Kathryn's Reviews > Wintergirls

In a world riddled with made-for-tv, paint-by-numbers eating disorder cliche, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson separates itself from the pack.

The set-up is standard: Lia is the caucasian, teenaged daughter of divorced parents. Much shock, much surprise. As the book opens, Lia is reeling from the loss of her estranged bestie, Cassie. Cassie, our token warning sign in human form, died suddenly after making repeated, unanswered calls to Lia. 33, in fact. Thankfully, that’s where the cliches stop. Anderson goes on to deliver a stark, heart-wrenching account of Lia’s decision to survive or succumb to this frequently misunderstood disorder.

Laurie Halse Anderson is an undoubtedly beautiful writer. Her spare prose brilliantly captures Lia’s internal warfare. Lia wants to eat, but her disease forbids it. Eating disorders are rarely about food. Food is simply the manifestation of a greater problem. Wintergirls recognizes this issue and instead explores the reasons Lia starved behind. By attempting this feat, Anderson has created a nuanced portrait of a teenager locked in a life or death battle. But without the Danny Tanner, come-to-Jesus speech. THANK LOKI.

To sum up: Highly recommended for teens interested in or struggling with an eating disorder. Or anyone because it's just....so. dang. good.