Have+You+Read+this+Book?

=**Have You** Read **This Book? A collection of book reviews from the ELA 10/20 classes.**=

**Wintergirls**
 “Wintergirls” by Laurie Halse Anderson will haunt you. It begins when 18 year old Lia discovers her former best friend Cassie has died. Lia suffers from anorexia and the loss of her friend sets her on a downward spiral. The setting begins in modern day with Lia’s perspective. Having Lia narrate the story really helps the reader to understand her complex thoughts and emotions, it was very important that the author write it in the perspective she did.  The main characters in the novel are Lia, Emma (her stepsister), Elijah, Lia’s mom and dad, and Jennifer (her stepmom). What makes this novel so great is the way the characters are brought to life. It’s so believable because when you read the book you can feel the emotions the characters feel. Right off the bat the reader is drawn to Lia, she is quiet on the outside but through the book the reader is able to access her thoughts and feelings and realize how loud her inner demons are. There is a quote from the book when she’s describing her feelings, what anorexia is like, “Step into a tanning booth and fry yourself for two or three days. After your skin bubbles and peels off, roll in coarse salt, then pull on long underwear woven from spun glass and razor wire. Over that goes your regular clothes, as long as they are tight.” I absolutely love this quote, I feel it really represents what living with a mental illness is like. It really makes the reader pay attention to how much Lia is hurting.  The novel follows Lia through her struggle with the aftermath of her former best friend Cassie’s death. Anorexia attacking her life full force, and alongside that she must also attempt to deal with the troubling presence of Cassie’s death, divorced parents that seem blind to the issues in her life that are threatening to consume her, overwhelming guilt for not answer the thirty-three calls in a row that Cassie left on her machine, pressure to be a good example for her younger step sister – all of this along with the typical hardships of being a teenager. “Wintergirls” takes readers on a journey from the very depths of Lia’s mind through the hardships of her everyday life.  One of the things that made the novel so enjoyable is the style in which the author writes. Anderson uses a very descriptive image to transport the reader into to the story. Anderson also seems to have the feelings of Lia down pat, making her relatable to a real teenager. Anderson also uses a poetic type of writing, using metaphors, similes and other techniques that make her writing that much more enjoyable to read. "Turn off the shower. Clouds hang in the air. Tears roll down the mirror, the walls, and the window." Even simple things like taking a shower are made to seem that much more magical with the use of the author’s imaginative use of metaphors.  I believe the overall purpose of this book is to warn people about eating disorders. In the society we live in so many people glamourize mental illnesses and try to make it a trend. I remember a few years back, girls would post photos of visibly sick women on social media with the caption ‘skinny is beautiful’. 90% of people who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25, girls are also 85% more likely to have an eating disorder. I think that Anderson took a glance at our society and how sick it can be and decided to write this book. Not only to show that is not glamorous to be sick but that eating disorders are serious illnesses that affect so much more than your mind and perception of yourself. It is easy for those who have not suffered from an eating disorder to say that it is ‘all in their head’ well I think this book can teach others who are not as educated that eating disorders are very real and dangerous.  I can relate somewhat to this book with the main character Lia. Often in life I am not too comfortable in my own skin and I don’t value myself like a normal person should. So Lia and I have that in common. She also seems to have a lot to say but at the same time doesn’t say much, I feel like that a lot too. Often people are quick to judge or don’t care at all about others opinions so it’s sometimes better to keep quiet.  In conclusion, “Wintergirls” Is a very important read. The book contains so much more than just a fantastic story line, it teaches about eating disorders and how serious they are. Not only does it educate the reader about the illness but it gives a realistic ‘day in the life’ of someone who suffers from this disease. “Wintergirls” opened my eyes to what it’s like to be obsessed with how you look and what you eat and drink. It upset me a lot that people could feel this way about their own bodies and do such harm to themselves and others. Thanks to the book I am able to see anorexia for how ugly it is, being able to read Lia’s perspective has given me insight into her mind and that has changed my opinion on eating disorders. I feel like this book should be read in schools so that awareness can be spread on eating disorders. This is an important book and definitely something I would recommend.

