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Wintergirls

Laurie Halse Anderson (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · Rating details · 106,362 ratings · 8,962 reviews

“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 skinnies ...more

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Hardcover, 278 pages

Published March 19th 2009 by Viking Books for Young Readers

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· 106,362 ratings · 8,962 reviews

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May 29, 2009 kari rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2009, ya

I didn't care for the writing style, all the crossed out words just felt like an unneccessary affectation that slowed down the pace of the book. The chapter headings 001.00, etc were a distraction that took me several chapters to even realize what the numbers meant. The descriptions are ugly.
I didn't make any connection to Lia and never grew to like her. As written, her character seemed like a spoiled rich brat who was not even kind enough to pick up the phone to speak to the parents of her dead I didn't care for the writing style, all the crossed out words just felt like an unneccessary affectation that slowed down the pace of the book. The chapter headings 001.00, etc were a distraction that took me several chapters to even realize what the numbers meant. The descriptions are ugly.
I didn't make any connection to Lia and never grew to like her. As written, her character seemed like a spoiled rich brat who was not even kind enough to pick up the phone to speak to the parents of her dead best friend, even when the girl's mother is begging her.
She is willing to run off with a young man that she barely knows or likes in order to not have to face the consequences of what she's done to herself. She uses him to get what she wants/needs without giving him even a tiny bit of honesty until she is forced to do so. None of the things she does make me understand her or like her. I simply never grew to care whether or not she got well and had this book been successful for me, I should have cared.
Lia makes reference to the fact that she knows she is starving herself so she isn't acting out of unawareness or confusion, she simply doesn't care if she's hurting herself or her family or anyone. Her attitude toward her parents is heartless and cold, although all they try to do throughout the entire book is help her. She blames them for her illness and doesn't ever seem to take responsibility for it on herself. A quote from the end of the book: "The tiny elf dancer became a wooden doll whose strings were jerked by people not paying attention."
That seems to say that she still isn't responisible for what she did to herself, if they'd been paying more attention to her, instead of trying to get her to be what they wanted or pursuing their careers, she wouldn't have gotten sick, in her opinion. I'm sure there are many better books about anorexia. This reads like a manual on how to be anorexic. For me this one is a don't bother to read it.

NOTE: For anyone who wants to rip into me and tell me that I don't know anything about eating disorders. Well, you don't know me and you don't know what I do or do not know about eating disorders. You don't know what personal experience I might or might not have. So I'd appreciate it, if that's your only intent, if you didn't leave a comment telling me what a bad person I am for not liking a fictional story.
My review of a BOOK is not intended to put down or de-value anyone. A careful reading of the review would make it clear that I did not care for the way the author chose to portray this character, not that I was putting her down for having an eating disorder. Let me say that again. If Lia was an alcoholic, chocoholic, shopaholic, drug addict, sex addict, hoarder, snowboarder, prom queen, cheerleader or any other kind of character, I still would NOT have enjoyed the way the story and charcter was presented. I hope that's clear.
This isn't an autobiography or Lia's real-life memoirs. It's made up, a story, fiction, not true. There are characters in many books that, for whatever reason, are not likeable. For me, personally, Lia is one of them.
Any further comments that are merely tearing into me about what I do or not know, any personal attacks, are not productive. Name calling and hurling insults isn't adding anything to the discussion. If you want to discuss the book, I'll gladly do that. Thanks ...more

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Dec 31, 2016 Emma Giordano rated it it was amazing

4.5 Stars! This book was a really emotional read for me. It's been recommended to me a million times over and I'm so glad I finally picked it up.

The writing in this book was incredible. Everything flowed together perfectly and it was more like reading a masterpiece than just reading a book. I'm extremely impressed with the way the author was able to capture all of Lia's experiences with the perfect words, words that fit together so flawlessly it's impossible for them to be described any other wa 4.5 Stars! This book was a really emotional read for me. It's been recommended to me a million times over and I'm so glad I finally picked it up.

The writing in this book was incredible. Everything flowed together perfectly and it was more like reading a masterpiece than just reading a book. I'm extremely impressed with the way the author was able to capture all of Lia's experiences with the perfect words, words that fit together so flawlessly it's impossible for them to be described any other way.

The portrayal of eating disorders in this book is also PHENOMENAL. I'm truly amazed this isn't an own voices novel with how accurately the author was able to capture the experience of suffering from such a life-altering disorder. Lia's voice is the voice of an anorexic to a "t"; The anger, the bitterness, the resentment, the cold-hearted carelessness was so true, it's almost frightening.

"I want to eat like a normal person eats, but I need to see my bones or I will hate myself even more and I might cut out my heart or take every pill that was ever made."

