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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
I was lucky to receive an advanced reading copy from Edelweiss. I'd been anticipating this book ever since I saw it on my forthcoming list to order for my library. From the point of view of Rose, who struggles with anorexia, the story chronicles her life in a rehab center while also reminiscing on the past with her sister, Lily. Lily struggles with a different eating disorder, that of overeating, and the novel draws both contrasts and parallels between the twins. Although this isn't totally a twin story - Rose has a lot of growth on her own to discover, including how to heal from her disorder and how to accept her identity as a lesbian - much of the novel explores the relationship between the sisters, both the successful and the destructive parts. I was rooting for Rose throughout the book, hoping she would find what she was truly looking for, and I loved her voice. Clarke is an exciting new voice in fiction, and I expect this book to be successful.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
im still not sure what to rate this book because in one hand i think it's beautifully written and portraits EDs in a very accurate way, but it also was one of those books that just kept me getting into reading slumps and i just wasn't excited to continue reading it at all
i don't know, maybe i wasn't expecting it to be so triggering and honest???, it feels like it just hit to0 close to home for me
with this said,
if you do not struggle or have struggled with EDs, i would 100% recommend reading this one
also,how is this a debut novel??? amazing
i don't know, maybe i wasn't expecting it to be so triggering and honest???, it feels like it just hit to0 close to home for me
with this said,
if you do not struggle or have struggled with EDs, i would 100% recommend reading this one
also,how is this a debut novel??? amazing
This book is really something! The twin storyline is really fascinating and so well-done, as is the relationship with Mim. Some portrayals of an eating disorder, I think, work really well; the pro-ana group, for example, as well as the fad diets during middle school. Other aspects didn't work as well; I couldn't believe, for example, someone hiding mashed potatoes in their armpits, or food in a hat. We don't get a lot of sensory or body details in those instances, which creates more distance too. While the ages to separate periods in the narrator's life are fine, I really had a hard time with the weights being listed over and over again. In some ways, this book feels like a textbook on how to have an eating disorder, or at least, how to have a very disordered relationship with your body. It's great to see our narrator begin recovery at the end, and her relationship with Mim and Grace is very heartwarming, but it's a gamble that readers will hang on that long, and that they'll be on the hook to erase all of the disordered eating guidebooks they've just read. Writing about eating disorders is really tricky in that way, so my take is, at least partially, a matter of personal preference; I'm sure some readers would find that revoluntionary. I also had a hard time believing that the mother is so entirely absent, and found it deeply depressing that the father never experiences real joy. I also found it hard to believe that the parents could continue confusing the girls when their weights become so radically different.
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm
who is the intended audience um ????? step by step guide to an ed kinda
4.5 stars. This book was beautifully written but was haunting at the same time. I found myself entranced by it in multiple ways: the writing, the characters, its commentary of “wellness programs” and more. I would recommend some caution to anyone who has ever suffered from an ED or disordered eating—it was definitely very triggering at times. However, it was one of the best portrayals of how society has corrupted people (women especially) into constantly thinking and analyzing everything they eat, and how that manifests in different types of EDs, not just anorexia/bulemia—which are often the only ones discussed in books about disorders eating.
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes