The Shape of Us in Aussie Readers

Dec 18, 2018 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aussie-authors, 5000-books, contemporary-fiction, 2017-release, recommendation-gr-friend, own-read

When Mezz, Jewels, Ellie and Kat all joined an online weight forum, they didn’t know each other. But slowly they could feel a connection. So when Ellie suggested they start a private blog for just the four of them, they were all keen. Slowly their friendships deepened, until the weight loss which had drawn them together didn’t seem quite so important.

Each of the women had their own problems in their private lives. Kat’s relationship with the father of her adorable little girl, Ami, was falling a ...more

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Aug 09, 2022 Helen rated it it was amazing

This book has been sitting on my kindle waiting to be read for such a long time and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner, it is a beautiful story about friendship, about finding yourself, coming to terms about your body shape and it is heartbreaking as well so make sure that you have a box of tissues ready because you will need them but it is also a heartwarming story, this is one to read, come along and meet Jewels, Mezzz, Ellie and Kat.

These four woman all from different backgrounds, This book has been sitting on my kindle waiting to be read for such a long time and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner, it is a beautiful story about friendship, about finding yourself, coming to terms about your body shape and it is heartbreaking as well so make sure that you have a box of tissues ready because you will need them but it is also a heartwarming story, this is one to read, come along and meet Jewels, Mezzz, Ellie and Kat.

These four woman all from different backgrounds, meet on an online weight loss forum, they all have their own reasons for wanting to lose weight.

Jewels comes from a big Italian family, she is happily married to Matt and runs a successful business selling cupcakes and cannoli, yum but she is desperate to have a baby and losing weight might just be the way to help.

Mezz, is a Doctor in a country town, she is married to Sean and they have three boys but life isn’t going the way she hoped it would she feels like a bad mother and with all of the weight she has put on feels she is lacking in the wife department as well, she is hoping to lose some weight and feel healthier and more attractive to Sean.

Ellie has moved from London to Canberra to be with the woman she loves and everything looks to be fabulous except Ellie is lonely her partner Jenn has a high profile job and is jet setting here there and everywhere and Ellie feels that her weight is not helping.

Kat came to Australia from Bosnia as a young teenager with her mother as refugee’s, these days she is living in a small coastal town with her partner Josh and their baby Amira but when things go pear shaped with Josh Kat becomes a single mother and is more determined than ever to lose the excess kilos gained while pregnant.

Some are doing well losing weight some not and they decide to start their own private blog here they will have the odd difference of opinion as they all have different personalities there are some clashes, but you can see their friendship growing stronger. Their personal lives are starting to implode here and there but they gain strength from each other.

This is a beautifully written story that takes a lot into account that woman worry about every day in their lives and it is done so well with lots of emotion, I loved getting to know these woman and see them find themselves and to see them show such support at the end the tears came in bucket loads, but I loved this story so much, it is one that I highly recommend.
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Mar 18, 2017 Janine rated it it was amazing

This novel is a brilliant example of Women's Fiction (or life-lit). I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end, why? because I could relate to it so much. The four ladies in the book meet online in a forum with one common interest - they all want to lose weight. The support network that evolves among them is amazing. Lisa went to great lengths to make each character totally believable. There are happy and sad stories within but its an excellent example of how women support each other t ...more

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Aug 30, 2017 Tanya rated it it was amazing

I don't think there are words to adequately express how much I loved this book.

Kat, Ellie, Mezz and Jewels all have a reason to lose weight. They join an Internet forum to do so, and as a result a friendship is born between these four very different women.

I think one of the things I loved the most about "The Shape of Us" is that it's so relatable. I have a group of three amazing friends I met online at an Internet forum. It's an incredible feeling to meet such kindred spirits that it fails to ma ...more

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Feb 12, 2023 Catsalive rated it really liked it

Shelves: aww, 2023

An excellent novel about four women who became friends & supported each other through extremely trying times.

Jewels, Mezz, Kat & Ellie meet in a weight loss forum chat room. When they become disillusioned with the quality of the programme the four of them join a private chat room to support each other instead. They quickly become true friends, meeting up in real life, discussing all aspects of their lives & helping each other wherever possible, in tangible & intangible ways.

