ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life

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I was reading these perhaps 2 or 3 at a time, over a period of three days and I can quite happily say they are a very cleverly put together set of stories, by what is clearly a highly imaginative and intelligent author, who can see things in a rather unnusual way. So many of my observations about how I feel now make sense. I workout regularly with my husband, who of course is not subjected to these hormonal shifts, who was certain these fluctuations was "just in my head." Now, I have real answers as to what is going on in my body. I know when to go with the flow, when to train hard, what to eat, drink and how much I need, and how to find and understand metrics that will help me understand what is going on in my body. The Woman Who Walked in Her Husband’s Shoes is an example of this. The woman in the story literally walks in her husband’s shoes and she is immediately treated very differently. She could see life from her husband’s perspective and was quite surprised by what she discovered. That being said, Roar might be in its own unique category of surreal, genre-bending television. Roar was developed by GLOW creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, who worked directly with Ahern in adapting the short stories for the screen. The result of this collaboration is a series that's undoubtedly loyal to the core themes and messages of the book.

This is not a book to read on audio, which I did. I wish I owned a paper copy to use as a reference. These provocative and witty stories prove it’s time to recognise Cecelia Ahern as one of our finest writers" John Boyne, author of A Ladder To The Sky and The Boy In The Stripped Pyjamas Society told you that you weren't important, that you didn't exist, and you listened. You let the message seep into your pores, eat you from the inside out. You told yourself you weren't important, and you believed yourself." The collection opens strong with The Woman Who Slowly Disappeared. The premise is very reminiscent of the season 1 Buffy episode Out of Mind, Out of Sight, about a high school girl whose peers never seem to notice her, and who ends up becoming invisible. In this story, the main character is a woman in her 50s who has gradually faded, becoming less seen over time as she ages, becoming unnoteworthy to the crowds of people around her:

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There are so many worthwhile short story collections out there that make this one seem not at all researched, not at all empathetic, and not at all feminist. Instead it is repetitive and simplistic and insults the characters and the readers again and again. The magic of ROAR is that every woman will discover at least one story they can relate to. There is a moral attached to each tale, making it a parable of sorts. It is up to each reader how we interpret this message and how we chose to use it’s power.

The idea of these short stories as a feminist masterpiece is really something I can get behind, but the actual execution made me squirm uncomfortably. Cecelia Ahern provokes insecurities and portrayals that befall women in general and well, to be blunt, dehumanises them. Feelings turned into literal representations take over the platform that the women in the stories should have had in general. It was very emotion based and the moral of the story always seemed to be, 'your feelings are valid' which, yes, of course they are but I would have liked them to be celebrated for what they are; sensitivity and empathy come from a deep, understanding place that not all mammals have, I am proud that I get emotional and once cried hysterically at a Harry Potter book, I am proud that I once cried when I found a dead seagull on the road (I don't even really like seagulls, particularly). Cecelia Ahern's take on our feelings was more of a 'yeah, they're our feelings, so what?' approach, whereas I think it should be more, 'yes, these are my feelings, aren't they great and wonderful and define us as human beings?' Admittedly, it's somewhat discouraging reading her book in the sense that you feel that women's physiology works against them in so many ways. I like the positive attitude of the book, and the focus on hydration and electrolyte intake for women, since women store electrolytes differently than men but the topic is rarely discussed, if ever. This book is perfect for people with busy lifestyles, in approx just five minutes you can have finished one of the stories. For those of us with not completely hectic full on lives, the entire book can be devoured in a long and lazy afternoon - with plenty of time for a few tea or (and!) coffee breaks. This book is aimed at Iron(wo)men and the like. I can't really see myself chugging BCAAs, measuring my protein intake or wearing those funny bike pants, but if you do, then this is the book for you. The groundbreaking book that revolutionized exercise nutrition and performance for female athletes, now freshly updatedCecilia Ahern was one of the feel good writers for me, whose books I read and felt light and happy. However, reading Roar was a revelation to me and something I definitely did not expect. I don't put my name to many things, but I am very excited to partner with Momentous who have developed a range to meet my specifications. I always get asked, "what should I take?". Now I can suggest with confidence. Each story highlights an aspect of life that illuminates a specific quality about a person, often to the extreme. The main women in each story tends to nameless, she is the key person but at the same time she could be someone you know. The odds are you will recognise some of the traits if not in yourself than in your loved ones.