Title: WintergirlsAuthor: Laurie Halse Anderson
Age Group: Older Teens
# of Pages: 278
My Rating: 5/5
Size zero. No fat. No food.
With Lia refusing to take in any calories and her ex-best friend Cassie throwing up whatever she consumes, the are determined to be the skinniest girls. Then, Cassie dies alone in a motel room.
Every single day is a battle to lose more pounds for Lia. She pretends to gain weight by cheating the scale and makes sure to burn whatever she has in her stomach through exercise. She lives life like there is nothing wrong, that being anorexic is okay and that her old friend's death does not bother her. Except nothing is okay in her life at all.
Wintergirls definitely lived up to the hype that all YA reviewers rate it as. Written in a unique and mesmerizing style, Laurie Halse Anderson will keep the readers hooked through Lia's determined and obsessed behaviour as she tries to become skinnier and skinnier.
From the beginning, my attention was instantly grabbed by the author's distinguishing writing style. I like how Lia's guilt is shown through her being haunted by Cassie's ghost. It really brings out the emotions and fears of Lia through the novel. Not only that, but how she is so consumed by anorexia that it is scary but at the same time, addicting. I find her to be a pitiful character, but also so engaging because I am not used to that kind of person.
I thought there might have been a chance for romance because a male character by the name of Elijah appears midway of the story. He is quite a character, with piercings and tattoos and a laid-back but witty personality. Though unfortunately, he plays more of a friend role in this novel. If the author is to write a separate book about Elijah, with an overlap of the experience he had with Lia, I would definitely read it because he is definitely a one-of-a-kind male protagonist.
Anorexia is a rising issue among teen girls in the recent years, with the fact that the media is portraying thin and photoshopped women as beautiful. Anderson tackled the mindset of an anorexic and habitual cutter very well on how they think in such a warped way. Combined with her talented storytelling and memorable characters, Wintergirls is a riveting read I recommend 100%!
I thought there might have been a chance for romance because a male character by the name of Elijah appears midway of the story. He is quite a character, with piercings and tattoos and a laid-back but witty personality. Though unfortunately, he plays more of a friend role in this novel. If the author is to write a separate book about Elijah, with an overlap of the experience he had with Lia, I would definitely read it because he is definitely a one-of-a-kind male protagonist.
Anorexia is a rising issue among teen girls in the recent years, with the fact that the media is portraying thin and photoshopped women as beautiful. Anderson tackled the mindset of an anorexic and habitual cutter very well on how they think in such a warped way. Combined with her talented storytelling and memorable characters, Wintergirls is a riveting read I recommend 100%!
Review copy provided by Penguin Group (Canada).
