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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
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
a massive tw for eating disorders, diet culture, abuse and neglect, alcoholism, internalized homophobia, and rape (touched on, not depicted)
this book hits too close to home for me to review with any kind of objectivity. i'd like to come back to it some day and review in more detail because it definitely merits a closer reading than my 2.5x audiobook speed consumption allowed for, but that won't be for a long while because i need some time to recover
i earnestly enjoyed this book, and that's a very big surprise for someone who generally avoids eating disorder fiction for the sake of my own health. clarke's prose is gorgeous and i'm really looking forward to reading more from her in the future
i felt this book did an excellent job of not glorifying the illnesses it portrayed, dealing with an array of toxic relationships, and remaining believably grounded in the mind of someone with a very longterm eating disorder. the writing, rose's mind, and the grappling with identity were highlights for me. i was also immensely affected by seeing a character of my own age (24) depicted in the throes of an eating disorder so often viewed as exclusive to teenagers. EDs and disordered eating in general are indiscriminately and insidiously present in real life as in this book
there definitely were aspects of this novel that broke my immersion and i did feel that the present day plot felt weaker than the flashbacks, but these feel like small flaws in the grand scheme of things. this was such an impressive debut
wintergirls by laurie halse anderson was an incredibly formative book for me in understanding myself and my illness as a teen and this feels like a very natural adult follow up to that book. neither are books i feel comfortable recommending to anyone who has an eating disorder or feels they may be triggered by that content. please look out for yourself xx
this book hits too close to home for me to review with any kind of objectivity. i'd like to come back to it some day and review in more detail because it definitely merits a closer reading than my 2.5x audiobook speed consumption allowed for, but that won't be for a long while because i need some time to recover
i earnestly enjoyed this book, and that's a very big surprise for someone who generally avoids eating disorder fiction for the sake of my own health. clarke's prose is gorgeous and i'm really looking forward to reading more from her in the future
i felt this book did an excellent job of not glorifying the illnesses it portrayed, dealing with an array of toxic relationships, and remaining believably grounded in the mind of someone with a very longterm eating disorder. the writing, rose's mind, and the grappling with identity were highlights for me. i was also immensely affected by seeing a character of my own age (24) depicted in the throes of an eating disorder so often viewed as exclusive to teenagers. EDs and disordered eating in general are indiscriminately and insidiously present in real life as in this book
there definitely were aspects of this novel that broke my immersion and i did feel that the present day plot felt weaker than the flashbacks, but these feel like small flaws in the grand scheme of things. this was such an impressive debut
wintergirls by laurie halse anderson was an incredibly formative book for me in understanding myself and my illness as a teen and this feels like a very natural adult follow up to that book. neither are books i feel comfortable recommending to anyone who has an eating disorder or feels they may be triggered by that content. please look out for yourself xx
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Vomit
Minor: Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
This is a tough read, especially for those who have experienced ED firsthand, but includes many layers of examining mental health that make this a compelling story. Sisterhood, sexuality, trauma, abuse, self image, what constitutes health, and acceptance of identity.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a fantastically written book but it was a bit overwhelming for me personally...
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really adored this book, and came into with high expectations since I love Roxane Gay. There are parts (MANY parts) that are heart and gut wrenching, upsetting and just hard to hear, but the story is so layered and well written that all in all it’s really beautiful. Definitely a book I can imagine coming back and rereading to see what I’d missed on the first go.
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly this book was sad but precious in it's own ways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder