Title: Wintergirls
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Category: Young adult
Worth It? More yes than no. So check it out.
The Nitty Gritty: Eighteen-year old Lia is anorexic and a cutter, despite a few treatment center stints. Her recovery is tenuous at best as she battles her overbearing mother, copes with being rejected by BFF Cassie and adjusts to living with her father’s newly blended family. When Cassie is suddenly found dead, Lia is racked with more than grief. She’s fraught with guilt. Guilt over ignoring the plethora of calls Cassie made to her on that fateful night—sending Lia into a viscous tailspin that could jeopardize her very life.
The Good: Laden with multi-layed subtext and symbolism. Raw, uncensored emotion and an unfettered view into the psychology of eating disorders and self-mutilation. Clever and interesting ways of weaving in medical terminology and explainations of anorexia’s effects. Accurate portrayal of step-families. Authentic YA voice. Important and timely subject matter.
The Bad: Halse hints at the causes of Lia’s anorexia and cutting, but none are satisfying. Maybe that’s why it was to hard sympathize and/or root for Lia. Or maybe I was distracted by unresolved plot lines and issues, e.g. why Cassie was Lia’s partner in all things destructive, or what happened to her before she moved in.
The Ugly: It bears repeating, it was hard to sympathize and/or root for Lia.
Other YA Halse Anderson Reads: Speak, Catalyst, Prom and Twisted.
No comments:
Post a Comment