Helpful Score: 3
At the moment I picked up Wintergirls I had no idea what the book was about. I went in completely blind. I didn't expect that it would be such a powerful and emotional read. But it was. There were moments when I wanted to shake some sense into Lia. Other moments my greatest desire was to take Lia by the hand and tell her that everything would be alright. I wanted to guide her to the help she so desperately needed. The only thing she needed to do was just accept it. No catch involved. I was completely emotionally invested in this novel. Laurie did such an exceptional job in portraying Lias self-destruction. I felt her pain and her desperation to the core. My heart was breaking and crying out for Lia because I couldnt do anything to help her. Im a super huge fan of happy endings and although this one doesnt have a supreme happy ending it leaves us with hope and the realization that life is definitely worth fighting for, no matter how bad you think you have it. Hope that from here on, things will be better. My heart goes out to all the girls going through the same situation that Cassie and Lia are going through in Wintergirls. This is definitely a book worth picking up. This is the first novel Ive read by Laurie Halse Anderson and it will no be the last.
Helpful Score: 3
Reviewed by Emily Ann for TeensReadToo.com
Chilling. Even many days after reading WINTERGIRLS, I still shiver when I think about this book.
Lia has struggled with an eating disorder before. Her parents think that she is getting better, but she is just fooling everyone. When Cassie, who used to be her best friend, dies, Lia spirals out of control again.
She eats less and less and begins seeing Cassie's ghost everywhere.
WINTERGIRLS explores the world of eating disorders with vivid, horrifying detail.
Even though this book was really creepy, it was also spectacular. I had never understood how or why some people began to have eating disorders, and this book gave a spectacular insight into their state of mind.
Chilling. Even many days after reading WINTERGIRLS, I still shiver when I think about this book.
Lia has struggled with an eating disorder before. Her parents think that she is getting better, but she is just fooling everyone. When Cassie, who used to be her best friend, dies, Lia spirals out of control again.
She eats less and less and begins seeing Cassie's ghost everywhere.
WINTERGIRLS explores the world of eating disorders with vivid, horrifying detail.
Even though this book was really creepy, it was also spectacular. I had never understood how or why some people began to have eating disorders, and this book gave a spectacular insight into their state of mind.
Helpful Score: 2
Phew. This may end up being sort of hard for me to review. I'll try to keep it brief and to the point.
The writing style - the scratched out words and occasional missing spaces didn't bother me. The caloric count after foods didn't bother me. The "weight" (were those weight numbers?) at the beginning of the chapters irked me to no end.
Something I don't like about this book and some other YA (actually, this can include another few genres but it's far more prevalent in YA) is the goofy descriptions. I can't find any specific examples right now but sentences about gauze shadowing brain, things of that nature. And yes, I *get* it. Fear not. I get it. I don't like it. I like more direct writing honestly.
I liked Lia for the most part I think. My two favorite characters, believe it or not, were Elijah and Emma. From the moment they entered the story until the last page they were my favorites and I think they were invaluable to the story even though it could be said they played rather small roles.
I think most, if not all, of the physical parts of Lia's problem were portrayed realistically. The mental parts? I don't know. This type of problem, all of them actually, the cutting, the mental, the depression, the anorexia, is all foreign to me thankfully. But, since it's not something I know much about it's hard for me to swallow the whole seeing ghost thing. I feel like that maybe could have been done differently and therefore, better. Maybe instead of seeing an actual Cassie-ghost Lia's memories could have been her ghosts. As well they were. But without the Cassie-ghost there "in the flesh".
One of my favorite things about Laurie Halse Anderson is that she tackles these hard teen subjects and that she does it well. Speak has stayed with me although I read it two or three years ago.
I also want to mention that her acknowledgments were beautiful. I try to read those when I can and when they're bland I give up but even in this part of things her talent shines through. The author thanks Alexandre Denomay for the cover pic and I must also. The cover depicts Lia perfectly for me and even as a pic alone, not being a cover, it's phenomenal.
