever that someone is killing off her charges, and she's determined to put a stop to it.
This was a quick read. Heather is an engaging character, with a distinctive voice, and she comes across as likeable and easy to identify with. The supporting cast is also well-written. I had some qualms about the murderer - trying not to spoiler, but the motivation relied heavily on hurtful and generally inaccurate stereotypes.
This isn't great literature, and I won't be searching out the next volumes in the series immediately, but I won't run away from them either, and I will probably grab the next one the next time I'm going to spend the day in a waiting room.
Heather Wells, the protagonist, is a former teen pop star, based on Britney Spears (pre-meltdown). She lost everything, and is starting over. She takes a job
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as the assistant director of a residence hall (never say "dorm") at elite New York College, because the job comes with free tuition, once she passes her probationary period.She's making it, dodging people who keep asking "Do I know you?," co-workers who know all about her most painful moments thanks to the tabloid press, and her former fiance, another teen idol who just won't go away and let her get on with her life. Then, she gets a call that there is a dead body in her residence hall.
The death is put down to stupid undergrad risk-taking, but that doesn't seem right to Heather. And when the same thing happens with the next dead freshman, she's more convinced than ever that someone is killing off her charges, and she's determined to put a stop to it.
This was a quick read. Heather is an engaging character, with a distinctive voice, and she comes across as likeable and easy to identify with. The supporting cast is also well-written. I had some qualms about the murderer - trying not to spoiler, but the motivation relied heavily on hurtful and generally inaccurate stereotypes.
This isn't great literature, and I won't be searching out the next volumes in the series immediately, but I won't run away from them either, and I will probably grab the next one the next time I'm going to spend the day in a waiting room.
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LibraryThing member bibliophile26
Knowing the author, I was prepared for total chick-lit fluff. I was actually surprised at how enjoyable I found the mystery element of the novel. I'm not good at figuring out the bad guy in mystery books, which makes them all the more enjoyable for me actually because there is always a surprise. I
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found anything to do with Heather's love life extremely annoying; I guess after being married for so long, I just can't identify with that "does he love me" angst anymore. Show Less
LibraryThing member JillKB
This was good beach reading -- light and fun. And I love the title as someone who is definitely not model thin! It's the first in a series of detective novels about a former teen pop star who's fallen on hard time and is now working as assistant director of a residence hall and solving mysteries. I
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did get annoyed occasionally with Heather's frequent panting over her crush/lust object and repeated corrections that she works in a "dorm (I mean, residence hall)" over and over. Show Less
LibraryThing member FlygURL
Easy, pleasant read. Very light, although a murder mystery. There is a series. I'll probably read the next.
LibraryThing member Brandie
What a cute book. Not at all what I expected truthfully. For some reason I thought it was going to be this deep book about weight and all that, but indeed it is a mystery where you try to figure out who done it (ftr, I would like to state, I did in fact, figure it out and I am quite pleased that I
The writing was fun to read. I can completely picture someone speaking that way, behaving that way, etc, and it is much like how I would, you know, talk. (and yes the "you know" did pop up in the book and is in fact something I do say!).
Great book. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series as well
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did!).The writing was fun to read. I can completely picture someone speaking that way, behaving that way, etc, and it is much like how I would, you know, talk. (and yes the "you know" did pop up in the book and is in fact something I do say!).
Great book. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series as well
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LibraryThing member bookgirljen
I really liked the conversational tone of this book. I felt like Heather was a friend, and it made it a fast read. Good mystery to solve, and I did not see the ending coming at all. There were some parts where it seemed a bit unrealistic, but not so much that it took me out of the story. I really
If you're looking for a fluffy chick lit mystery that you can breeze through while on the beach, this is it.
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wish there had been more Cooper interaction - I'm hoping this will be explored more in the next book. :)If you're looking for a fluffy chick lit mystery that you can breeze through while on the beach, this is it.
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LibraryThing member lorabear
This was the first book I read of Meg Cabot's. I could not put it down......the humor was wonderful, and the mystery remained until the end........ I quickly started the second book in this series, and have found another author to love
LibraryThing member lrobe190
Former pop star Heather Wells has left behind hordes of screaming fans to settle into a new life, but when strange things start happening at her college, she finds herself once again in the spotlight, this time as a detective. Heather Wells is a likable character trying to figure out her life, but
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keeps finding herself in unlikely situations. This first book in a new series by Meg Cabot is fun and has a good mysterious plot. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
Heather Wells, former teen pop idol, now 28 years old and size 12, is working as an assistant dorm manager when coeds start dying during elevator surfing accidents. This does not seem right to Heather. "Girls don't elevator surf." Along with a fun cast of characters, Heather sets out to prove that
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these are not accidents. This is definitely an adult outing for Meg Cabot with some language and sex, but neither is over the top. It will definitely keep you laughing and guessing as you try to solve the mystery with Heather. Show Less
LibraryThing member adge73
The first in this new mystery series is exactly the light, frothy fun I look for when I pick up a Meg Cabot book. Heather is a former teen singer whose star has fallen and is now working in a dorm in NYC and attempting to put her life back together. Heather has enough problems, but when girls start
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showing up dead in her dorm, she can't help but try to do something about it. Cabot's working on a second one in this series, and I'll be looking forward to it.... Show Less
LibraryThing member carissa8402
Cute story. Overall, not that impressed with the book though. It did have a nice twist at the end though.
