Strangely, Incredibly Good (2014)

Cat is overweight. Not just a little bit overweight but quite a lot. As a single mum with two teenage daughters, living with her 91-year-old grandmother was not what Cat intended for her family. After a tragic event during her teenage years changed the course of her life, Cat's guilt led her on a path to emotional overeating, falling pregnant to an abusive man and having to face her two beautiful daughters as they look down on her with disdain and disappointment. Choosing to make a difference to her life, Cat joins a gym but feels humiliated at the prospect of having to face the gym bunnies in their slim outfits and perfect bodies. Overwrought with sadness, Cat leaves the gym and drives through the pouring rain. Having to stop to gain composure, she parks in the driveway of a yard sale and spots a brand-new Wii Fit for sale. Cat's life takes on a whole new journey the minute she plugs the Wii in to begin finding the new her. Eugenis is a genie... trapped inside the Wii Fit awaiting his new master. As he undertakes the challenge of helping Cat find her way, a new journey begins for the not-so-great taskmaster of wish making. Can three wishes change the course of one's life? As the story opens, there is a true sense of sadness emanating from the pages. The writer details the struggles of the obese protaganist and the sadness her life has brought her. This is not a book to read whilst devouring a triple layer chocolate mousse cake. Emotionally, the story behind Cat's weight gain is difficult to read. Even though her weight is never detailed in numbers, it is graphically described and one cannot help but feel for the main character. Cue the genie and the book takes on an entirely different feel. As readers, we know the possibility of a genie popping out of the Wii will never happen, but for this novel, you need to look past the 'fairy-talesque' theme and look deep into the stories of Cat and Eugenis. Both characters have stories to tell and both are coming to terms with the knowledge that one's heart and mind are more important than physical appearances or what one can achieve in life. Yes at times, the novel comes across as far-fetched, but I believe it is the stories of the characters which will resonate with the readers. (MP)

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