The writing style - the scratched out words and occasional missing spaces didn't bother me. The caloric count after foods didn't bother me. The "weight" (were those weight numbers?) at the beginning of the chapters irked me to no end.
Something I don't like about this book and some other YA (actually, this can include another few genres but it's far more prevalent in YA) is the goofy descriptions. I can't find any specific examples right now but sentences about gauze shadowing brain, things of that nature. And yes, I *get* it. Fear not. I get it. I don't like it. I like more direct writing honestly.
I liked Lia for the most part I think. My two favorite characters, believe it or not, were Elijah and Emma. From the moment they entered the story until the last page they were my favorites and I think they were invaluable to the story even though it could be said they played rather small roles.
I think most, if not all, of the physical parts of Lia's problem were portrayed realistically. The mental parts? I don't know. This type of problem, all of them actually, the cutting, the mental, the depression, the anorexia, is all foreign to me thankfully. But, since it's not something I know much about it's hard for me to swallow the whole seeing ghost thing. I feel like that maybe could have been done differently and therefore, better. Maybe instead of seeing an actual Cassie-ghost Lia's memories could have been her ghosts. As well they were. But without the Cassie-ghost there "in the flesh".
One of my favorite things about Laurie Halse Anderson is that she tackles these hard teen subjects and that she does it well. Speak has stayed with me although I read it two or three years ago.
I also want to mention that her acknowledgments were beautiful. I try to read those when I can and when they're bland I give up but even in this part of things her talent shines through. The author thanks Alexandre Denomay for the cover pic and I must also. The cover depicts Lia perfectly for me and even as a pic alone, not being a cover, it's phenomenal.
Helpful Score: 2
I picked up this book as it was recommended on this site under the Hidden Gems forum. I thought it was very disturbing and I felt so helpless as I read about how this teen-age girl was fooling everyone regarding her eating disorder. As a parent myself, it was a wake up call to really pay attention to your children as they go through their teenage years, build a good relationship with them before they get to that age of independence and never be too busy with your own life to not really know what your child is going through. Lia's mother was more intuitive in regard to what was going on, but she didn't know the right away to reach her daughter.
This was a very scarey story because I'm sure it is very true to life for many young girls or someone they know.
I can't say I enjoyed this one, but it was a fast read and had an important story to tell.
This was a very scarey story because I'm sure it is very true to life for many young girls or someone they know.
I can't say I enjoyed this one, but it was a fast read and had an important story to tell.
Helpful Score: 1
Read for my online book club, The Reading Cove. It went deep into the madness of anorexia with Lia, so was uncomfortable to read at times - her reasoning was nuts. I felt she needed to be put down like an animal, out of her misery. But she comes through in the end and begins the journey to healing. I just felt we needed a little more of the healing at the end because there was SO much of the madness it left me twisted and the end didn't undo the knot. The writing style was very clever, but a tad overdone at times - too clever, seemed forced. But overall, good story!
Helpful Score: 1
This is the first book by Laurie Halse Anderson that I have read, although I have "Speak" on my bookshelf to read too. It was a great book; albeit an uncomfortable, somewhat depressing, and difficult read because of the subject matter. I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was very well done; the reader did a good job of changing her voice for Leah's thoughts vs. what Leah said, etc.
This book is told from the perspective of Leah. Leah is anorexic and regularly cuts herself. She finds out that her ex-best friend was found dead in a hotel room. The book follows Leah's mental and physical degeneration as she tries to make unbelievable weight goals; first 95 pounds, then 85 pounds, etc. Leah feels clean, in control, and strong when she is not eating. It also deals with all the external troubles in Leah's life. Although no one really treats her all that badly, she is lonely because her mother is a very busy heart surgeon and her dad is a famous historian. She now lives with her step-mom Jennifer, her stepsister Emma, and her father.