This is the reality I struggle to live with every single day and I am so grateful someone was able to capture it so precisely.

I'm also so thankful this book showed the truly horrifying reality of eating disorders; This is a fatal illness. There are a ton of fictitious works with eating disorders out there, but I don't believe I know of one that incorporates the real consequences of this disorder. Cassie's death, especially the cause, was a crucial part of not only the plot of this story, but why I feel this is such an important read. There's absolutely NO glorification of this illness, and this novel did a fantastic job at showing how dangerous it can be. I can't stress enough how wonderful this representation of EDs was to me and how grateful I am this book exists.

The only issue I have with this book is a personal one, and that is how many flashbacks were included. In the beginning of the book, I felt every 5 or so pages I was reading another flashback, which is a bit excessive for my reading tastes. I understand flashbacks are sometimes necessary to fully tell a story, as they are in this novel as well. I just personally prefer novels more focused in the present, and I felt the first half of the book relied very heavily on flashbacks I wasn't too keen on reading.

Luckily, the book really picked up for me in the second half. We shy away from the past and move into the approaching end to the story, which was really amazing. This is where we truly see the raw emotion and authenticity of Lia's character & how her illness really affects her. The second half of this book is where I feel it really flourishes and develops into the extremely powerful novel that it is. If it has one final flaw, the ending felt slightly abrupt and I would have loved to see how things progresses from where we end, but I understand the significance of the point the book ended at, so either way, I'm satisfied.

Overall, I really loved this book. I seriously felt identified and really saw myself in Lia, which I am inherently grateful for. I do agree with the endless trigger warnings placed on this novel because like many great mental health novels, the content is so authentic, it may be more harmful than helpful. But if you are in a healthy mindset and looking to either learn more about eating disorders or relate to a book based off of your own experiences, Wintergirls is at the top of my recommendations list. ...more

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Feb 26, 2009 Sarah rated it it was amazing

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book, as Laurie and I share a publisher. It is so, so good. The voice is unique, the style like a puzzle and a poem, all at once. Highly recommended. I think it will be HUGE with teenage girls.

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Nov 02, 2011 Megs ♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-books, z-2012-reads, favs

Who exactly are the Wintergirls? They are Lia and Cassie. Cassie is a pretty girl who started battling bulimia at a very young age, and at the beginning of our story was found dead in a motel room. Lia is her former best friend who is still battling anorexia, and has to deal with getting weighed weekly by her well-meaning step mother, and also has the guilt constantly in her mind knowing that Cassie had called her. 35 times. Right before she died. The details of her death have not yet been relea
Who exactly are the Wintergirls? They are Lia and Cassie. Cassie is a pretty girl who started battling bulimia at a very young age, and at the beginning of our story was found dead in a motel room. Lia is her former best friend who is still battling anorexia, and has to deal with getting weighed weekly by her well-meaning step mother, and also has the guilt constantly in her mind knowing that Cassie had called her. 35 times. Right before she died. The details of her death have not yet been released, but as Lia goes to the wake and funeral she is reminded of her once strong, but toxic friendship with Cassie. As the story progresses Lia is left to wonder a few things. How did Cassie actually die? Could she have saved her if she answered the phone?

This was a haunting story that discussed, in disturbing detail, how it feels to be trapped inside your own mind. Lea doesn't really see food as food. She sees a scrambled egg as "yellow" or "71" for the calories it contains. Wintergirls provides an in-depth look into eating disorders, and it does not hold back or sugar coat anything. The emotional and physical aspects of both diseases are explored in such an amazing way. You see the story unfold, and you know that the author is trying to show the horrors of eating disorders, but the book never feels preachy. The parents' concerns even come out in a way where you understand them, and not resent them as being simply annoying parents. Lia's protests don't make you feel like she is being a typical rebellious teen, either. We are inside her head hearing the inner monolog, and I found this fascinating to read about. A complaint that I have seen about this book is the fact that the author never really explains what has caused Lia to be the way that she is. For me that wasn't an issue, however, because I saw her as a person with serious mental issues, and honestly sometimes there is no good reason for demons to haunt us. If the author went another way and made Lia a character who was abused or mistreated simply to give her a reason to hate her life this story would have been less unique in my opinion.

I loved this author's writing style. She kind of has a Chuck Palahnuik feel with the repetitions, and vivid, weird descriptions. She used several tools such as the strike out, repetitions and numbers, which I have seen some people say were distracting, but they didn't really bother me. As you know from my Shatter Me review these kinds of things can really annoy me if they are overused, but I think in this story they were okay used in moderation and never really made me lose focus on the plot.

For a story about such a depressing subject the book didn't make me feel very depressed. Yes, I felt bad for Lia, and her everyday struggles, but overall I kept hope that she would eventually get recovered. It made me think back to high school and remember friendships I had that may have not been the healthiest friendships, but they still in some way helped me to be the person I am today. This is a book I won't soon forget.

The absolute only thing I didn't like about this book was contained in the ending. It's not really a spoiler, but since it's at the end I will put it here: (view spoiler)

I thought this was a good book. I read it in one day, and I would recommend it to fans of Ellen Hopkins. I will definitely be checking out more books from this author. ...more

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Jan 31, 2009 edh rated it it was amazing

I initially found this book to be absolutely repulsive - the narrative was suffused with this sense that something was hideously wrong, and the devices that Anderson was using to describe narrator Lia's reality hinted at a disturbing mania. As it turns out, this is exactly right - Lia's sense of self was damaged even before her former best friend Cassie died alone and in pain. Their partnership was a deathly one; both girls aspired to be the skinniest as they struggled to grasp their way into ad ...more

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Nov 26, 2008 Karin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: edgy, youngadult, 2008-reads

Lia fights a war every day.

A war with herself.

A war with food.

At 95 pounds she still feels fat. When she looks in the mirror she sees the pockets of fat hanging on her body. Everyone else is just blind. Two stays in a treatment facility hasn’t cured her; it just forced her to develop techniques to survive in a world of food. She picks the bruised apples at lunch so she has an excuse to cut some of it off, she sews quarters in the lining of her robe to add weight when she has to stand on the s ...more

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Mar 26, 2009 46milestogo rated it did not like it

Laurie Halse Anderson ~~sinks her teeth into~~ writes about eating disorders in this one. She ~~distracts from the too-familiar story and flat characters~~ uses lots of "clever" formatting, including numbers/tiny text/~~three guesses~~

This could have been a good book if Anderson had spent less time being "clever" and more time creating solid characters that would have strengthened a story that's been told plenty of times before.

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Sep 21, 2010 karen rated it liked it

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya, and-so-this-is-grad-school

ariel says everyone loves this book, and that's probably true, these girls today are probably super-drawn to this kind of story. it's not bad, i just already have a favorite teen-problem-novel about anorexia, one that doesn't have the voice of this narrator, who was so immersed in her dreamworld, she frequently spoke in this forced-poetic voice that i found distracting:

"used to be that my whole body was my canvas - hot cuts lick my ribs, ladder rungs climbing my arms, thick milkweed stalks shooting up my thighs. when i moved to jenniferland, my father made one condition. a daughter who forgets how to eat, well that was bad, but it was just a phase and i was over it. but a daughter who opens her own skin bag, wanting to let her shell fall to the ground so she can dance? that was just sick."

"my hands read a braille map hewn from bone, starting with my hollow breasts threaded with blue-vein rivers thick with ice. i count my ribs like rosary beads, muttering incantations, fingers curling under the bony cage. they can almost touch what's hiding inside."

for me, that voice gets old pretty quick. and the constant crossouts (not pictured); it stands out and makes the layout eye-catching, but not in a positive way, to my elderly eye.

i honestly don't understand anorexia. me, i have no discipline. i lack the amount of self-control it takes to not eat the entire pint of ice cream. and even with all of the political/social pressure, i lack the interest/willpower to stop eating fuzzy baby animals. so the rigorous scrutiny of everything that passes the lips of the anorectic, the obsessing and calorie-memorizing and constant vigilance. shit, i'm in grad school, i don't need anything else to think about, for reals. why can't these girls channel this energy into something awesome, like painting or science and bridge-building? i know it is more complicated than all that, but it just seems exhausting and more trouble than it is worth.

this put a nice twist on the teenorexia novel; the way it takes it a step further and really plays upon the character's perceived culpability in the death of her best friend, which is of course a factor in her own illness, but is also a whole other potential novel. so i liked the layering of two different enmeshed problems - i appreciated its ambition, but ultimately i prefer my old tried and true book from my junior high "be aware fair".

i want to like her books so much, and there are still three i plan to read, but so far, the two i have read have seemed like books teen girls would really respond to, but i just can't get into.

but greg - sheesh - speak is like his all time favorite. he is such a girl. but not a little gollum-girl:

...more

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Jul 25, 2015 Anne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: brrrrrrr-shake-it-off, its-complicated, family, dark-or-and-morbid, despicable-villains-and-antagonists

I ship this book. Ship! Ship!! Ship!!!

WAIT.

I MEAN... CAN YOU SHIP BOOKS?

Before I go further, before I'm made out to be insensitive, these are things you need to know.

