Review: "On the Plus Side" by Jenny L. Howe

Title: On the Plus Side
Author: Jenny L. Howe
Published: December 2023
Genre: Romance
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

      Sometimes, a book comes along that absolutely speaks to my soul, and On the Plus Side is one such book. It could've been written specifically for me, aside from the fact that I didn't meet the author, Jenny L. Howe, until this fall (disclaimer: she co-runs the romance book club that I attend, but I have no bias towards her writing despite that). But never have I felt more seen about who I am and what I've experienced, and I was hooked from the first chapter. I initially picked this book up for my sister as a Christmas present, but in a moment of boredom (and not being called by the dozens of other unread books on my shelves?), I started reading it myself... and within 24 hours, I had finished it, bought another copy for my sister, and got both copies signed by the author.

 

    On the Plus Side features Everly Winters, a fat woman in her mid-20s who's been selected to be on the eponymous reality show for a makeover and confidence boost. In the last few years, especially since her grandmother died and she graduated college, she has lost herself and her confidence. She has been whittled away at by her mother specifically and society in general who want her to be smaller, quieter, less noticeable. She's given up her unique clothing style, her boisterous laugh, her art ambitions. She goes through life quietly, not putting herself out there and not making a fuss.

    Oh, how I relate. For Everly, and myself, her lack of confidence isn't because of her weight; it's because of how everyone has treated her as a result of it, how they've tried to make her smaller in both literal size and how she presents herself. The parts with her mother hurt; her mother, who loves her I'm sure, but who also continues to make comments about how loud she is and how she should put more effort into blending in, how she disapproves of Everly's laugh. A laugh is one of the purest forms of joy, a sign that for a brief moment, Everly forgets to be self-conscious and just enjoys the moment, and her mother tries to dull that! I've been constantly told by my mother that I talk too loud (even though both she and my sister talk much louder than I do), and it's had the effect that it did on Everly: I stop talking. I stop speaking up at all. And, over my lifetime, it has worn me down. So, yeah, this particular bit hit really close to home.

    Throughout the course of the novel, Everly finds not only her confidence, but her courage to stand up for herself, not just in her ambitions but when even one of her refuges treats her poorly. It's such a rewarding thing to see.

   Aside from that, this book is really well written and had me laughing far more than not. The romance isn't instantaneous, but grows over time in a believable way. I never really got the impression that Logan, the love interest, was a "broody, grumpy" character, but rather just someone with resting bitch face (another point I relate to...). I loved seeing his support for Everly, and even his own dilemmas and loyalty didn't detract from his care for her and her story. There was a perfect mini-villain, doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons, and unfortunately I related to being used by someone like that far too much. The reality tv show crew were wonderful, and even had a touch of actual realism brought to the reality tv. It hit all the right notes for me.

    There's actually a bit more that I want to add to this later, like how Everly's journey of rediscovering her sense of style very much follows my own, but for now, I gotta hit save and send so I can dash off to the book release party for Howe's newest title, How to Get a Life in Ten Dates! But this was definitely a rave from me!