This book was really well done and really sad. This is not a book to read if you are depressed and it definitely won't leave you feeling great; although it will leave you a lot to think about. Leah, in no way has a horrible life. She just feels neglected enough by her parents that she starts to spin out of control. She starts thinking that "being the thinnest" is the only thing that can distinguish her. She is stuck between two outstanding parents who want her to both follow their loves; she is tugged into trying to be what everyone else wants her to be and not eating is her way of rebelling. It doesn't help that her ex-bestfriend was bulimic and introduced Leah to additional ways of avoiding weight gain; using laxatives and diuretics.
Over all the characters in this book were very believable and very heart-breaking to read about. Everyone from Leah herself, to her parents try who to understand what they can do to help her, to her stepsister who is torn between being embarrassed by her sister's thinness (she tell her classmates Leah has cancer) and loving having a sister, struggles in a very believable way. Anderson does a wonderful job of portraying the world through Leah's eyes as Leah gets sicker and sicker from starving herself. Leah looses time, starts seeing things, and makes the strangest connections between things as her brain starts to have trouble functioning.
The interesting thing about they book, is that in despite of the fact that I do feel sorry for Leah, she comes off as very selfish. She doesn't care about anyone around her and all that she is doing to them; she gets lost in her own misery and pain. The only person that she even cares about a little bit is her stepsister Emma.
This is a great book to read if you want understand the minds of teenagers who inflict physical pain to center themselves, find themselves, and deal with emotional pain. It's a great book to read even if you are older, like me, and need to remember what it was like to be a teenager. I think both teenage boys and girls will come away from a lot to think about from this book too. I remember being pretty ego-centric as a teenager, and this book aptly shows what that can do to the people around you. This book was about way more than eating disorders; it was about having everyone else expecting you to be someone you aren't, dealing with that pain, and figuring out how to determine who you really are. There is one point in the book where Leah is looking in the mirror and she can't figure out if she is too fat, too thin, or what she even looks like at all and that is what this book is about.
This book is told from the perspective of Leah. Leah is anorexic and regularly cuts herself. She finds out that her ex-best friend was found dead in a hotel room. The book follows Leah's mental and physical degeneration as she tries to make unbelievable weight goals; first 95 pounds, then 85 pounds, etc. Leah feels clean, in control, and strong when she is not eating. It also deals with all the external troubles in Leah's life. Although no one really treats her all that badly, she is lonely because her mother is a very busy heart surgeon and her dad is a famous historian. She now lives with her step-mom Jennifer, her stepsister Emma, and her father.
This book was really well done and really sad. This is not a book to read if you are depressed and it definitely won't leave you feeling great; although it will leave you a lot to think about. Leah, in no way has a horrible life. She just feels neglected enough by her parents that she starts to spin out of control. She starts thinking that "being the thinnest" is the only thing that can distinguish her. She is stuck between two outstanding parents who want her to both follow their loves; she is tugged into trying to be what everyone else wants her to be and not eating is her way of rebelling. It doesn't help that her ex-bestfriend was bulimic and introduced Leah to additional ways of avoiding weight gain; using laxatives and diuretics.
Over all the characters in this book were very believable and very heart-breaking to read about. Everyone from Leah herself, to her parents try who to understand what they can do to help her, to her stepsister who is torn between being embarrassed by her sister's thinness (she tell her classmates Leah has cancer) and loving having a sister, struggles in a very believable way. Anderson does a wonderful job of portraying the world through Leah's eyes as Leah gets sicker and sicker from starving herself. Leah looses time, starts seeing things, and makes the strangest connections between things as her brain starts to have trouble functioning.
The interesting thing about they book, is that in despite of the fact that I do feel sorry for Leah, she comes off as very selfish. She doesn't care about anyone around her and all that she is doing to them; she gets lost in her own misery and pain. The only person that she even cares about a little bit is her stepsister Emma.
