Wintergirls

   As you can all very well see, I've been on a mental health book kick. Almost all of my past reads have been books about mental health. This past read is no exception. Wintergirls, written by Laurie Halse Anderson, has educated me about the difficulties people face when battling at eating disorder.

   Lia Overbrook is eighteen when readers are introduced to her in the kitchen of her fathers home. Right off the bat I can tell that this book is going to steal my heart. On page one I am already intrigued by the unique writing style that Anderson has decided to use. I have read books of hers in the past, including her book Speak (Thank you, Natalie for introducing me to such beautiful literature!), but the style was already so different on page one.

   Flip the page, and we are introduced to one of the most unique things I've seen in books for the past few months. Whenever Lia has a thought that she deems as "bad" or something she does not want to think about, it gets crossed out like this. This creative detail helps develop Lia's character beautifully. Lia is sarcastic, damaged, and learning. At eighteen, her life is most certainly not figured out. And by the simple use of cutting through words, Anderson allows for readers to see the thoughts Lia consciously pushes out of her brain. I was really drawn to this peculiar detail because I really can relate to the mental process Lia is using.

   Throughout the book, Lia-Lia experiences quite a lot of cognitive dissonance and readers can often times experience this dissonance alongside her. Through the use of this strike, Anderson helps to create an intense dynamic between readers and Miss Overbrook. Not only can readers experience the thoughts Lia pushes away, but Anderson creates such a strong bond between her readers and characters, that you can almost feel Lia's pain. Especially when writing about mental health, a lot of authors try to create this style of intensity between reader and character - often times missing the mark. That cannot be said for Laurie Halse Anderson, she nails this on the head.

   Another major aspect of this book that quite honestly taught me a lot about people suffering from anorexia nervosa was the calorie count included alongside foods. Whenever food is presented to Lia, the calories are included (right next to the food). Anyone who knows anything about anorexia nervosa knows that people will restrict their caloric intake, but I did not quite have a grasp on how much people will go through to ensure they only eat X amount of calories.

   Anderson quite clearly put a much appreciated amount of effort into her novel. The details are presented in a fashion that helps readers to truly understand the mindset that some people with anorexia nervosa are living in. For Lia, her mindset is to lose lose lose. However, Lia also wants to maintain an image of "health" with her family, and will come up with sneaky ways to hide her disorder from them. She's sewn rocks into her robe, used dirty plates to create the illusion that she has eaten a meal, etc.. All the details brought forth in this book is something I am quite grateful to have been able to read.

   The only downfall to this book, for me, was that we do not get to see what life is like for Lia outside of her eating disorder. Though I do wish we got to see more of "Real Lia", I also wish the transition from "Lia" to "Real Lia" would have been better documented. The change was quite abrupt, which I thought was relatively unrealistic. However, I understand that Anderson would probably not have kept readers as intrigued if the transition to "Real Lia" took a longer amount of time. From a writing standpoint, I completely understand this lack of detail. But, as a reader, I'm screaming "more details!!!!!"

   With all that said and done, I did love almost every aspect of Wintergirls. Laurie Halse Andersons fifth young adult novel definitely is one that I encourage everyone to read. Though it is a fictional story, the information is still very very real - which is what pushed me to give this book a 9/10.

   Definitely put this on your "To Read" list, and make sure to grab your copy from your local bookstore!

Thanks for reading,

    Allie

PS - can we pleaaaaase talk about this cover! The details on this cover fit this book so well, I've never seen a books cover match the inside so well. Whoever did this cover deserves an award! When you bring light over it, small spots illuminate that display small "sparkly" areas and frost over Lia's mouth - fitting in perfectly with winter. Agh! I love this cover!