-
See Our Summer
Books to Watch!
Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Discuss | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Book Reviewed by:In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores a girl's descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.
“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.
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.
In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.
The "place" author Laurie Halse Anderson takes us is not an exotic setting in a distant world, but instead deep into the mind of young Lia, who suffers from an eating disorder. Lia's first-person narration is so authentic it is hard to believe it's fiction and not an actual memoir... Lia and Cassie's story opens the door to discussions of issues all teens struggle with: finding their identity, belonging and making wise choices...continued
Full Review
(860 words)
(Reviewed by Vy Armour).
Lia's anorexia and Cassie's bulimia represent two of the three most common eating disorders identified by the National Mental Health Information Center. Ninety percent of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25, but they can also manifest in teenage boys, and adult men and women of all ages. It's estimated that as many as 10% of young women in some populations suffer from an eating disorder, and far more exhibit what are called disordered eating behaviors, though they may not warrant clinical diagnosis.
Anorexia nervosa is a complex psychiatric disorder, characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and rigorous rules and systems for denying hunger. A clinical diagnosis ...
If you liked Wintergirls, try these:
by Sarah Moss
Published 2025
An unflinching memoir about childhood, food, books, and our ability to see, become, and protect ourselves.
by Rosena Fung
Published 2024
A powerful coming-of-age graphic novel about how mothers and daughters pass down—and rebel against—standards of size, gender, race, beauty, and worth.
All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride
Christine Pride's solo debut explores a woman's love triangle in her 20s that unexpectedly resurfaces in her 40s.
