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mikaiten's review against another edition
3.0
This book was painful to read, but for all the right reasons. Stevie isn't exactly a likable character, but her pain is so real and raw that you can't help but get pulled into her story.
I kind of wish there was more information about the other girls in Stevie's cabin. While Ashley's story gets more attention, the other girls never really got to explain what brought them to the treatment centre. I get that the story is really about Stevie and her journey, but I think it would have rounded out the rest of the cast better if we knew more about them. As it stands, the secondary characters felt a bit wooden and underdeveloped.
Overall, it was a really interesting and eye opening read. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is suffering from the affects of any type of trauma as there are a lot of triggers, but I think it would be a great read for someone who is struggling to understand a friend or family member with an eating disorder or PTSD.
Spoiler
What I like about this book is that Stevie's journey towards healing isn't sudden. She fights the whole way and slips up all the time. She isn't magically cured through the power of friendship, or even drugs and therapy. She is constantly on the edge of slipping one way or the other and you never really know where she is going to end up. Even at the end of the book you aren't entirely sure that she has managed to forgive herself.I kind of wish there was more information about the other girls in Stevie's cabin. While Ashley's story gets more attention, the other girls never really got to explain what brought them to the treatment centre. I get that the story is really about Stevie and her journey, but I think it would have rounded out the rest of the cast better if we knew more about them. As it stands, the secondary characters felt a bit wooden and underdeveloped.
Overall, it was a really interesting and eye opening read. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is suffering from the affects of any type of trauma as there are a lot of triggers, but I think it would be a great read for someone who is struggling to understand a friend or family member with an eating disorder or PTSD.
laughlinesandliterature's review against another edition
4.0
*I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
I read this book entirely in one sitting, and it absolutely consumed me and dragged me into Stevie’s world. I’m not joking, my husband talked to me for 5 minutes before I realized that he was talking to me (it might have helped if he’d said my name). Stevie and her tragic story were just engrossing from beginning to end, this story doesn’t pull any punches from the beginning and I can’t remember the last time a Young Adult story this series came across as sincere. Most of the time these stories are full of cliche’s and the characters don’t feel real.
Stevie felt real to me, her illogical thought process are exactly the kind of thing that is so hard to argue with when you have a mental illness. You can recognize its not necessarily true, but it’s true to you and that’s all that matters and you will do anything that you think is right. I thought the process of showing how slowly Stevie came to her decision about investing in treatment was perfect. I’m not sure that I would have picked up this book if I had really understood how it was going to be written, but I’m glad I did. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.
*This review was first posted on Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2016/05/paperweight-by-meg-haston.html*
I read this book entirely in one sitting, and it absolutely consumed me and dragged me into Stevie’s world. I’m not joking, my husband talked to me for 5 minutes before I realized that he was talking to me (it might have helped if he’d said my name). Stevie and her tragic story were just engrossing from beginning to end, this story doesn’t pull any punches from the beginning and I can’t remember the last time a Young Adult story this series came across as sincere. Most of the time these stories are full of cliche’s and the characters don’t feel real.
Stevie felt real to me, her illogical thought process are exactly the kind of thing that is so hard to argue with when you have a mental illness. You can recognize its not necessarily true, but it’s true to you and that’s all that matters and you will do anything that you think is right. I thought the process of showing how slowly Stevie came to her decision about investing in treatment was perfect. I’m not sure that I would have picked up this book if I had really understood how it was going to be written, but I’m glad I did. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.
*This review was first posted on Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2016/05/paperweight-by-meg-haston.html*
carillon333's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really sad and emotional book. I was rooting for Stevie and her friends along the way
whatthefuqgrey's review against another edition
4.0
As others have said in their reviews this book has INCREDIBLY triggering depictions of anorexia, please be careful while reading. And remember: Your weight DOES NOT indicate your worth
The MCs depictions of how she sees bulimics as weak and fat and lesser was disgusting. I nearly stopped reading several times because of this. Because I'm so tired of reading books about eating disorders that are "I'm anorexic and therefor I am better than those with OSFED (EDNOS) and Bulimia". Internal fatphobia does not mean that someone is fatphobic towards others. I'm just really tired of books about EDs that have the MC constantly judging and sizing up (pun intended) others. But I didn't let that annoyance keep me from giving it a shot and I am so glad I did.
The MCs depictions of how she sees bulimics as weak and fat and lesser was disgusting. I nearly stopped reading several times because of this. Because I'm so tired of reading books about eating disorders that are "I'm anorexic and therefor I am better than those with OSFED (EDNOS) and Bulimia". Internal fatphobia does not mean that someone is fatphobic towards others. I'm just really tired of books about EDs that have the MC constantly judging and sizing up (pun intended) others. But I didn't let that annoyance keep me from giving it a shot and I am so glad I did.
abbievillehorror's review against another edition
4.0
This book is very emotional and very raw. It's also potentially very triggering for those with eating disorders - though I suppose that is expected from a book about a girl recovering from an eating disorder - as well as for self-harm and suicide. That said, I loved taking this journey through Stevie's character growth, no matter how emotional that journey was.
a13xis's review against another edition
3.0
as someone who has been suffering with ED for a few years now, some parts were triggering especially the first few chapters but i'm glad that the story portrays the ups and down of treatment and recovery. made me remember that recoveries aren't linear, ever, and just like everything else, some days are good and some days aren't the best.
superstar328's review against another edition
3.0
Good book not really my type but I surprisingly liked it
cojack's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely a "message" YA book, but a beautifully written and engaging one. My full review is on Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/paperweight#