Review Detail

Ive been a fan of Laurie Halse Andersons ever since I read Speak. Her novels are well-researched, and she has the rare talent of altering her writing style to suit the topic. Wintergirls did not disappoint.

Written in a stream-of-consciousness writing style that takes the reader from the realistic to the bizarre, Wintergirls is the haunting story of Lia, an 18-year-old high school student with a severe eating disorder and an obsession with cutting herself. She has already endured inpatient treatment twice when she learns that her estranged best friend, Cassie, has died alone in a motel room. Cassie, too, struggled with an eating disorder. The night of her death, Cassie left 33 messages on Lias cell phone, all of which Lia ignored. The guilt and fear of the news plunges Lia back into the clutches of her anorexia, and Anderson adeptly chronicles the physical, psychological, and emotional toll that the disorder takes on Lia and her family. This book is a must read for anyone who interacts with young adults.