Madison Wheatley's Ambrosia is a uniquely wild ride about facing one's demons, overcoming the past, and learning to love oneself, portrayed in a paranormally metaphorical way.
Blurb and Cover:
Two words have haunted Crystal for years: fat pig.
So when a handsome and athletic stranger promises that his gym will change her life, how can she say no? With its cutting-edge facilities, beyond-friendly staff, and endless free samples of Ambrosia, their signature energizing sports drink, Mount Olympus seems too perfect to be real—and maybe it is. Crystal needs it all, but is she willing to lose more than just weight?
Well, this will be a less descriptive review than normal. There is too much opportunity for spoiler alerts that I'll have to steer clear of details.
I loved the narration of the main character Crystal, despite two things the book had involving narrative voice I'm normally not excited about: first-person narration of characters I don't have much in common with, particularly in present tense. But I learned something upon reading this. I don't dislike first-person present POV after all--if it is done well (aka lives up to my high standards). What Wheatley has done differently is fully develop the character on so many levels that I understand her, know her as I would a best friend--not needing to put myself in her shoes to care about her. Sure, most will say a lot of books do this, but many more portray insecurity in such a cliche way, whereas Wheatley's is wholesome, deep, with traumatizing flashbacks that truly bring in the layers of psyche to understand how it breaks people down over time.
On top of that, as a mythology lover, the setting of the gym, where things aren't what they seem hooked me. The only connection to mythology, aside from the gym feeling lotus-eaters-esque-inverted vibe, were some names. I loved this because it totally tricked me with the unexpected later. Not many books surprise me in a great way that doesn't feel contrived. This twist clicks in your head with a powerful moment of enlightenment that metaphorically hits home.
So unlike Crystal myself, I connected over unpreferred tense, and for once could not predict a plot twist. My spouse, who suffers from watching TV and movies with me, was floored I couldn't foresee a plot. Definitely loved Ambrosia and wish I could unfold the layers of symbolism for you but it would give spoilers. It’s a must read.