Wintergirls Review

Title: Wintergirls

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Publisher: Viking

MSRP (Hardback): $17.99
Pages (numbered): 278

Rating: * * * * */5



God, I can't even think of anything to say to do this book justice. I though Envy was a 5 of 5? It's totally irrelevant compared to this. I'll try to write a good review to the best of my ability, though.



SUMMARY: Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy sabing other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her stepmother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps going on like this- thin, thinner, thinnest- maybe she'll disappear altogether.
In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since Speak, Anderson explores one girl's chilling descent into anorexia.

I don't think I should use my usual format of critiquing for this review.)

This is definitely the hardest review I've had to write. I'm trying and trying... nothing comes to mind wrong with this book. I know it's my job to be an objective reader and point out good and bad things about the book, and never have a gush review because there's always something wrong with a book... but God, it's just amazing.

Sure, I've read books about eating disorders before, but NOTHING like this. The writing is like poetry, it flows like music, too. You really get the full sense and then some of Lia's experience, and you won't want to be sucked back out.

But I'm asking you seriously... don't let anyone younger than about 14 read it (yes, I read it and I'm 13. Trust me, it affects you... more in a second on that). I'm not saying censor it by any means- I despise that, and can't wait for October to celebrate Banned Books Week- but it's extremely strong. "Sickening" and "terrifying" has been used many a time by some reviewers, not how I'd term it, though. And if you suspect someone who wants to read it is easily susceptible to things like this, it could give them ideas and send them over the edge. It involves REALLY serious issues- cutting, anorexia, death, depression... and all of it graphic but not in an awful way. Does any of this make sense?

But it you think you can handle it, this book's required reading for you absolutely. My whole view on things like this has changed totally thanks to this book.