Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Release Date: March 19, 2009
Publisher: Viking
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
"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.
I love Laurie Halse Anderson. Speak is one of my all time favorite novels, so to say I was excited to read Wintergirls was an understatement. I was excited until I realized what Wintergirls was really about: anorexia. Was that something that I wanted to read about. It sounded truly depressing and slightly disturbing. But as hard as it was to read this novel emotionally, I felt like it was even harder to put down physically. Anderson continues to impress my with her beautifully written novels.
I’ve seen Anderson’s writing described as lyrical and I have to say that I fully agree. And Wintergirls in no exception. Anderson’s writing is almost hypnotizing, she has a way of explaining a situation thoroughly using as few words as possible. Genius.
And it’s so much more than writing, it’s the characterization. Lia’s character is so rawly displayed it’s heartbreaking. I never fully understand the metal effects that an eating disorder can have, I marveled at a part of the text where Lia watches her dad eat... and how she wishes she could eat like that. Aimlessly, automatic, effortless. For some reason that part really stuck out for me, and it was so simple.
I’m sure this novel will make an impact and be discussed, maybe even more so than Speak. I can’t wait to see what LAH has in store next.