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Thin
The things 17-year-old Erin Post wants are drastically different from the things she needs. A junior in high school, Erin wants nothing more than to be thin. In reality, she's a depressed girl with a serious eating disorder who needs to stop starving herself. When Erin's mother insists that she see a psychiatrist, Erin runs away to Chicago. There, she meets Lin and Ari, two homeless teens who show her that's there's a lot more to the world than being thin and fitting in. Soon after making her new friends, Erin is given a choice. She can either help her new friends and risk having to face psychiatric treatment, or continue her path toward thinness. A 2017 Golden Pen Award Nominee, THIN is a poignant story of self-esteem, courage and redemption. This is the large print edition of Thin, with a larger font / typeface for easier reading.
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 10, 2023
'Thin' by Ann K. Morris is a fictional story that tackles the topic of anorexia. Told from the point of view of someone in the grips of the illness, it emphasises the workings of the unwell mind and the impact anorexia has on lives, both the sufferer and those around them. Seventeen-year-old Erin did not realise she had an eating disorder until her concerned GP spoke to Erin's mother, who insists Erin see a psychiatrist. Knowing this would mean gaining weight, Erin runs away to Chicago.
In Chicago, Erin meets a couple of homeless teenagers who show her there is more to the world than being thin. Lin and Ari jump at the chance to eat a plate of food, not knowing when their next meal will be. While Erin believes she needs to lose weight to fit in with her friends at school, Lin and Ari keep away from most people, not knowing how to get out of their situation. The chance meeting between Erin, Lin and Ari allows the characters to choose a new way of life, but only if Erin agrees to accept help for her eating disorder.
Eating disorders can be self-absorbing, which the author demonstrates in 'Thin' when Erin runs away without worrying about what her parents would think. Only through meeting her new friends does Erin begin to understand that her mum has difficulties too, especially married to a man who cares more about sports than his own family.
It is impossible to write a book about eating disorders without any potentially triggering material. Whilst it is not the author's intention to write anything harmful, people with a severe eating disorder should not read 'Thin' until they are on their way to recovery.
'Thin' is written almost like a poem with short sentences split over several lines. With only three to five words per line, it is as though the narrative is trying to make itself as thin as possible, just as Erin is doing in the story.
Ann K. Morris should be commended for writing an accurate novel about anorexia. Although it may be too difficult for some eating disorder sufferers to read, 'Thin' will hopefully help others understand the illness and break the stereotypical beliefs many hold about anorexia and other mental illnesses.
In Chicago, Erin meets a couple of homeless teenagers who show her there is more to the world than being thin. Lin and Ari jump at the chance to eat a plate of food, not knowing when their next meal will be. While Erin believes she needs to lose weight to fit in with her friends at school, Lin and Ari keep away from most people, not knowing how to get out of their situation. The chance meeting between Erin, Lin and Ari allows the characters to choose a new way of life, but only if Erin agrees to accept help for her eating disorder.
Eating disorders can be self-absorbing, which the author demonstrates in 'Thin' when Erin runs away without worrying about what her parents would think. Only through meeting her new friends does Erin begin to understand that her mum has difficulties too, especially married to a man who cares more about sports than his own family.
It is impossible to write a book about eating disorders without any potentially triggering material. Whilst it is not the author's intention to write anything harmful, people with a severe eating disorder should not read 'Thin' until they are on their way to recovery.
'Thin' is written almost like a poem with short sentences split over several lines. With only three to five words per line, it is as though the narrative is trying to make itself as thin as possible, just as Erin is doing in the story.
Ann K. Morris should be commended for writing an accurate novel about anorexia. Although it may be too difficult for some eating disorder sufferers to read, 'Thin' will hopefully help others understand the illness and break the stereotypical beliefs many hold about anorexia and other mental illnesses.
March 18, 2022
I thought this book was intriguing and I loved the format it was written in. I felt like I was in the thoughts of the main character who was struggling with an eating disorder. It gave me insight into how difficult this disease of anorexia can be and how one action in our life can cause an adverse reaction that literally consumes us. I loved the angst of the main character and the hopefulness of her too. I loved that she learned and grew. The characters were deeply flawed in the best way possible. The Chicago descriptions didn’t do my hometown justice- but I’ll let it slide because the book was so good in other ways.