This is a great book to read if you want understand the minds of teenagers who inflict physical pain to center themselves, find themselves, and deal with emotional pain. It's a great book to read even if you are older, like me, and need to remember what it was like to be a teenager. I think both teenage boys and girls will come away from a lot to think about from this book too. I remember being pretty ego-centric as a teenager, and this book aptly shows what that can do to the people around you. This book was about way more than eating disorders; it was about having everyone else expecting you to be someone you aren't, dealing with that pain, and figuring out how to determine who you really are. There is one point in the book where Leah is looking in the mirror and she can't figure out if she is too fat, too thin, or what she even looks like at all and that is what this book is about.
Absolutely amazing. It is written as if you are inside the head of an 18 year old girl with an extreme eating disorder. Not only does this girl have to live with an eating disorder that is killing here, but she also has a family life that is choatic. It is written with such honstly that it feels like nonfiction. Highly recommend.
Once I picked up this book, I was weirdly unable to put it down. It was quite an interesting story. I thought it was an easy read but also enthralling.
Although this book wasn't Fiction I enjoyed the harsh reality put into perspective unlike many other books pertaining to this topic. It was a quick read, entertaining for the most part.
I loved this book (as I've loved all of Laurie Halse Anderseon's books). I think all teenage girls should read this book.
Really enjoyed this book. I found Lia's pain and struggles to be real, only intensified by the style of Anderson's writing. Additionally, I love the symbolism of Cassie, and the question of what she really is. Is this literal or abstract? I always love those.
Compared to Laurie Halse Anderson's previous books, I found this particular book significantly more depressing. Anderson spends an almost unhealthy amount of time cataloging her character's disorder, so that her reason for writing the book is almost lost in the details. The book spends a lot of time detailing the main character's anorexia routine - how many calories she eats, how much she exercises, how she systematically hides her eating disorder relapse from her parents. It's both tedious and heavily depressing ... and it's a lot to cram into a fairly short book.
Of course, with all of Anderson's books, there is a positive message at the end. I will admit, the book did make me feel significantly less guilty about eating that extra cookie at lunch. Ultimately, the book has a good message, and it does an excellent job presenting how anorexia affects girls so profoundly that they are incapable of rational reasoning where their bodies are concerned. .... But in this particular case, it felt like too little, too late. I'm not saying that the book shouldn't have been written - obviously it's good to make girls aware of how destructive anorexia can be. However, the book allows the reader to get so wrapped up inside the main character's twisted mind, that I wound up depressed for two days afterward. Not sure if it was the subject matter, or the writing .. most likely it was a combination of both.
Of course, with all of Anderson's books, there is a positive message at the end. I will admit, the book did make me feel significantly less guilty about eating that extra cookie at lunch. Ultimately, the book has a good message, and it does an excellent job presenting how anorexia affects girls so profoundly that they are incapable of rational reasoning where their bodies are concerned. .... But in this particular case, it felt like too little, too late. I'm not saying that the book shouldn't have been written - obviously it's good to make girls aware of how destructive anorexia can be. However, the book allows the reader to get so wrapped up inside the main character's twisted mind, that I wound up depressed for two days afterward. Not sure if it was the subject matter, or the writing .. most likely it was a combination of both.
This is a very disturbing story about an 18-year old girl with anorexia. Lia's best friend Cassie just died from anorexia and Lia is having great difficulty dealing with her own distorted view of reality and control. Her parents' breakup and her father's subsequent remarriage have dealt strong blows to Lia's grasp of reality. Highly recommended.
This is the first book by Laurie Halse Anderson that I have read, although I have "Speak" on my bookshelf to read too. It was a great book; albeit an uncomfortable, somewhat depressing, and difficult read because of the subject matter. I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was very well done; the reader did a good job of changing her voice for Leah's thoughts vs. what Leah said, etc.
This book is told from the perspective of Leah. Leah is anorexic and regularly cuts herself. She finds out that her ex-best friend was found dead in a hotel room. The book follows Leah's mental and physical degeneration as she tries to make unbelievable weight goals; first 95 pounds, then 85 pounds, etc. Leah feels clean, in control, and strong when she is not eating. It also deals with all the external troubles in Leah's life. Although no one really treats her all that badly, she is lonely because her mother is a very busy heart surgeon and her dad is a famous historian. She now lives with her step-mom Jennifer, her stepsister Emma, and her father.
This book was really well done and really sad. This is not a book to read if you are depressed and it definitely won't leave you feeling great; although it will leave you a lot to think about. Leah, in no way has a horrible life. She just feels neglected enough by her parents that she starts to spin out of control. She starts thinking that "being the thinnest" is the only thing that can distinguish her. She is stuck between two outstanding parents who want her to both follow their loves; she is tugged into trying to be what everyone else wants her to be and not eating is her way of rebelling. It doesn't help that her ex-bestfriend was bulimic and introduced Leah to additional ways of avoiding weight gain; using laxatives and diuretics.
Over all the characters in this book were very believable and very heart-breaking to read about. Everyone from Leah herself, to her parents try who to understand what they can do to help her, to her stepsister who is torn between being embarrassed by her sister's thinness (she tell her classmates Leah has cancer) and loving having a sister, struggles in a very believable way. Anderson does a wonderful job of portraying the world through Leah's eyes as Leah gets sicker and sicker from starving herself. Leah looses time, starts seeing things, and makes the strangest connections between things as her brain starts to have trouble functioning.
The interesting thing about they book, is that in despite of the fact that I do feel sorry for Leah, she comes off as very selfish. She doesn't care about anyone around her and all that she is doing to them; she gets lost in her own misery and pain. The only person that she even cares about a little bit is her stepsister Emma.
This is a great book to read if you want understand the minds of teenagers who inflict physical pain to center themselves, find themselves, and deal with emotional pain. It's a great book to read even if you are older, like me, and need to remember what it was like to be a teenager. I think both teenage boys and girls will come away from a lot to think about from this book too. I remember being pretty ego-centric as a teenager, and this book aptly shows what that can do to the people around you. This book was about way more than eating disorders; it was about having everyone else expecting you to be someone you aren't, dealing with that pain, and figuring out how to determine who you really are. There is one point in the book where Leah is looking in the mirror and she can't figure out if she is too fat, too thin, or what she even looks like at all and that is what this book is about.
This book is told from the perspective of Leah. Leah is anorexic and regularly cuts herself. She finds out that her ex-best friend was found dead in a hotel room. The book follows Leah's mental and physical degeneration as she tries to make unbelievable weight goals; first 95 pounds, then 85 pounds, etc. Leah feels clean, in control, and strong when she is not eating. It also deals with all the external troubles in Leah's life. Although no one really treats her all that badly, she is lonely because her mother is a very busy heart surgeon and her dad is a famous historian. She now lives with her step-mom Jennifer, her stepsister Emma, and her father.
This book was really well done and really sad. This is not a book to read if you are depressed and it definitely won't leave you feeling great; although it will leave you a lot to think about. Leah, in no way has a horrible life. She just feels neglected enough by her parents that she starts to spin out of control. She starts thinking that "being the thinnest" is the only thing that can distinguish her. She is stuck between two outstanding parents who want her to both follow their loves; she is tugged into trying to be what everyone else wants her to be and not eating is her way of rebelling. It doesn't help that her ex-bestfriend was bulimic and introduced Leah to additional ways of avoiding weight gain; using laxatives and diuretics.
Over all the characters in this book were very believable and very heart-breaking to read about. Everyone from Leah herself, to her parents try who to understand what they can do to help her, to her stepsister who is torn between being embarrassed by her sister's thinness (she tell her classmates Leah has cancer) and loving having a sister, struggles in a very believable way. Anderson does a wonderful job of portraying the world through Leah's eyes as Leah gets sicker and sicker from starving herself. Leah looses time, starts seeing things, and makes the strangest connections between things as her brain starts to have trouble functioning.
The interesting thing about they book, is that in despite of the fact that I do feel sorry for Leah, she comes off as very selfish. She doesn't care about anyone around her and all that she is doing to them; she gets lost in her own misery and pain. The only person that she even cares about a little bit is her stepsister Emma.
This is a great book to read if you want understand the minds of teenagers who inflict physical pain to center themselves, find themselves, and deal with emotional pain. It's a great book to read even if you are older, like me, and need to remember what it was like to be a teenager. I think both teenage boys and girls will come away from a lot to think about from this book too. I remember being pretty ego-centric as a teenager, and this book aptly shows what that can do to the people around you. This book was about way more than eating disorders; it was about having everyone else expecting you to be someone you aren't, dealing with that pain, and figuring out how to determine who you really are. There is one point in the book where Leah is looking in the mirror and she can't figure out if she is too fat, too thin, or what she even looks like at all and that is what this book is about.
Read this book. Let me tell you why.
Lia and Cassie were best friends growing up until they were seniors in high school. They had a falling out and a few months later Cassie is found alone, dead in a hotel room. Lia is haunted by this as she continues to fight with her own demons- her family, her school life, and her anorexia, which is getting worse.
That description doesn't even begging to do this book justice. You must read this book!
The first thing that struck me was the plot. It was obvious from page one that this was going to be a powerfully emotional novel and it was. It sucked me in so much, my heart was hurting for Lia. I wanted to pull her from the pages and just give her a hug, but the only thing I could do for her was just keep reading. The more into the book I got, the more I was sucked in, the more I wanted to help somehow. Lia didn't deserve the torment she put herself through.
The second thing that struck me, almost as quickly as the plot, was the writing. Anderson's writing is gorgeous - it creates such imagery that you can't help but fall in love with the book, no matter how heartbreaking it gets. The images Anderson shows the reader are just awe-inspiring. I don't know how anyone could read this book and not feel some sort of connection to it.
Five plus stars. This book is beautiful, deep, and haunting. I really don't know what else to say. I know book blogs often focus on the latest release and Wintergirls was published in 2009, but it's such an important, timeless book. I'm practically begging you to read this, can't you do me a solid and get yourself a copy?
Lia and Cassie were best friends growing up until they were seniors in high school. They had a falling out and a few months later Cassie is found alone, dead in a hotel room. Lia is haunted by this as she continues to fight with her own demons- her family, her school life, and her anorexia, which is getting worse.
That description doesn't even begging to do this book justice. You must read this book!
The first thing that struck me was the plot. It was obvious from page one that this was going to be a powerfully emotional novel and it was. It sucked me in so much, my heart was hurting for Lia. I wanted to pull her from the pages and just give her a hug, but the only thing I could do for her was just keep reading. The more into the book I got, the more I was sucked in, the more I wanted to help somehow. Lia didn't deserve the torment she put herself through.
The second thing that struck me, almost as quickly as the plot, was the writing. Anderson's writing is gorgeous - it creates such imagery that you can't help but fall in love with the book, no matter how heartbreaking it gets. The images Anderson shows the reader are just awe-inspiring. I don't know how anyone could read this book and not feel some sort of connection to it.
Five plus stars. This book is beautiful, deep, and haunting. I really don't know what else to say. I know book blogs often focus on the latest release and Wintergirls was published in 2009, but it's such an important, timeless book. I'm practically begging you to read this, can't you do me a solid and get yourself a copy?
Reviewed by Bibliophile's Bestiary Blog at bibliophile-bestiary.blogspot.com/
This book intrigued me because of the cover art. I bought it thinking it was something different than what it was, and I was a little disappointed in that. But once I started reading it, I could not put it down. It was such a captivating story that I didn't care that I had been mislead with the cover. It is amazing what Lia thought and felt about herself, and the things she did.
It is really worth a read, just for the style it is written in.
This book intrigued me because of the cover art. I bought it thinking it was something different than what it was, and I was a little disappointed in that. But once I started reading it, I could not put it down. It was such a captivating story that I didn't care that I had been mislead with the cover. It is amazing what Lia thought and felt about herself, and the things she did.
It is really worth a read, just for the style it is written in.