1. YOU MIGHT NOT GET IT BUT

2. WHAT'S MORE I'M MOSTLY LIKE
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3. TO THOSE WHO STICK AROUND LOOKING TO FIX MY PROBLEM - YOU NEVER LEARN

Now that that's out of the way...

STORY LINE

"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

...more

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Jul 08, 2009 Kyla rated it liked it

I'm surprised there is so little criticism of this book!

I don't normally write reviews, but I finished the book a couple weeks ago and have been letting my thoughts simmer, unable to just forget it. Amazon seems to have eaten my review (maybe it will be posted in a couple days?). I decided to look for more dissenting opinions on here.

4 or 5 stars for great writing. Anderson creates a page turner and certainly has an admirable command of language.

2 stars for depth.

Most articles and even many book ...more

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Apr 02, 2014 C.G. Drews rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, read-2015, mental-illness

That was emotional and terrible and intense...and cold. It didn't help that I'm literally FREEZING right now (it's winter! I'm cold!) and this book was...it was like reading about a self-destructing snowflake. I always find it intense and confronting to read about eating disorders. I put off this book forever, but I really loved Laurie Halse Anderson's The Impossible Knife of Memory and I knew I needed to read more of her masterpieces. SO I WAS BRAVE. I READ THIS. It definitely affected me.

This That was emotional and terrible and intense...and cold. It didn't help that I'm literally FREEZING right now (it's winter! I'm cold!) and this book was...it was like reading about a self-destructing snowflake. I always find it intense and confronting to read about eating disorders. I put off this book forever, but I really loved Laurie Halse Anderson's The Impossible Knife of Memory and I knew I needed to read more of her masterpieces. SO I WAS BRAVE. I READ THIS. It definitely affected me.

This book is dangerous and beautiful. It's written ridiculously well. Like, the writing lingers in that area between metaphor and reality. And the wording?! OMG HOW IS IT LEGAL TO WRITE THIS WELL.

We held hands when we walked down the gingerbread path into the forest, blood dripping from our fingers. We danced with witches and kissed monsters. We turned us into wintergirls, when she tried to leave, I pulled her back into the snow because I was afraid to be alone.

Is that not ridiculously beautiful?

The topic is tough, obviously, but the author handled it so so well. I was caught between fury and crying half the time. I do NOT think Lia's family supported her. I do NOT think they were helping her emotionally. They saw numbers on a scale, just like she did -- only she wanted them to go down, and they needed them to go up. Anorexia isn't just about food: it's emotional and mental, too. And I feel like Lia did not get the help there that she needed. She needed it from her family...and they let her down. So I found that very emotional to read, because Lia NEEDED someone to stand there telling her she was okay and she was loved. LEMME CRY UGLY UGLY TEARS.

Gosh. I really don't know how to review this book. It is like 98% an emotional journey, so the actual things-that-happened are very sparse. There was a lot of purple prose. I thought it was beautiful, but there were times when it felt like a filler. The book made me uncomfortable...but it's supposed to. It doesn't stick a bandaid on at the end, but at the same time, there is a whiff of hope.

So this book totally disturbed me and I'm just going to go burrow under my blankets and cry because this book is as beautiful as it is terrible. ...more

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Nov 15, 2014 Zoë rated it really liked it

WOW. Laurie Halse Anderson knows how to write a good and powerful book!

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Jan 01, 2017 Helene Jeppesen rated it really liked it

This was my first read by Laurie Halse Anderson and I now see why people love her writing so much. She has a way of explaining inner thoughts in beautiful and heart-breaking words and phrases, and while the language is poetic it doesn't drown the actual story.
"Wintergirls" deals with anorexia and bulemia all at once. It's a very strong and impactful story; especially, I would imagine, if you read it as a young adult which this novel is targeted towards. However, you can obviously still read it ...more

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Oct 25, 2014 Mary rated it it was amazing

Reread in December 2015

This left me so fucked up.
I have no clue how to begin. I don’t think I ever read a book that left me so lost, for lack of a better word. I’m numb and astonished and a heap of other feelings I can’t even try to begin to explain. I felt physically uncomfortable while reading it and I felt so so sad throughout it. Just, simply put, an overwhelming feeling of sadness and helplessness was always with me. It’s that need you feel as a reader to shield the characters you read abo Reread in December 2015

This left me so fucked up.
I have no clue how to begin. I don’t think I ever read a book that left me so lost, for lack of a better word. I’m numb and astonished and a heap of other feelings I can’t even try to begin to explain. I felt physically uncomfortable while reading it and I felt so so sad throughout it. Just, simply put, an overwhelming feeling of sadness and helplessness was always with me. It’s that need you feel as a reader to shield the characters you read about and to save them, but you realize there isn’t anything you can do, but read on.

