Wintergirls

By Laurie Halse Anderson,

Book cover of Wintergirls

Book description

"Dead girl walking," the boys say in the halls.
"Tell us your secret," the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best…

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Why read it?

3 authors picked Wintergirls as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Wintergirls is heart-wrenching and repulsive. Laurie Halse Anderson uses evocative, jarring language to tell a story about deadly friendship and an almost insurmountable eating disorder. This book pried open my eyes to the harsh struggles of people who live with eating disorders, teaching me about a reality I have mercifully never had to face. My heart ached for the main character as she descended farther into her illness, but left me with that cruel but vital ingredient: hope.

This novel is one of the first, and still best books to explore serious eating disorders. While not humorous, it is powerful, poetic, and disturbing. The story features high school students Lia and Cassie, both of whom suffer from debilitating anorexia and bulimia respectively, with tragic consequences. Probably a better read for those trying to understand the mindset of someone struggling with these illnesses, rather than for someone who is. If you haven’t read something by Anderson, it’s time to correct that. Try the iconic Speak, which deals with the long-term effects of trauma after sexual assault. (I know,…

When I teach writers about how seemingly simple scenes can hold huge tension, I talk about the opening of Wintergirls. Huge emotion and many pages dedicated to only a few minutes within Lia’s day. It’s heartbreaking and honest but so full of hope. This also showcases how hard it is to find that hope when an illness has taken over your thoughts and when grief clouds everything else. The language of this book is a masterclass in emotion and showcases so well what it’s like when your life is consumed by an eating disorder.

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