Credits: Statistics - [] Quotes – []

-Kate

  “Wintergirls” by Laurie Halse Anderson will haunt you. It begins when 18 year old Lia discovers her former best friend Cassie has died. Lia suffers from anorexia and the loss of her friend sets her on a downward spiral. The setting begins in modern day with Lia’s perspective. Having Lia narrate the story really helps the reader to understand her complex thoughts and emotions, it was very important that the author write it in the perspective she did. The main characters in the novel are Lia, Emma (her stepsister), Elijah, Lia’s mom and dad, and Jennifer (her stepmom). What makes this novel so great is the way the characters are brought to life. It’s so believable because when you read the book you can feel the emotions the characters feel. Right off the bat the reader is drawn to Lia, she is quiet on the outside but through the book the reader is able to access her thoughts and feelings and realize how loud her inner demons are. There is a quote from the book when she’s describing her feelings, what anorexia is like, “Step into a tanning booth and fry yourself for two or three days. After your skin bubbles and peels off, roll in coarse salt, then pull on long underwear woven from spun glass and razor wire. Over that goes your regular clothes, as long as they are tight.” I absolutely love this quote, I feel it really represents what living with a mental illness is like. It really makes the reader pay attention to how much Lia is hurting. The novel follows Lia through her struggle with the aftermath of her former best friend Cassie’s death. Anorexia attacking her life full force, and alongside that she must also attempt to deal with the troubling presence of Cassie’s death, divorced parents that seem blind to the issues in her life that are threatening to consume her, overwhelming guilt for not answer the thirty-three calls in a row that Cassie left on her machine, pressure to be a good example for her younger step sister – all of this along with the typical hardships of being a teenager. “Wintergirls” takes readers on a journey from the very depths of Lia’s mind through the hardships of her everyday life. One of the things that made the novel so enjoyable is the style in which the author writes. Anderson uses a very descriptive image to transport the reader into to the story. Anderson also seems to have the feelings of Lia down pat, making her relatable to a real teenager. Anderson also uses a poetic type of writing, using metaphors, similes and other techniques that make her writing that much more enjoyable to read. "Turn off the shower. Clouds hang in the air. Tears roll down the mirror, the walls, and the window." Even simple things like taking a shower are made to seem that much more magical with the use of the author’s imaginative use of metaphors. I believe the overall purpose of this book is to warn people about eating disorders. In the society we live in so many people glamourize mental illnesses and try to make it a trend. I remember a few years back, girls would post photos of visibly sick women on social media with the caption ‘skinny is beautiful’. 90% of people who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25, girls are also 85% more likely to have an eating disorder. I think that Anderson took a glance at our society and how sick it can be and decided to write this book. Not only to show that is not glamorous to be sick but that eating disorders are serious illnesses that affect so much more than your mind and perception of yourself. It is easy for those who have not suffered from an eating disorder to say that it is ‘all in their head’ well I think this book can teach others who are not as educated that eating disorders are very real and dangerous. I can relate somewhat to this book with the main character Lia. Often in life I am not too comfortable in my own skin and I don’t value myself like a normal person should. So Lia and I have that in common. She also seems to have a lot to say but at the same time doesn’t say much, I feel like that a lot too. Often people are quick to judge or don’t care at all about others opinions so it’s sometimes better to keep quiet. In conclusion, “Wintergirls” Is a very important read. The book contains so much more than just a fantastic story line, it teaches about eating disorders and how serious they are. Not only does it educate the reader about the illness but it gives a realistic ‘day in the life’ of someone who suffers from this disease. “Wintergirls” opened my eyes to what it’s like to be obsessed with how you look and what you eat and drink. It upset me a lot that people could feel this way about their own bodies and do such harm to themselves and others. Thanks to the book I am able to see anorexia for how ugly it is, being able to read Lia’s perspective has given me insight into her mind and that has changed my opinion on eating disorders. I feel like this book should be read in schools so that awareness can be spread on eating disorders. This is an important book and definitely something I would recommend. Credits: Statistics - [] Quotes – []