Wintergirls tells the story of Lia, a high school senior who struggles with anorexia. Her best friend, Cassie, who suffers from bulimia, dies and the night that happens, she calls Lia 33 times, but Lia doesn’t pick up. As the story progresses, things get worse and worse for her - she feels guilty for Cassie’s death, she is haunted by the demons in her head, by the demons of her illness, and she unravels.

One thing that is very important is that this book does not glamorize eating disorders. They are shown with all the ugliness they have - and trust me, there is so, so much ugliness in them, and it shows that they are not a whim, they are not a trend, they are an illness and, like with many illnesses, they take over your life and you lose yourself in them. I saw Lia struggle so much, and I felt for her and for her family. It’s frightening to see her shrink more and more with every page, see her lie to everyone around her, see her not want to get better, because she hates herself. Food is the enemy, it is pain, she sees herself as “stupid/ugly/stupid/bitch/stupid/fat/ stupid/baby/stupid/loser/stupid/lost”. She feels undeserving, she feels guilty for Cassie’s death, she feels alone, misunderstood, and…lost. She has so much pain cooped up inside, that she resorts to self harm in order to feel…something, to let the pain out. The people around her, although they want to help, at one point, they’d just rather ignore what’s in front of them and pretend that things are okay, instead of pushing harder and get Lia the help that she so desperately needs.

This book scared me so much. It’s such a raw, unfiltered look into the world of eating disorders. It’s a huge wake up call to anyone who might think it’s a good idea to try something like that and it doesn’t shy away from anything. I was hovering on the edge of anorexia back in high school, although I didn’t know that back then. I exercised a lot, I ate less and less and I saw myself as fat, even though I weighed about 100 lbs (45 kg) at a height of 5′6″ (168 cm). Thankfully, I woke up and never jumped that line. But reading this, it made me think - where would I be now if I didn’t have that wake up call?

Exceptionally well researched and written, it’s one of Anderson’s best works. It flows beautifully, it’s haunting, moving and powerful. It may save a life.

Favourite quotes:

“We turned us into wintergirls, and when she tried to leave, I pulled her back into the snow because I was afraid to be alone.”

“I spin and weave and knit my words and visions until a life starts to take shape.”

★★★★★ ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 sarah xoxo rated it liked it

Shelves: my-reviews, 2020-read, audiobook, on-my-shelf, ya-contemporary

this book broke my heart. and I can't decide if I liked it.

It has been almost a month since I read Wintergirls and I still don't know how to feel about it.

Laurie Halse Anderson is undoubtably an immensely talented author. She painted such a vivid picture of what it is like to live with an eating disorder that I felt like I was Lia, experiencing it alongside her. Some lines absolutely punched me in the gut. Not just in their beauty and poetry, but in their raw and unflinchingness.

“There’s no p ...more

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Apr 24, 2009 Kathryn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-realistic-fic, ya, mental-health-psychology

In a world riddled with made-for-tv, paint-by-numbers eating disorder cliche, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson separates itself from the pack.

The set-up is standard: Lia is the caucasian, teenaged daughter of divorced parents. Much shock, much surprise. As the book opens, Lia is reeling from the loss of her estranged bestie, Cassie. Cassie, our token warning sign in human form, died suddenly after making repeated, unanswered calls to Lia. 33, in fact. Thankfully, that’s where the cliches st ...more

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Jan 27, 2009 Lisa Vegan rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: those who treat young people with eating disorders; not necessarily for those suffering from ED

Shelves: fiction, goodreads-author, 1-also-at-librarything, z2009, readbooks-female-author-or-illust, advance-copy, zz-5star, reviewed, mental-illness, novel

This book was absolutely mesmerizing! I was completely engrossed and I really enjoyed it. This book gets five stars and not four from me, despite a couple of flaws, because Lia seemed so real and the writing style was wonderful and the language was lovely.

I’d highly recommend this book to those treating and caring for those suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and certain types of mental illnesses. I think it would be very educational for some, and useful for those they’re trying to help.

I’ This book was absolutely mesmerizing! I was completely engrossed and I really enjoyed it. This book gets five stars and not four from me, despite a couple of flaws, because Lia seemed so real and the writing style was wonderful and the language was lovely.

I’d highly recommend this book to those treating and caring for those suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and certain types of mental illnesses. I think it would be very educational for some, and useful for those they’re trying to help.

