CLP Blog Tours Book Review: Appetites by Karen Frankola

Karen Frankola is on tour now with Appetites and CLP Blog Tours. The novel follows the lives of Sarah and Max, two sisters leading very dysfunctional lives. Each are struggling with their own addiction – Sarah is a binge eater who is overweight, and Max is an alcoholic that can’t say to drinking or drugs. When Sarah hears from Harry, an ex-fiancé , she decides it’s time to change her life – and she needs to take drastic measures. The sisters sign an agreement stating Sarah will live in Max’s basement and follow a diet plan of delivered meals. But there’s more – Sarah will be locked in the basement and not allowed out for months, forcing her to stick with the diet plan and not binge eat. But Max’s drinking causes her to forget about Sarah and Sarah figures a way out of the basement. Not only does Sarah slip a few times when she is out on her own, but she also forms an obsession with Max’s on and off boyfriend. The sister’s relationship, already rocky, only worsens with their new living situation. Will Sarah and Max be able to get the help they need to live a healthy lifestyle?
This was a highly interesting to read. To be able to get into the mind of not only an over-eater but an alcoholic made me learn a lot about the diseases and how truly awful they can be. The dynamic between Sarah and Max was fascinating. Sometimes I truly wondered if they would come to blows, but in the next moment they seemed to genuinely care for one other. I think Frankola captured a real picture of sisterhood and how one can know exactly which buttons to push to get results, when you’ve gone too far, and how you know that no matter what, your sister will always be by your side. I will say this book is not for everyone, with strong language, drug use, and a lot of graphic sex scenes, but I thought it was a great read. This was a very well-written and thought-provoking novel, and I highly recommend.
4.5 stars