“wintergirls”
by: Laurie Halse Anderson
“wintergirls,” is a book written for teenagers, but sometimes adults need to know what’s in the mind of our children’s generation. Anderson has written a chillingly story about a teenager battling with anorexia.
I don’t remember anyone in my high school having an eating disorder, but I graduated a long time ago. The pressures on our children to excel are tremendous, and many fall to the wayside, crushed by an overzealous society.
Anderson’s negative self-talk by the main character Lia is just downright scary. Lia’s spiral downward is harrowing in its realness, and its endless cycle of incrimination and blame. Adolescence is scary enough, but when you add in anorexia, bulimia, drug addition, alcoholism and self-mutilation it’s overwhelming to teens and their parents. It’s a societal problem.
“You’re a wintergirl, Lia – Lia, caught in between the worlds. You’re a ghost with a beating heart. Soon you’ll cross the border and be with me….” These words were spoken by Lia’s dead friend Cassie in one of her dreams. Lia is stuck in the in-between, not really living – almost just waiting to disappear. The only time Lia was shocked out of her own self-destruction is an incident involving her younger sister.
Another disturbing issue in the book are the chat rooms Lia goes to. There are numerous chat rooms and blogs for other teenagers who are also battling with eating disorders and they are encouraging the bad behavior and giving ideas for how to hide your weight. Very scary!
In the end, you have to want to live – more than you want to die.
I highly recommend this book for book club. We all liked it and were very informed by it. It made for good discussions.
Rating: 8.5