Running in Heels: A Novel

Highly Recommend!
I don’t know if it’s my love for British literature or simply the fast-paced and riveting writing style of Anna Maxted,or the fact that I can identify a lot with her main character. I have read this book upwards of six times and have loved it each and every time. When I read a book, I look for unique wordplay and writing styles that trigger my emotions and imagination and I feel she achieves just that in this fun novel. A highly recommended read!

Well written
Matted has written an honest, touching novel about life, relationships, and eating disorders. I found it funny, sarcastic, and sad in turns. Very long, though.

Not very good
One of the worst chick-lit stories I’ve read in a while. Natalie, the main character, is incredibly messed up with food issues and anxiety about being left behind. You find yourself working through her issues with her and not understanding where she is coming from. It seems like she is developed in such a poor manner that you don’t even understand what her deal is. I would not recommend anyone reading this.

Running and Running and Running
I liked the book, but I didn’t love it. I have read the BJD’s, and they were better in the chick lit category. However, Anna Maxted is a good writer who got off the path with this one.Eveything everyone has said about this book is true to some extent. It’s not her best, obviously, because so many were upset by what is not mediocre writing in this one. So she must have written a much better book. This one introduced and describes Natalie, who is one confused, passive-aggressive A-type individual. Underneath all that is said, what isn’t said is that Natalie has managed to get what she wants for the most part, whether it be men, jobs, or friends. She’s a clean freak, an anorexic-bulemic?, and a pain when she isn’t being scarily efficient. In other words, a complete contradiction. One minute she’s cleaning like a demon, the next she’s snorting coke like a fool, then she’s yelling at her mother and throwing potatoes on the wall. There are a lot of plot points which could have been explored in this book, but weren’t. For instance, her mother’s weight directly correlating to Natalie’s lack thereof. Or the father’s absence in her life leading to her cluelessness and victim mentality in regard to men. Or her brother’s intimidation, or Babs as a crutch. I could go on and on. The ending should have been in the first half of the book. The trip to Australia, in my opinion, shouldn’t have been mentioned if we weren’t going to get to meet the niece and her mother except through telephone dialogue.This was my first time reading anything by this author, and based only on previews of her first book, which I couldn’t find, I bought this one, and the next two, which I have yet to read. I hope they are better, at least as good as her first, since all of you have said it was so good. I hope not to be disappointed again.