 To say Mara Brennan isn’t having an easy time of it would be putting it mildly. Her live-in boyfriend up and disappeared with her bed, she hates her dead-end job and her friends are ready to give up their weekly yoga ritual. This struggling 25 year-old is definitely feeling that she’s outgrown the rut she’s allowed herself to be stuck in for the past few years.
Stuck in Downward Dog by Chantel Simmons is a witty, heart-warming tale of one woman’s journey to self-discovery and happiness. But to leave it at that simply doesn’t do this chick-lit adventure justice. In her debut novel Simmons combines the teachings of yoga with the less glamorous side of cosmetic surgery and serves it up with a side dish of self-doubt, dysfunctional family members and some really cool beauty products.
The "OM" list
Mara feels that the key to a successful life involves mastering a list of skills that her best friends from high school appear to use effortlessly every day. This OM list (named after the yoga chant and the initials of the two friends) includes becoming an accomplished chef, decorating like a pro and being able to bend herself into a pretzel and quote classic prose simultaneously, more or less. The fact that neither of these friends is able to accomplish the feats of the other doesn’t seem to faze the newly single Mara. And neither does her insistence that she must master, and not just learn, all of these things in order to reach this pinnacle of perfection.
What I enjoyed most was Mara’s search for meaningful employment. At the start of the novel, she’s about as proactive as an unearthed peanut; as the novel progresses she soon learns that asking for help (or the ingredients in a smoothie) isn’t a sign of weakness, but a very smart thing to do. As with most things in life, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time.
No need for Prince Charming
This novel also rewards the reader by having a heroine one can connect with immediately. I think everyone has a little bit of Mara Brennan inside of them, whether it’s a fear of new recipes or not knowing what the heck Kafka wrote about. The fact that a “man of her dreams” doesn’t suddenly arrive to fix everything for her is a great relief, even though at times you might feel tempted to give Maya a wee shake or two as she struggles through some of her issues.
Stuck in Downward Dog is a delightful read filled with insider beauty secrets, awkward yoga poses as well as tips and tricks to help anyone get out of their own version of a dingy basement apartment with an accent wall the colour of a Post-It note. Mara Brennan is a heroine who speaks to the masses—even though she’s the last to notice that she’s the one in control after all.
About the Author
Chantel Simmons is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Elevate, Canada’s premier cosmetic enhancement magazine, and a columnist at Sweetspot.ca. After a brief foray into book publishing, she was the assistant beauty editor at Elle Canada and assistant editor at TV Guide. She has written for Reader’s Digest, MoneySense, Faze Magazine, the Toronto Sun, HGTV, Slice, W Network and the Food Network. In 2007 Simmons was named one of the National Post’s “Ones to Watch.” She lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and their cat. For more information, visit www.chantelsimmons.com
Author: Chantel Simmons
Number of pages: 261
Publisher: Key Porter Books
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