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A review by mirandax
What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard
4.0
Massive trigger warning for eating disorders/body image/disordered eating in general.
If you've ever struggled with an ED and/or might be triggered by this, please don't read it without a good support system in place.
If you're currently struggling with an ED and you're not trying to/don't want to recover, or are looking to get triggered, don't read it. Don't. Please.
*This is going to be messy and terrible, but it's 4am and I need to talk about this book*
This is very triggering, because it's very real. Reading this book hurt so much, because it was too real. I'm feeling very unstable after finishing this book, and am seeing my therapist in two days.
This book perfectly depicts eating disorders, at least as well as it can in 400 pages. It shows the competitiveness of eating disorders. It shows both the pride, and the same that comes with these struggles. It did such a good job of describing everything, I felt like I was back in my room at the hospital.
It talks about relapse in such a realistic way, as well. Relapses are very common, and I appreciate the way it was handled.
At times it felt like it was going to fall into the trope of romantic relationships fixing problems, but it never did. It shows how badly you need to try to recover, to actually manage it.
And it focuses a lot on friendship, which I am so grateful for. Because you need good support systems!! You do!! This is so important!! Thank you!?
Also, the aftermath of being at the recover center was so realistic!! I could see myself in all of Elizabeth's actions and thoughts. It was scary.
Read this book if you want to learn more about eating disorders during recovery, but know that it's really tough to read.
You might also get annoyed at the characters for things they do or say, or how they react, and that is understandable, but it's also important to know that it is because of their illnesses. This is very true to real life. People get angry and do stupid, irrational stuff all the time in this book, because that's the reality. Starvation isn't pretty.
If you've ever struggled with an ED and/or might be triggered by this, please don't read it without a good support system in place.
If you're currently struggling with an ED and you're not trying to/don't want to recover, or are looking to get triggered, don't read it. Don't. Please.
*This is going to be messy and terrible, but it's 4am and I need to talk about this book*
This is very triggering, because it's very real. Reading this book hurt so much, because it was too real. I'm feeling very unstable after finishing this book, and am seeing my therapist in two days.
This book perfectly depicts eating disorders, at least as well as it can in 400 pages. It shows the competitiveness of eating disorders. It shows both the pride, and the same that comes with these struggles. It did such a good job of describing everything, I felt like I was back in my room at the hospital.
It talks about relapse in such a realistic way, as well. Relapses are very common, and I appreciate the way it was handled.
At times it felt like it was going to fall into the trope of romantic relationships fixing problems, but it never did. It shows how badly you need to try to recover, to actually manage it.
And it focuses a lot on friendship, which I am so grateful for. Because you need good support systems!! You do!! This is so important!! Thank you!?
Also, the aftermath of being at the recover center was so realistic!! I could see myself in all of Elizabeth's actions and thoughts. It was scary.
Read this book if you want to learn more about eating disorders during recovery, but know that it's really tough to read.
You might also get annoyed at the characters for things they do or say, or how they react, and that is understandable, but it's also important to know that it is because of their illnesses. This is very true to real life. People get angry and do stupid, irrational stuff all the time in this book, because that's the reality. Starvation isn't pretty.