They have their ups & ...more

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Apr 19, 2017 Bree T rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, australian, women-s-fiction, contemporary, aww2017

It’s hard to know where to start with this amazing book. I’ve read Lisa Ireland before, she’s an author of several rural romance novels but this is a step into the women’s fiction or “life lit” genre that has become one of my absolute faves to read. It’s the story of four women who have little in common other than joining a weigh loss initiative (called WON or Weight Off Now!) and coming together in the section on the forum for those who have 30+ kg to lose. After a condescending couple of posts It’s hard to know where to start with this amazing book. I’ve read Lisa Ireland before, she’s an author of several rural romance novels but this is a step into the women’s fiction or “life lit” genre that has become one of my absolute faves to read. It’s the story of four women who have little in common other than joining a weigh loss initiative (called WON or Weight Off Now!) and coming together in the section on the forum for those who have 30+ kg to lose. After a condescending couple of posts from a WON-veteran who is at her “goal weight” after losing far less than any of the four women have to lose, they take their burgeoning friendship off the official forums to a private blog where they can talk freely.

The way in which these four women develop a friendship really spoke to me. I have been an internet addict since around 1998, when we first got dial up (oh the days) in my parent’s house. Over the years I have made so many great friends online – some of whom I’ve been friends with for over a decade and a half and we’ve still never met physically. Others I’ve met in person as well and catch up with or hang out with on a regular basis. I enjoyed the way several of the women didn’t really intend to “get personal” with the others but the blog becomes an outlet for them to spill out things from their personal lives which they perhaps cannot share with anyone else. Mezz has insecurities about her fit husband straying with one of the Lycra-clad “Pony-tails” at school drop off, Jewels has insecurity issues against her seemingly perfect sister, Ellie finds herself alone in a country not her own with a partner she may never be able to truly be a family with and Kat just wants to give her beautiful daughter the dream childhood she never had after the Bosnian war, with a home of her own. All of their lives kind of start to come apart in different ways even as the women are knitting together this strong, honest friendship which isn’t without its imperfections as they all try different things in order to lose those kilos.

I’ve read books tackling weight loss issues before and so many of them involve characters finding the “magic” combination that works for them but this book serves up some grim realities when it comes to the statistics for losing weight and keeping it off. I felt that each of them had reasons for wanting to lose weight that revolved around another person – Mezz wanted to feel as though her husband would find her attractive again, having no idea that it wasn’t her size that was keeping him distant from her, Jewels has been told to lose weight in order to get pregnant so it’s her desire for a child that fuels her but her love of baking makes it quite difficult for her to even get started, Kat wants to keep her boyfriend and Ellie likewise is determined to look better for her fit other half. What I enjoyed was the realism that sees them struggle, fail, backslide, try radical things etc. It felt genuine, including the usage of one of those fad shakes/cleanse things where you consume only a certain brand of liquids and it can only be bought through a consultant that feels almost like some sort of cult. What the underlying message is for these women is that they need to come to terms with themselves, the problems in their lives and ‘love the skin they’re in’ before they will ever be happy. Losing weight isn’t going to magically make the other problems they have go away. Mezz will still feel as though people look sideways at her and ask what her husband sees in her, Jewels will still feel as though her sister steals the spotlight….unless they have that self confidence to stand in their own spotlight.

I was forewarned about the darker turn the book takes in the final quarter or so as it’s a topic I often struggle with but I felt as though it was very well handled and really did help to not only cement the way in which the women had built this friendship but also explore the different ways in which they dealt with such a serious topic. It was really heartbreaking and it’s something that I think about a lot, it’s probably my greatest fear. I had a lot of admiration for the character it concerned – actually she was probably my favourite of the four although I loved them all to be honest.

This is a superbly written, very powerful book that I think will find a home on many people’s favourites shelf. I know it definitely has on mine. It’s the sort of book where I’m still thinking about the characters days later, mulling things over in my head and reflecting on different parts of the story. Definitely one that will stick with me. ...more

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Apr 23, 2021 Annie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: womens-fiction, aussie-authors, read-2021

This book drew me in with its tender rendering of friendship and body issues. It was so human, so relatable and had me hooked as I turned pages, needing to know what happened and if the women would make peace with their bodies. It was beautiful and had an ending that moved me to tears. A wonderful reminder of everything I love about women’s fiction.

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