Overview
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a girl tortured by an eating disorder and being the only one that could have stopped the death of her childhood best friend. It begins with the basics of a disordered thought process- calories over nutrition, the thoughts of anorexia. In the chapters that pass, you see the hurtles she goes through coping with her eating disorder. The way that this is control for her, she explains so much through her story from top to bottom with anorexia, and her best friend, who at recently died of bulimia in the story. It is pain meant to be read, and meant to be scoured through.
Diction
I found this book exponentially helpful in sweeping through all the point of views of a story centered around an eating disorder. Little details of input memory stories showed the pain enthralled family, the stressful doctors offices and appointments. For me, i read it with that purpose, to be able to gaze through a kaleidoscope of views and not only the sicknesses thoughts. People with that mindset need to see other peoples pain because they are so enthralled in control and number hypnotization. It distracts from everything- but this book brings the point of view back to a centerfold of perspective. That is what makes this story so memorable and well done for me.
Appeal Factor(s)
The writing and structure is beautiful. The imagery spiked my obsession with Laurie Halse Anderson- who never disappoints with that factor. A quote I will never forget it is:
Why? You want to know why?
Step into a tanning booth and fry yourself for two or three days. After your skin bubbles and peels off, roll in coarse salt, then pull on long underwear woven from spun glass and razor wire. Over that goes your regular clothes, as long as they are tight.
Smoke gunpowder and go to school to jump through hoops, sit up and beg, and roll over on command. Listen to the whispers that curl into your head at night, calling you ugly and fat and stupid and bitch and whore and worst of all, “a disappointment.” Puke and starve and cut and drink because you don’t want to feel any of this. Puke and starve and drink and cut because you need the anesthetic and it works. For a while. But then the anesthetic turns into poison and by then it’s too late because you are mainlining it now, straight into your soul. It is rotting you and you can’t stop.
Look in a mirror and find a ghost. Hear every heartbeat scream that everysinglething is wrong with you.
“Why?” is the wrong question.
Ask “Why not? “
If this is not appealing enough for you, then i do not know what would be. It is the most personal thing I’ve read that i never knew was so loud at one point in my life. It is a book like this, a book that scares you, that makes you learn. It’s like a metaphor to a lesson in life. Overall this book is one of the most personal things I could fear and love at the same time and i could not recommend a book more strongly.
Not-so-appealing Factor(s)
It may be too emotionally conflicting for you, in some parts the description becomes very graphic. Which is exactly what a topic like this needs, but some people would not appreciate out of the sheer discomfort of what they see through it. I, personally, am am very emotionally in touch person, and so i cried and laughed and related wherever needed in the book. There is a difference in just emotionally in touch and just out right discomfort- this is a disclaimer to those that may not like to read sad things, or things too vulnerable.
