ARA Review by Travis Walters of Eating Bull

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Travis Walters
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Joined: 28 Apr 2022, 07:10
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ARA Review by Travis Walters of Eating Bull

Post by Travis Walters »

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Eating Bull.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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Dan Brown meets Morgan Spurlock in a thought-provoking thriller. Eating Bull in a well-paced story that builds tension while following the struggles of an overweight teen, Jeremy, as he deals with the social ramifications (in the form of bullying from multiple sources) as well as physical strugglers his size presents for him. The character is very relatable, in that when his weight problem begins to show serious side effects to his health, he is not successful right out of the gate at mastering his weight issue. He struggles constantly to fight urges to binge eat, which often seem to be his only positive, albeit temporary, escape from his troubles.

Running parallel with his story, were given the perspective of a fitness and nutrition obsessed killer, who’s intolerance of those he deems unworthy sends him down a murderous path. In a very ‘Dan Brown’ fashion, the killer’s identity remains a mystery even throughout perspective chapters as his murderous new identity is given its own name: Darwin. As the name would suggest, Darwin believes he has a mission to see to it that only the fittest will survive in his world.

Finally, we also see the story develop from the eyes of Sue, a social worked who’s head strong attitude and courage in the face of adversity is often putting herself in trouble in the name of the greater good. She is often labeled as a nosey, and a troublemaker as well as several other not so nice words, simply for the sake of performing her duties to the public. Sue is a strong driving force in the novel, as she is the one who proposes the lawsuit against the fast-food industry as she constantly deals with their side effects on society. Seeing it not only as her job, but a calling to be a champion for the underprivileged. The lawsuit, while done with good intentions, ultimately results in hardships, and horrors for all associated with it, as it not only draws the attention of a skeptical public who sees the lawsuit as frivolous, but also succeeds in drawing the ire of Darwin.

All the time you spend following the paths of these characters toward their inevitable confrontation, there are several questions floated around for the reader to comprehend. Chiefly, the main antagonizing question that fuels the plot; is the fast-food industry responsible for the negative impact its products have on people’s health. The question is a (pardon the inappropriate pun) very heavy one. The book doesn’t flat out answer the question in a preachy way, but offers a degree of sympathy for those suffering from obesity. The author does a good job of having the question serve as a strong background for the book’s events to fall into, without getting lost in the politics or philosophy of the issue.
Carrie Rubin delivers an entertaining, character driven thriller, which I would highly recommend to those who enjoy reads where you’re constantly guessing who the killer is. I give Eating Bull a 5 out of 5 rating.

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