Rating: 
Summary: Fun to read
Review: A very funny very realistic book. You'll relate to this book in so many ways whether you have weight issues or not. There's so much more to the book. Very interesting characters as well.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!
Review: Do yourself a really big favor and buy this book! Patrick Sanchez is a true genius when writing about women. His writing is captivating and his characters are charming and unforgetable. I could'nt put this book down until I finished it. Ruby and Wanda, the big girls in the book, are totally identifiable by anyone who has ever had a weight problem. Sanchez has the inner thoughts of big girls down pat. This book is funny, inspiring, and just plain enjoyable. I can't wait for his next book!
Rating: 
Summary: "Good in Bed" fans, take note (4 3/4 stars)
Review: Heroines: varied They don't know it but they are on a collision course with each other, three women who will change each other's lives: Rubenesque Ruby wants to be thin and craves her mother's and society's acceptance almost as much as she does food. But every time these opposing desires start bickering in her head, the food demons win out and she finds herself agonizing as each bite she consumes carries her farther away from her size six ideal. Anxious to love something other than food Ruby fixes her eye on her gorgeous coworker, but her low self esteem keeps her from trying to reach out to him. Or to any man she wants. Up until this point the peaks of her romantic experiences have been flatter than Kansas, and the only men in her life now are her lackluster ex-hubby and her gay pal. Bootylicious Wanda is anxious to make it big in the plus modeling world, but she has three strikes against her: size, age, and race. Add to that a snotty, rich, daddy's girl coworker who undermines her at every turn, Wanda will be lucky not to wind up in the slammer for wringing the chick's neck. Luscious Simone is dying to get out of the local TV news racket and into the limelight of the entertainment industry. Literally. She even figures the notoriety of leaving behind a trail of boy toys might add to her cachet. But she's got tunnel vision where her career is concerned and doesn't see that her life is unraveling around the edges. Living fast and furious might be her ticket to the top--or to six feet underground.
What worked for me: This book has a great cover! It's sexy and sassy, colorful and eye-catching. And most importantly it doesn't downsize the big girls. The story is funny, has interesting characters, good plot twists, and a great if not completely pat (the way I like it) ending. Yet it takes the time to insert insightful comments on various social issues rather than deliver up pure fluff. The characters have some flaws that render them unlikable at times, but it's these same flaws which make them leap off the page with realism. (The author also did a great job nailing down the behavior and innermost thoughts of an unhappy-to-be-fat woman.) Size-wise Ruby and Wanda were abundant and Simone was petite but shapely.
What didn't work for me: I slurped this story down in one sitting. So honestly, the few technical issues I saw barely registered with me as I was so anxious to keep cruising along.
Overall:
"The Way It Is" is: . . . outrageous! You'll laugh, cry, and possibly throw a few things while reading this book. Don't miss it! Warning: there are some coarse words, eating disorders, and sexual references in this book. If you liked "The Way It Is" you might also enjoy "The Fat Friend", "All of Me", "The High Price of a Good Man", "Good in Bed", "Jemima J.", "Sisterhood Situation", "Etta Mae's Little Theory", or the "Odelia Grey" series.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific, quick read - I couldn't put it down!
Review: I couldn't put this book down - very entertaining! I don't know how Patrick Sanchez gets into the female mind so well, but I found myself relating to so many of the characters. A terrific, quick read that leaves you smiling for days.
Rating:
Summary: OH MY GOD!
Review: I decided to by this book out of curiousity more than anything else. What the hell does a man (Patrick Sanchez) know about being a fat woman? Well, boy did I find out -- he knows a hell of lot. There were points in this book where I would say "that's me!...that is SO me!" It was hilarious at times and so sad at others it made me cry. But, in the end, the big girls win out! It was like some kind of wharped Cinderella story. I loved it!
Rating:
Summary: Hurray for Ruby and all the BBWs!
Review: I loved loved loved this book! I was up until 3am finishing it. I could relate to everything about Sanchez's main character, Ruby Waters. I was cheering for her at the end! I don't want to give anything away, but there is a scene in the middle of the book that involves Ruby and some cinnamon rolls that is probably the funniest thing I have ever read in my life! I can't reccomend this book enough!
Rating:
Summary: Chick-Lit With a Twist!
Review: I'm always reading "chick-lit" books and one thing I really liked about The Way It Is was how it was different from most chick lit books. It had a mult-ethnic cast of characters (white, black, latino) and two of the main characters were plus-size women. Also, and thank God, it was not set in New York City (it takes place in D.C.). The Way It Is is a quick fun read and made me laugh out loud more than a book has in a long time....a great vacation read!
Rating:
Summary: Read This book!
Review: It's been a long time since I've encountered a work as witty and wonderful as Patrick Sanchez's "The Way It Is." It's funny, poignant, well written-I literally could NOT put it down. Sanchez is one of the few male writers able to capture the way women think and feel about themselves. A true gem not to be missed!
Rating:
Summary: Read This book!
Review: It's been a long time since I've encountered a work as witty and wonderful as Patrick Sanchez's "The Way It Is." It's funny, poignant, well written-I literally could NOT put it down. Sanchez is one of the few male writers able to capture the way women think and feel about themselves. A true gem not to be missed!
Rating:
Summary: What a Great Time!
Review: Kudos to Patrick Sanchez for writing such a sympathetic book about us big girls. I felt Ruby's pain throughout the book although at some points I just felt so terrible for her I had to put the book down for awhile. Patrick Sanchez tells it like it is and the results are often hilarious but sometimes very sad. The book had a great ending and left me wanting more. Anyone who has ever struggled with weight should buy this book!
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