Book: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Pages: 278 (Hardcover)

What Did I Think? I’ve been a fan of Laurie Halse Anderson ever since I read Speak in high school. 

Wintergirls is about 18 year-old Lia, who is struggling to overcome anorexia.  Her best friend Cassie dies in a motel room, alone, after her esophagus erupts. 

I’ve never struggled with anorexia (or bulimia), but I have struggled with my weight since middle school, and I knew exactly what Lia was going through.  Anderson captures it so well, and I felt like I was experiencing what Lia was going through.  This is what I love about Anderson- her books are so realistic that I feel like I know what the characters are going through even though I’ve never experienced it myself.

It was really haunting, and I found myself unable to put it down.  I loved the way it was written- text was run together, certain things were italicized, certain things were repeated and the blank pages…it definitely gave a lot of insight into Lia’s mind, and what she was going through.  At certain times during the book, I felt like I was Lia. 

There were a couple paragraphs I had trouble reading- Lia takes a knife, and cuts herself from her neck to her ribcage.  The detail…it was definitely disturbing, but at the same time, I knew exactly how Lia felt. 

Are you tired of hearing that?  Really, though, that’s how realistic this book is.  Yes, it’s slightly creepy, and a little disturbing, but very compelling.

Rating: 5 out of 5!  It’s that good, and Wintergirls is definitely up there with Speak.