Eating Bull
by Carrie Rubin
My rating: 5 stars
Publisher: ScienceThrillers Media
Publication Date: November 12, 2015
ISBN-13: 9781940419107
Genre: Thriller | Coming of Age
Print Length: 311 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Jeremy, a lonely and
obese teenager, shoots into the limelight when a headstrong public
health nurse persuades him to sue the food industry. Tossed into a storm
of media buzz and bullying, the teen draws the attention of a serial
killer who's targeting the obese. Soon the boy, the nurse, and their
loved ones take center stage in a delusional man's drama.
In this novel of suspense, Eating Bull explores the real-life issues of bullying, fat-shaming, and the food industry's role in obesity.
In this novel of suspense, Eating Bull explores the real-life issues of bullying, fat-shaming, and the food industry's role in obesity.
Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin
Get ready to experience every emotion you have as a twisted and delusional killer collides headlong with a bullied and depressed obese teen, his mother and a warrior nurse on a mission.Eating Bull by Carrie Rubin is powerful fiction that tackles obesity and punctuates its horrors with a crazed serial killer on a rampage to stomp out the disease one victim at a time. Settle back and watch as the tentacles of this tale stretch both as separate stories and as extensions of each other as three points of view are exposed with sometimes heart-wrenching results.
Jeremy is grossly obese in a world that ridicules him, punishes him, stares at him and berates him for his size. He is part of a growing number of teens lost in a world where beauty and perfection rule, while being different turns a child into a pariah and an emotional punching bag. His strongest advocate, a health nurse takes on the restaurant/food service industry in an indictment of their responsibility for Jeremy’s condition. His story catches the interest of Darwin, a brutal and sadistic killer, will Jeremy, a boy seeking only friendship and a normal life become the victim of a man whose hatred for obesity knows no bounds?
Carrie Rubin has presented her case, told her story and done it well. The personalities of her characters are alive, their emotions are real and the story of Jeremy and Darwin are far more paralleled than one could believe. Is Darwin the future Jeremy?
Yes the story is well-told, but not entirely a comfortable one. Follow along; see your school days pass before you. Oh, you didn’t bully or make fun of the fat kid? Did you step in to show friendship or stop the bullying or did you cower away or heaven forbid, laugh? If Carrie Rubin cannot show you the error of your ways, then your heart may be missing. Jeremy’s pain is real, he is in crisis and it isn’t his entire fault. He becomes a hero of sorts when he goes public to make the world aware of big business’ power of seduction, but the price he pays may be with his life. What drove Darwin to become obsessed with fitness? What made him kill “fat” over and over? You’ll find the answers in Eating Bull as well as an entirely new insight into bullying, obesity and the difficulty of breaking the chain of ignorance.
This is a MUST read, should be in libraries and on classroom discussion calendars, because it is okay to be disturbed or uncomfortable with reading this powerful, so long as the message comes out.
My new novel Eating Bull is the story of Jeremy, an obese teen who is roped into
suing the food industry by Sue, a public health nurse. The idea of the book was
partially inspired by actual events. Several years ago in my clinic, a tearful,
severely overweight teenage patient said to me, “Not a day goes by I don’t know
I’m fat, because no one will let me forget it.” Those heartbreaking words have stayed
with me ever since, and are what led me to make my latest protagonist a
teenager, even though the novel itself is not Young Adult fiction.
My frustration with managing
overweightness/obesity in a clinical setting also sparked the writing of Eating Bull. Plenty of people wanted to
lose weight, but there were so many obstacles in their way—the food industry among
them.
In public health, we
move beyond
the individual alone and target all the factors that contribute to an
illness
or condition. Since the food industry plays a huge role in what we eat,
they
bear some responsibility for the obesity epidemic. Since plenty of
non-fiction books have been written on the topic I decided to weave
these issues into fiction, which became Eating Bull.
I am a medical thriller author. My books include Eating Bull and The Seneca Scourge. This blog chronicles my transition into the writing world, all with a dose of humor, because to me laughter is one of life’s necessities. I post on a variety of other topics as well. I live in Ohio with my husband and two sons.
Thank you so much for visiting. Please feel free to share your thoughts. I love hearing from you! And please, take much of what I say with a wink and a smile. I make light because there is too much heavy.
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Ends April 4, 2016 11:59 PM
I think perhaps there is a medical issue because my nephews friend is obese and has been to doctors many times and nothing resolved yet. He does not over eat either
ReplyDeleteSadly, this boy ate with a passion...stress eating
DeleteAll obese children are not unhealthy. Some of them come from large big-boned people
ReplyDeleteThere are obese people who come up clinically healthy, but our hero was not...and the bullying was horrendous
DeleteThere is a lot of emotional eating and bullying only makes it worse. For some young people, sadly, food is a friend.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad.
DeleteVery true. Food often serves as an emotional comfort, albeit a temporary one. Until the underlying issues are addressed, weight loss can be very difficult.
DeleteToo many sweets!!
ReplyDeleteSure, too much of many things, I guess! A vicious circle
DeleteOkay, MY first thought is to strangle the parents...right or wrong. They are the ones to set the example, they are the ones that provide the food, should be teaching about moderation and balance, long before the child gets to school. This is experience talking-when I was 8, I weighed 10 lbs less than I do now...my skinny mother's way of showing love was to feed me and that snowballed into brutal bullying at school. Which brings up another topic where society is failing our kids...
ReplyDeleteGood point--it's definitely important that we role model good eating habits for our kids, starting from a young age.
DeleteThat sometimes it's genetics
ReplyDeleteThank you again for hosting the giveaway. Best of luck to the entrants!
ReplyDeleteOur pleasure! Feel free to make comments! This is your post!
Delete:)
DeleteI have first hand experience of coping with and dealing with the issues raised by people's attitude's towards an 'obese person' so I try to not condemn as the whole problem could well be a medical problem as in my case
ReplyDeleteI'm sad - either that they do not have a proper diet and exercise or that they may have a medical problem.
ReplyDeleteThat fast food may be the death of us. Is the government trying to kill us off before we can reach SS age? I am a conspiracy buff and in this day and age I don't understand some of these commercials, but they must be working. I mean, we have the meats? What the f***? How many meats do you need on a sandwich? I have people close to me who struggle constantly with weight and I know how difficult it can be.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Yes, the ads certainly work, don't they? And many are targeted to kids--not by the government so much as various food manufacturers and fast-food restaurants. It would be nice to at least limit the advertisements toward children, especially for those foods that are high in sugar and empty calories.
Delete