I’d be reluctant to suggest it to young people who suffer from anorexia, bulimia, or severe depression because, as with just about every single book about these subjects, it could be a harmful trigger. It’s not that the book glorifies these ailments, but the graphic descriptions of coping methods could set some off on a dangerous and self-destructive path. Then again, I’m sure this book will appeal to sufferers and it has the potential to actually help them, especially if the book is discussed.

As when reading all books about anorexia nervosa, or people starving for whatever reason, reading this made me want to eat! Too much!

I cared about Lia and also her step-sister Emma, and I very much enjoyed the numerous references to other young adult and children’s books & authors. The fact that Lia is a reader is impressive.

I read a paperback advanced uncorrected reader copy. There were lots of strike thrus and other copy that made me unsure what the final book will be. Pages 224-225 were completely blank with no text. The novel in this form was 278 pages, 282 pages with the acknowledgments.

One “error” drove me nuts. Lia (the main character) and her best friend Cassie and also Lia and a friend Elijah play the Hearts card game, apparently with a deck of cards and not on a computer, but you need a minimum of three players, not just two, in order to play Hearts. (I did message the person who provided the ARC to me about that, and also about one of the author’s choices of wording that didn’t ring true to me. Apparently, the final copy of the first edition of the book is printed, but she’ll message the editor about my concerns, and if they agree with me it’s possible changes will be made in future reprints.)

I had very recently read this author’s book Speak. (I had seen the movie years ago. The movie was good; the book is great.) Unlike Speak, which despite the serious subject matter was hilarious, this book was not filled with humor. There were a very few mildly amusing parts but it’s a much darker novel than Speak. It really gets into the mind of an eighteen-year-old girl (told first person by her) suffering from anorexia nervosa and depression. The story is compelling, at times actually terrifying, and I did cry, but reading it was well worth the painful feelings I experienced.
...more

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Apr 23, 2016 Charlotte rated it liked it

Word of warning: if you have an eating disorder, I'd urge you to stay away from this book. Wintergirls is almost entirely about spiralling deeper and deeper into the obsession, misery and deadly danger of anorexia. And you already know full well what that's like, don't you? You don't really need another anorexic to measure up against, always coming up fat, or another source of ideas to keep you locked in a tiny, cold life that will take and take and take from you until there's nothing left to ta Word of warning: if you have an eating disorder, I'd urge you to stay away from this book. Wintergirls is almost entirely about spiralling deeper and deeper into the obsession, misery and deadly danger of anorexia. And you already know full well what that's like, don't you? You don't really need another anorexic to measure up against, always coming up fat, or another source of ideas to keep you locked in a tiny, cold life that will take and take and take from you until there's nothing left to take. Let's just be honest here. Your ED is fucking crazy, and that's exactly what this book will do to you.

I can imagine that this book could help people without EDs understand what it's like to have one. Anderson is an amazing author, and she vividly captures the intensity and horror of anorexia. Even so, it's a regrettable and fairly huge omission to ignore the fact that most EDS do not occur in a vacuum, and are usually accompanied by some combination of comorbid mental illnesses, trauma and deeply dysfunctional family dynamics. This oversight speaks to how largely misunderstood EDs are, as does the fact that the top-rated review for this book describes Lia as spoiled and incomprehensible. I felt and thought many things when I read that, but what I will say here is that sometimes I wish that I had lived the kind of life that allowed me to believe that anorexia was a silly matter of bad attitude as opposed to a mental illness born out of intense suffering. If you're privileged enough to believe the former, it's your responsibility to overcome that ignorance for the sake of the people who are not as lucky as you.

My main issue with Wintergirls though, is essentially what I stated in the beginning of this review: Anderson focuses almost exclusively on the horrible suffering that accompanies anorexia, without paying much attention to the kind of narrative about EDs that would truly help people suffering from them. It would have meant so much to me, when I was sick, to read an account of recovery that told me that the horrible things I believed would not always feel true, that I would not always struggle and relapse and struggle again. I wish I had known that treatment would be terrifying and painful, but there would be peace like nothing I'd known before in finally starting to let go of everything that was killing me. I wish I'd known that I needed to talk to my therapists about the deep-down shit, the stuff that was fucking agonizing to even think about telling anyone else about. I wish I'd known that the alleviation of my suffering did not have to be justified by a wheelchair or feeding tube - that all it took was a tiny part of me deciding that I'd had enough. I wish I'd known that some of the other patients would be back on their bullshit the moment staff turned away, but that my own bullshit was more than enough for me to focus on.

More than anything, I wish I had known that "recovery" would one day mean more than gaining weight and following a meal plan that I hated. It would mean going to bed with a full stomach and finding comfort in that, instead of defeat. It would mean being happier with a tummy and stretch marks than I ever was with a thigh gap and countable ribs. It would mean actually, truly loving myself and believing that I deserved better, instead of thinking that that whole "self-love" thing was fine for other people, just not walking and talking vermin like me.

