A few years ago, I found Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Then I found this, Wintergirls.
TW: Self Harm + Eating Disorders
Wintergirls is the story of Lia and her mission to become the skinniest girl in school. The book starts with her old best friend Cassie dying in a hotel room, alone. The two of them struggled with food for years. It wasn't just watching their weight; it was documenting how many calories were in each bite of food, staying strong when they really wanted to lick that icing right off the cupcake, it was taking laxatives and diuretics to expel all those calories, it was sticking their fingers down their throat and vomiting in the roses. It was harmful and dangerous but they were determined to get their weight back down into "dangerland" territory.
The reached to be a zero, a double zero, to weigh less than 80 pounds.
But they couldn't admit they didn't actually want this life.
Lia wanted the pizza, cupcakes, pancakes, waffles.
She wanted the sugary syrup, but she couldn't let herself give in.
This book was very strange to me.
The first half of the book I felt completely unattached to the characters. The second half of the book proved that it did have a good, although dark story to tell. It's heartbreaking to me that these girls wanted help but just couldn't find their voice to ask. They kept marking through the thoughts they believed were harmful to their well-being.
It definitely was not the book I was expecting but I am glad that I took the time to read it.
Looking for other books by Laurie Halse Anderson?
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