Good Luck with That

By: Kristan Higgins

Narrated by: Xe Sands, Lori Gardner, Suzy Jackson

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Kristan Higgins is beloved for her heartfelt novels filled with humor and wisdom. Now, in her newest novel, Good Luck with That, she tackles an issue every woman deals with: body image and self-acceptance. 

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults. 

For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it's coming to terms with the survivor's guilt she's carried around since her twin sister's death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it's about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother's and brother's ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her. 

But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson's dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves. 

A novel of compassion and insight, Good Luck with That tells the story of two women who learn to embrace themselves just the way they are.

©2018 Kristan Higgins (P)2018 Recorded Books

Depressing

I usually love Kristan Higgins books, but I am not going to lie- this one had an incredibly depressing undertone to it. I really tried to listen to it, but I would end up turning it off. The narrators were wonderful, love Xe. But I am actually going to return this- because I find no joy or a great like lesson learned- it just continually goes back to the depression of weight. Maybe it is because I struggle with those ideals myself, but I did not find this book to be an escape for me.

A journey full of emotion

It's hard to write the review on this. Higgan's is a master when it comes to character development and emotion. This is a story of three friends, who all meet at a weight loss camp and struggle through their whole lives with weight issues. One of them so much so it ends up killing her. This novel is told from all three points of views and chronicles these women's triumphs and failures. There were times when I had to stop reading because there are things in this book that hit close to him. But I'm so glad I stuck with it. The characters will stick with me for a long time.

The narrators were fabulous and each one had a distinct voice.
This is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about real women.

Beautiful, difficult, true

This one was hard for me. It spoke the truth about being “fat” on a level I don’t think I have ever allowed myself to delve. I laughed and sobbed. I thought of special people in my life who would “get it” as they struggle as well. However, it’s such a raw depiction, I just can’t gift it. I will talk about it though. I can’t even suggest it to them because hearing the truth like this has been so very hard. Like choosing to stay home and finish the book instead of meeting up with friends ! Lol
I am so happy I finished it. It was worth the $ and the tears.

A real story about real size people and their struggles.

I actually cried listening to the excellent narration (Xe Sands is my favorite) of this wonderful story about the stigma placed on fat people, who through no fault of their own become addicted to food as a substitute for love. Yet the main characters manage to overcome what haunted them. Also the cultural obsession with body perfection, mental stability , and people with anger issues is touched upon. A REAL romance novel with all the terrible situations life throws at us. The characters find the will to go on.

Realistic and refreshingly honest characters

Romance, family and friendships are a given in a Kristan Higgins book, but this one really digs deep into body image and weight issues. It was a pleasant surprise to not see overweight people grouped into one category, and not all "skinny" people are stereotyped either. Everyone has a different story, yet most people grapple with loving and accepting themselves, regardless of size. The story itself had me crying and laughing - kept me interested until the end. I'd recommend this book, especially for those who struggle to love their bodies.

An amazing experience!

Three close friends, Emerson, Georgia, and Marley, meet at a summer weight-loss camp for teens. They bond over shared experiences and mutual commiseration about being overweight. In their mid-30’s, morbidly obese and socially-alienated Emerson passes away unexpectedly, and leaves Georgia and Marley with the list they created as teens at camp. Georgia and Marley promise to do the things on the list--things that non-obese people take for granted--like shopping for clothes at a regular clothing store, meeting a boyfriend’s family, wearing tight exercise gear, or even tucking a shirt into jeans. They decide to tackle the list, and in doing so, they discover an acceptance of their bodies as they are, and a freedom from harsh judgements that they never expected. They emerge with a stronger sense of self as they come to a deeper understanding of their own motivations and mental blocks. In essence, this book is about acceptance of self—imperfections and all.

This unique book brings eye-opening revelations to non-obese readers, and understanding and encouragement to those readers struggling with weight issues. It is a well-thought out story told in flashbacks through letters that Emerson writes to “Other Emerson,” who is the person she always dreamed she would become. It is heart-wrenching in that she waited to begin her life until she became “Other Emerson,” and her life ended before that could happen. It also alternates with chapters about the backgrounds and lives of both Marley and Georgia. Marley has survivor’s guilt because her fraternal twin passed away at age 4 from ‘failure to thrive.’ Marley weighed 10 pounds at birth, while her twin, Frankie, weighed 4 pounds. Alternatively, Georgia was married to a wonderful man, but alienated him because she felt unworthy of his love, because she hated herself so fully. These characters were portrayed so vividly and with heart and understanding; thus, the reader is pulled into the story in relatable ways. Most readers can relate to feeling unworthy occasionally, or feeling that one is ‘not enough’ for something. This recording was amazing and each reader will gain personal insights from this book, regardless of their weight.

Xe Sands, Lori Gardner, and Suzy Jackson portray the three main characters in this story. They do an excellent job of sounding unique enough to keep the listener on track. Each character gets separate and significant enough narration time, so that the listener can get fully invested in the story of each protagonist. This recording is professionally done by three voice actresses at the peak of their careers. There were no noticeable imperfections in the recording quality of this production.

Inspiring for those with Body Image Challenges

I loved how this book emphasized that despite the women’s size, they were real people inside. The women each had talents and values that were overlooked by many normal sized people. This message is important in today’s society where people are less and less focused on others.

Wish that when switching between characters, the voices stayed true to which character was talking instead of staying with the same character voice throughout the chapter.

As a warning, despite the happy endings, the story is dark. It covers a dark subject though so this is necessary. Just be aware. I had to put it away at times and re-listen to chapters to stay focused and fully grasp the content. Glad I listened to it all. It is good to read something that touches on your own life experiences. We aren’t alone in our struggles even though it feels like it sometimes.

There's no story to the story

I tried to like this. But it's a documentary (though fiction? don't know) instead of a story. It's depressing. I think even if I had weight issues it would be depressing. I read to be transported away. Kristan Higgins disappointed me on this one.

I'm asking for a refund.

Skinny fat kid review..

If you’ve ever struggled with your body image or weight, this book is a glimpse of hope! I have been at both of the ends of the scale in my 50 years. Truly the same mentality if you’re small, fat or morbidly obese. Thank You for a wonderful book!

Difficult at times but I really enjoyed it

This book was difficult for me. As someone who has been “plus size” for most of my life, I think the book reinforces some untrue and harmful stereotypes, such as that plus size people are addicted to food and eat or think about eating constantly. I had a short time in my early adulthood when this might have been true for me, but for the great majority of my 50-some years, this has absolutely not been true. The truth is that there are any number of factors that might lead to someone gaining weight or having great difficulty losing weight, including that some of us are just meant to be larger. I wish the book would have delved into that, rather than leaning so heavily on the false assumptions thin people make. Even so, I did love the characters - especially Marley and Georgia. The author was masterful at character development and letting the various storylines deliciously develop. The ending was also very satisfying. Marley and Georgia felt like friends by the end of the novel. I also like that the author tackled some hot button issues, such as weight loss surgery, fat discrimination at work, medical bias against people of size, eating disorders, thin privilege, and that being large does not equate to being unhealthy. Although I wish there hadn’t been stereotypes reinforced in the novel, I really enjoyed this one and think it advances the radical concept of accepting people at whatever size they are. Narration was exceptional. Xe Sands is always a favorite.