There are autobiographical accounts of recovery like that, and maybe I should just focus on those instead of giving a low rating to a book that ignores that side of things, I don't know. But if you write a story that fixates upon, capitalizes upon depicting the suffering caused by eating disorders, I can't help but feel that you have something of an obligation to provide your reader with an equally accurate depiction of what the journey towards recovery is like. Maybe that's not fair, or maybe it's my own experience overshadowing reason. Maybe for some people it's as simple as Lia's experience -"Whoops, I almost died...guess I better take treatment seriously this time." But for many of us, it's a lot messier and more complicated than that, and that fact is so rarely explored. ...more

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Apr 09, 2014 Cristina Monica rated it did not like it

Shelves: realistic-fiction, real-life-matters, did-not-finish, sad, death, did-not-connect-with-characters

I did not finish this book. Why? It was hard, frustrating and very slow. This is a book about anorexia nervosa mainly. Lia, of what I know, was anorexic even before the death of her ex bestfriend Cassie. Again, I did not finish this book so maybe it was explained further in the story, I don't know. The thing is... Lia is not just anorexic. She hurts herself in otherways too and keeps having hallucinations. I know how this story ends though, since I read the last pages and it actually surprised m ...more

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May 22, 2009 Tatiana rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, 2009

Wintergirls. What can I say about this book? It wasn't an easy read. I have never been exposed to the world of anorexia and bulimia and therefore can't say if it was truthfully and accurately portrayed, but what I can say is that being in Lia's mind definitely was a powerful experience which I will not soon forget. Although I couldn't understand what moved Lia to do certain things, I had a good look at her inner world which was a terrifying and bleak place. Her obsession with calories, not eatin ...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Raeleen Lemay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Not quite as good as Speak but AHHHH STILL SO GOOD. I want to go eat something now.

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Feb 22, 2011 Giselle rated it liked it

Wintergirls is a story about girl who's struggling with anorexia. It's a pretty quick read, but it didn't move me as much as I thought it would.

The story is good. Scary and shocking with a strong message. I don't have a lot insight into the disease so this was a real eye opener for me; I wasn't aware how people with anorexia were able to actually self-discipline themselves to not eat. We're shown through Lia's point of view how she warps her world and relationships that which steers her into de Wintergirls is a story about girl who's struggling with anorexia. It's a pretty quick read, but it didn't move me as much as I thought it would.

The story is good. Scary and shocking with a strong message. I don't have a lot insight into the disease so this was a real eye opener for me; I wasn't aware how people with anorexia were able to actually self-discipline themselves to not eat. We're shown through Lia's point of view how she warps her world and relationships that which steers her into depression. It's not just about what she puts into her mouth, but how she perceives her compulsions and the empty void she lives in. It's really an astonishing story that overflows with emotions.

However, I wish the characters were a bit more solid. We never really went into their reasons for thinking so negatively. What happened in their lives to get them to this point? In this aspect it felt like the author went very stereotypical teen angst.

What really bugged me, though, while reading this book was the writing. It had a lot of analogies and metaphors that were just plain confusing at times. I sometimes didn't know what was real and what wasn't. It also took me a while to realize she was actually hallucinating and not just day dreaming or fantasizing. Additionally, the author uses a lot of different writing formats that were often ~~annoying~~/distracting/disorienting

::distracting/disorienting/distracting/disorienting/::

while not really adding anything to the story.

All in all it wasn't anything overly special, though I still enjoyed the story. It had a lot of depth and was really thought provoking, but otherwise it fell flat, just a lil bit.

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads ...more

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Aug 01, 2013 Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, young-adult, own

5.0 Stars
Five stars upon re-read. Anderson has such a talent for writing authentic stories about real teenage issues. The narration is emotional and raw, accurately depicting the inner monologue of disordered eating. I love the fragmented writing style, which felt very remiscent of Speak. I highly recommend this powerful, young adult novel.
Huge content warnings for eating disorders. This novel includes triggering thought patterns regarding weight, calories, and starvation tricks that could dange ...more

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Sep 06, 2016 Carrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Lia and Cassie were always the best of friends. They called themselves the Wintergirls, the two were competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But Lia had not spoken to Cassie in months after her trip into the hospital when her weight hit the danger zone.

Now, Lia finds that Cassie has died alone in a motel and all Lia wants is answers to what happened. Lia had ignored Cassie's numerous phone calls and is now carrying guilt over the loss of her friend which starts a downwar ...more

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Nov 06, 2008 Kristi rated it liked it

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, I felt like it was even harder to put down. Anderson continues to impress my with her beautifully written novels.