April 4, 2022
A unique take on an important topic! The protaganist's outward journey allows her to break through with her inner problems, and her family and friend relationships are complex and nuanced.
January 13, 2023
These pages dive deep into the world of a teenage girl, who suffers from an eating disorder.
Erin wants nothing more than to be thin just like an ideal girl her age should be. She watches her food intake extremely carefully, knowing that any extra bite will mean that much more fat. When her mother is brought to the realization that Erin suffers from an eating disorder, she insists on visits to a psychiatrist. Erin hates everything about that and runs away. In Chicago, she meets to homeless teens, and it's their own troubles which might just help her switch her life around.
This book tackles the topic of anorexia, and, obviously, holds triggers in that direction. Also, this book is sold for middle graders on Amazon (ages 7 to 12), I would not recommend it for this age group and do believe the young adult audience is a much better fit.
That said, this book does a great job at diving deep into the psych of a girl, who truly believes she isn't thin enough. She isn't aware of her eating disorder, but only recognizes that if she doesn't watch what she eats, she gains weight faster than she likes. The thought consumes her, and the author does a marvelous job at bringing that across. The entire thing is written with poetic flair, always in the head of Erin as she jumps from one situation to the next. Every couple pages or so, there's a title for the next 'poem', which directly states the emotion, moment, or thought behind it. In this way, everything comes across as clear stages, which make the problems, emotions, and inner-workings clear.
The read is short and stays focused, and it never looks down on Erin but rather lets the reader understand her thoughts. Erin isn't the only one, who has issues, anyway. Everyone is struggling in their own ways with whatever life has dished to them. While Erin is only focused on herself in the beginning, her awareness grows as she learns to recognize and deal with her struggles. It's inspiring while offering more than a little food for thought.
This was enjoyable to read and well-done. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this much more than I thought I might.
Erin wants nothing more than to be thin just like an ideal girl her age should be. She watches her food intake extremely carefully, knowing that any extra bite will mean that much more fat. When her mother is brought to the realization that Erin suffers from an eating disorder, she insists on visits to a psychiatrist. Erin hates everything about that and runs away. In Chicago, she meets to homeless teens, and it's their own troubles which might just help her switch her life around.
This book tackles the topic of anorexia, and, obviously, holds triggers in that direction. Also, this book is sold for middle graders on Amazon (ages 7 to 12), I would not recommend it for this age group and do believe the young adult audience is a much better fit.
That said, this book does a great job at diving deep into the psych of a girl, who truly believes she isn't thin enough. She isn't aware of her eating disorder, but only recognizes that if she doesn't watch what she eats, she gains weight faster than she likes. The thought consumes her, and the author does a marvelous job at bringing that across. The entire thing is written with poetic flair, always in the head of Erin as she jumps from one situation to the next. Every couple pages or so, there's a title for the next 'poem', which directly states the emotion, moment, or thought behind it. In this way, everything comes across as clear stages, which make the problems, emotions, and inner-workings clear.
The read is short and stays focused, and it never looks down on Erin but rather lets the reader understand her thoughts. Erin isn't the only one, who has issues, anyway. Everyone is struggling in their own ways with whatever life has dished to them. While Erin is only focused on herself in the beginning, her awareness grows as she learns to recognize and deal with her struggles. It's inspiring while offering more than a little food for thought.
This was enjoyable to read and well-done. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this much more than I thought I might.
March 12, 2022
I read it in one sitting
At first the verse format was jarring, but I quickly warmed to it. It's the perfect format for this story. Erin's thoughts are difficult to read at times, because Ann K Morris has done a wonderful job of getting into the head of a girl with an eating disorder. I loved how she evolved slowly, without preaching or profundity. It was a natural progression through the worst of her disorder to the other side.
At first the verse format was jarring, but I quickly warmed to it. It's the perfect format for this story. Erin's thoughts are difficult to read at times, because Ann K Morris has done a wonderful job of getting into the head of a girl with an eating disorder. I loved how she evolved slowly, without preaching or profundity. It was a natural progression through the worst of her disorder to the other side.
May 9, 2022
Unusual style with a heartfelt story of some of the struggles of the teen years.
May 19, 2022
Intense but quick read about a teenager with an eating disorder. We always need more information and books about this topic.
May 18, 2022
Quick read with a new take on a well-explored topic.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews