Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls ,by Laurie Halse Anderson, follows Lia as she suffers from anorexia and has a very distorted view of her body. Her best friend Cassie has just died from bulimia after calling Lia 33 times and she refused to answer. Lia now deals with the guilt from possibly being the cause of death and the pressure of her entire family telling her she is sick when she doesn't see it. Lia can't be helped until she wants to help herself but her time is running out.

I thought Wintergirls was a very realistic in how it captured the mindset and life of someone suffering from distorted body images. I feel like every teenage girl has at one point been very unhappy with their body image and this book does a very good job of warning of the potential dangerous ways some deal with solving that problem. I like how Wintergirls promotes a healthier lifestyle by showing what the unhealthy lifestyle can lead to. I would recommend this to people who enjoyed Anderson's other work such as Speak.

Reviewed by Nayri T., Grade 12

Casa Verdugo Library