LibraryThing member kikianika
I'm not a huge fan of mysteries, and I'm not a huge fan of this one, either. Having said that, I still enjoyed it. it's not outstanding as far as chick lit mysteries go, but at least it's not flounderingly stupid. The book lives off its cast of characters, which are sterotypical and more at the
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same time. Above all, it felt just real and just over-the-top enough to keep you going. Show Less
LibraryThing member ansate
It has a horrible time picking a genre. Some bits are terribly cliche. Our heroine does not really seem smart enough to be a detective. But it is totally addictive, and very fun.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
A fun read about an ex-pop-star turned assistant supervisor in a college dorm. When bodies start turning up she feels compelled to investigate.
LibraryThing member WittyreaderLI
I've veered away from Chick Lit. There was a large period after I finished college that I couldn't read anything heavy so that became all I wanted to read. Luckily that phase is over. However, what I have to say is that Meg Cabot is an extremely intelligent and prolific writer and she has delivered
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a winning mystery series. This combines her lighthearted writing style with a full fledged mystery that kept me guessing. The main character, Heather Wells, is likeable and interesting, especially since she is a plus size former pop star. You won't know who commited the crimes depicted in the book, and when you think you do, you will guess again. This is recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member kellyoliva
This is a cute little book. Heather Wells, the protagonist, is a loveable, slightly overweight (though she firmly states that size 12 is the size of the average American woman) ex-pop star turned residence hall supervisor. She finds herself trying to solve a mystery, however, once two girls in her
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dorm fall down an elevator shaft. Heather grapples with love, her career, and her self esteem in this book. It's a fabulous first book in the Heather Wells series. I highly recommend it to teens and adults looking for an easy, happy, good time read. Show Less
LibraryThing member tmbcoughlin
Although this book is geared to a late teen early twenty audience, Meg Cabot writes with humor. Hearther Wells, an RA and former teen rock star finds herself in the middle of some murders but only she believes they are murders. This is a light book and an easy read.
LibraryThing member LadyHax
This is enjoyable standard issue chick lit with a mystery thrown in. The characters are likeable and there's a pleasing humour throughout. The mystery itself is also fairly decent. What kind of bothered me throughout the novel was Heather's attitude to food. I am all for my characters eating and
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not being thin provided their attitude is healthy, which I'm not sure Heather's is. At the risk of sounding like the annoying grad student Sarah (another gripe: why would a sociology major spout so much psychobabble? They are two fairly discrete disciplines), Heather is totally eating her feelings and not necessarily in a good way. I know this is a strange thing to fixate on in an otherwise enjoyable book but it really did bother me that she ate so much CRAP, rather than indulging in the good stuff (like the Indian towards the end, or the salad with deliciously fatty dressing drizzled on top). Show Less
LibraryThing member alanna1122
I listened to the audio version of this book.
I thought it was a really fun book for the most part. Light and fluffy - very predictable - but I enjoyed the ride all the same.
I thought it was a really fun book for the most part. Light and fluffy - very predictable - but I enjoyed the ride all the same.
LibraryThing member Fleur-De-Lis
Very enjoyable, and worth the time! (Not that it takes up much)
Another great Meg Cabot story, and Who can reseist them?
Finished today, and started a day ago.
Another great Meg Cabot story, and Who can reseist them?
Finished today, and started a day ago.
LibraryThing member bookwitch24
Very fun story, and an easy read. Likeable characters and an interesting mystery.
LibraryThing member samantha.1020
In this book we are introduced to Heather Wells who is the size of the average American woman as she puts it. Heather is an ex-popstar turned dorm resident assistant after her mother stole all of her money and she lost her recording contract. Even though Heather has been through a lot she has a
This was a fun, fast read for me that I really enjoyed. Heather wasn't the perfect main character which was nice to read about and you couldn't help but identify with her and certain points in the story. It was definitely a cozy mystery...nothing gruesome or anything like that. It was a good change of pace for me and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series. There was an afterwards when the story was over telling about where the author gets her ideas from books, etc. It really made me interested in reading other books by Meg Cabot and even her young adult ones like The Princess Diaries. More books to add to my evergrowing TBR list, right???
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positive attitude and a fun outlook on life. But girls are dying at her residence hall and the police think that they are accidental deaths. Heather, on the other hand, isn't so sure though. She begins to investigate and before she knows it the killer is after her as well.This was a fun, fast read for me that I really enjoyed. Heather wasn't the perfect main character which was nice to read about and you couldn't help but identify with her and certain points in the story. It was definitely a cozy mystery...nothing gruesome or anything like that. It was a good change of pace for me and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series. There was an afterwards when the story was over telling about where the author gets her ideas from books, etc. It really made me interested in reading other books by Meg Cabot and even her young adult ones like The Princess Diaries. More books to add to my evergrowing TBR list, right???
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LibraryThing member meags222
This book was easy to read and entertaining for a couple days. I found Heather Mills character endearing; however at times I found her frustrating. She is desperately in love with her roommate but unwilling to ever tell him. While being terrified of telling a boy she loves him she's not afraid at
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all of a potential murderer. She dives head first into the murder mystery in the dorm- or, as we are never meant to forget as the term is annoyingly repeated throughout the book, residence hall. The book is typical of chick lit and the plot line is predictable. That being said, overall I did enjoy it. I was not expecting it to be literary genious and as a result I could enjoy the book. I do believe the Heather's character could have been developed more but I believe there are 2 other books in the series and I have a suspicion that over time the character development will occur. I give this book 3 stars. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Original publication date
2005-12-27
Physical description
368 p.; 8.04 inches
ISBN
0060525118 / 9780060525118