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Book Review: Wintergirls

suchaninterestingworld:

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson tells the story of Lia, an 18 year old girl who is struggling with anorexia and cutting. When her bulimic friend dies from the disorder, Lia is haunted by her memory and the knowledge that she didn’t save her. Now Lia has to decide, can she save herself? Or is it already too late?

Rating: 5/5

This novel is… haunting. I couldn’t put it down. Anderson astounds me with every word. She gets into the mind of Lia, and it is a startling place. It’s one thing to know how eating disorders and things like body dysmorphic disorder (when a person looks in the mirror and sees herself as different, namely fatter, than she really is) work, but it’s another thing entirely to get inside the mind of a person suffering from these disorders. 

Reading Lia’s story is truly amazing. It seems strange to say that I enjoyed reading this novel, but it was very captivating and it was very real. I think this would be a great novel to teach to high schoolers because it shows how people think and what influences some people to think this way. Lia has voices in her head that constantly put her down and tell her she’s fat. People need to understand that this is a product of our society. Lia truly believes she is fat and disgusting, and she counts the calories of everything she eats. This look inside her mind was really shocking and jarring to me.

The main thing that strikes me about this novel is that the reader truly feels trapped inside Lia’s head. It was extremely frustrating because the reader can see the problems Lia is going through and the lengths she is going to in order to conceal her pain, and everyone in her life is either ignoring it or inadvertantly spurring it on.

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Thanks so much for loving this book! I read this when it first came out (when I was in high school) and my friend and I both loved it. I feel like Anderson isn’t read enough (even though she is popular, a book like this should be required reading for a health class or a high school english class). Anderson’s characterization is spot on. Anyway, this book rocks (and great review!)

Rules of crime

textposter2:

if you’re ever mugged by someone just scream ‘SWIPER NO SWIPING’ at them and by the rules of crime they have to stop

WHEN I FORGOT SLEEPING PILLS FOR THE FLIGHT TO ISRAEL

birthrightproblems:

12 hours in a tiny airplane seat. Now is the time to say ‘Oy veh!’

WINTER BIRTHRIGHT TRIPS

birthrightproblems:

EXPECTATIONS:

REALITY:

WHO KNEW IT RAINED IN A MIDDLE EASTERN, MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRY THAT IS 60% DESERT?

This is so true. I was soaked at least 50% of the time I was there.