I’ve seen Anderson’s writ ...more

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May 04, 2009 Linda rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya

Normally, I would have just left my two star (really, more like one and a half) rating and gone on my way. But Laurie Halse Anderson is very close to the top of the list of my favorite authors who write for teens, and this is the second title in the row of hers that I've given two stars.

It kills me to think she might never write anything as good as Speak or Catalyst again.

If I'm going to devote several hours of my life to follow a character through several hundred pages, I need something to hang Normally, I would have just left my two star (really, more like one and a half) rating and gone on my way. But Laurie Halse Anderson is very close to the top of the list of my favorite authors who write for teens, and this is the second title in the row of hers that I've given two stars.

It kills me to think she might never write anything as good as Speak or Catalyst again.

If I'm going to devote several hours of my life to follow a character through several hundred pages, I need something to hang my hat on. The heroine either needs to be likeable, hateable, or at the very least, needs to make me laugh.

Lia did only one thing for me as a reader. You know the book Inkheart, where two characters have the ability to read themselves and others into the pages of a book? Well, Lia made me want to find someone with that ability, because I wanted to enter Wintergirls and strangle her with my bare hands. After she was dead, I'd do the kindest thing, and have her cremated, and I'd even take a mortar and pestle and grind the bits of bone left into powder, then scatter her ashes over a barren landscape where nothing could survive, and her remains wouldn't accidentally nourish anything in the ground, because that's as close as I could come to providing her heart's (seemingly only)desire-- to weigh absolutely nothing.

I don't think the reader is supposed to like Lia. I'm not sure if the reader is supposed to identify with her-- I know I didn't. (I identified with her dad, when he finally lost it, and started screaming at her. I identified with her mom, who stopped just shy of tying Lia to a chair and pouring soup down her throat.)

Is there a reason the reader is supposed to hope Lia survives? She had no interest in high school, boys, college. She hated her mom, hated her dad, hated her step-mom, hated her therapist, even hated her supposed best friend. (To her credit, she did tolerate her non-sister, but she also traumatized the girl.) We get no glimpse of the "girl that could be" without the illness. We're simply stuck inside her sick, sick head.

...more

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Sep 10, 2019 Constantine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-books, x-4-star, z2019-09

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Genre:
Contemporary + Young Adult

Synopsis:
Lia and Cassie are best friends who struggle with anorexia. One day Cassie is found dead in a motel room. She tried to contact Lia many times to say sorry after their break up, but Lia never answered her that day for the horrible things she said to her. When Lia finds that her friend is no more she will struggle a lot to choose between life and death.

Book Structure:
The book is 278 pages. There are 65 chapters and most are short and can be ...more

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Apr 15, 2009 Elizabeth rated it it was ok

Overall I have a feeling this book would be frustrating and disturbing for those who know nothing of disordered eating; and for those with disordered eating, I think it would be very triggering. So really, I wouldn’t recommend Wintergirls to anyone.

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Oct 17, 2019 Rebecca McNutt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, fiction, mental-illness

Wintergirls is an interesting book. I've found since reading Hunger for Life and Worthy of Love this year that there are some books on the subject of eating disorders which don't talk down to readers but instead help them to truly understand the struggles of a person going through these things, and Wintergirls, along with the latter two mentioned titles, is definitely one of those which I would consider one of the best in this small but important subgenre.

This is a book which really looks into ...more

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Feb 01, 2009 Molly rated it really liked it

I am oh-so-ready for more people I know to have read this book so I can talk with them about it!!

Though it will inevitably be compared to SPEAK, I felt like this marked a real advance in Laurie Halse Anderson's ability as a writer in comparison. That said, the main character is dissociated, so it's hard to feel particuarly close to her as a reader. But I think that's the point.

I don't think it's an exaggeration at all to say that some readers will find salvation in this book, and for that alone ...more

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About Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson

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Ask box is open, my friends! What do you want to know?

UPDATE! SHOUT, my memoir in verse, is out, has received 9 starred reviews, and was longlisted for the National Book Award!

I recently answered all kinds of great questions over at Reddit. Check it out for loads about my writing process and my books:https://www.reddit.com/r/books/commen...

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She answers your questions about tackling tough issues in her books: anorexia in Wintergirls, assault in Speak, and now a parent with PTSD in the n...

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Quotes from Wintergirls

“In one aspect, yes, I believe in ghosts, but we create them. We haunt ourselves.” — 2597 likes

“There is no magic cure, no making it all go away forever. There are only small steps upward; an easier day, an unexpected laugh, a mirror that doesn't matter anymore.” — 1227 likes

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