Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Summary: Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

Kim's Review: (I've been reading all day and I'm writing this past my bedtime, so please forgive me if this review is all over the place.)

I liked this book, but didn't love it. The plot didn't move me as much as I expected it to; I didn't really begin to feel that bad for Lia until the last few pages. While the writing was nothing special, the format was different and made it an easier/faster read. I liked the characters, but we never discovered the real reasons behind Lia and Cassie's anorexia and obsession with their weight. However, I feel like Anderson's portrayal of a teenager like Lia was very realistic. Some of her emotions and thoughts were so spot-on and relatable.

Given the subject of the book, I can't say I enjoyed reading it, but it certainly was interesting to read Lia's thoughts throughout her battle with herself and her own body. I am giving it three stars because the writing is nothing more than "okay" and I wish the characters had more of a backstory, but Anderson at least partially redeemed herself in the last chapters of the novel. But, as the subject matter could be extremely triggering, I definitely would not recommend this book to anyone who has a past with eating disorders.